Some MPS students return to the classroom
MILWAUKEE (CBS 58) – Milwaukee Public Schools is starting to bring students back into the classroom.
In a letter to parents, MPS Superintendent Keith Posley said the goal is to provide in-person learning to around 300 students beginning Monday, Feb. 8.
The students are those with Individualized Education Programs, and families should have been contacted directly. Posley said the first day of class went smoothly.
“It was an outstanding day for us, and we’re excited to be able to offer face-to-face learning for our young people.”
MPS Director of Specialized Services Jennifer Mims-Howell said students also received individualized bins for their own supplies and materials.
“Working and taking care of ‘my items,’ and so we talked about that today," Mims-Howell said. "And so, it was a good day. We did practices with masks, as far as wearing PPEs. We did handwashing as well.”
The Milwaukee Teachers Education Association says it is not safe for teachers or students to return to the classroom without vaccinating them.
“This is a group of students who we would consider most vulnerable and most fragile, and their safety is at risk as well,” MTEA President Amy Mizialko said.
Only three schools are open: Green Tree Prep, WCLL and South Division. Students have been assigned the closest of those locations to their homes.
The vast majority of MPS students will return in three waves over the course of April.
The tentative start dates for other grades include:
- Pre-K- Grade 2: April 12, 2021
- Grades 3-8: April 19, 2021
- Grades 9-12: April 26, 2021