K-12 Dive

Faced with students staying home or switching to online learning because of immigration enforcement activity, special educators are working to continue individualized services for students with disabilities who are suddenly out of the school building. “When we started even talking about a virtual learning option, it really came from a place of concern for our students and their access to education,” said Heidi Nistler, assistant superintendent of specialized services for St. Paul Public Schools in Minnesota. The district’s 33,000 general and special education students have the option to enroll in temporary virtual learning, which began Jan. 22 after Immigration and Customs Enforcement activity roiled the Minneapolis-St. Paul community. About 20% of the district’s students have opted into the temporary remote learning model.