Minnesota parents, educators hope students make academic, social strides as school returns to normal

Teacher Magdalene Pearson has seen the concern mixed with joy as she welcomes new families to her kindergarten classroom at Hamilton Elementary in Coon Rapids.

And she has some advice for them: It will be OK. Also, try reading a book with their children for 20 minutes a day.

"It's no big deal if you can't, though," she said. "That's what we're here for."

Most of Minnesota's students return to classrooms this week, and parents and educators across the state are preparing for the most normal-looking school year since 2019, devoid of masks and social distancing even as the effects of pandemic disruptions linger. Yet, this is also the year parents and teachers hope kids catch up on their social and academic skills.

Minnesota students are further behind in reading and math than they should be, state test data show, echoing a national trend. The state's school districts are earmarking millions in federal aid to reverse that slide.

In the Anoka-Hennepin district, which includes Hamilton Elementary, reading specialists and math tutors are the order of the day — officials there put about $6 million toward such support specialists, according to district budget documents.

None of those positions existed last year, and school districts across the state have been rushing to hire more staff to support students.

Still, most parents say they're just happy their kids are back in school.

Lesley Berscheid, whose four children will attend three separate schools in the Delano district west of the Twin Cities, said she's excited for her 5-year-old twins, Cam and Blaire, to start kindergarten.

The twins have never spent much time apart. Now they'll be in different classrooms.

"They know each other together, mostly," Berscheid said. "We really wanted for them to explore their individuality."

One of her older daughters, Nora, who will be a sixth-grader at Delano Intermediate School, has spent the summer coaching the twins on what to expect from day to day. Nora walks them through their morning routine, tells them how they'll eat breakfast before they board the bus and how she'll see them when they come home.

"It's all about showing them excitement," said Berscheid, who also has a daughter who will be a junior at Delano High. "That's a really big piece."

There was excitement aplenty in Pearson's Hamilton Elementary kindergarten classroom during the open house last week.

Marissa Scarborough's son Markiah shrieked with joy when Pearson showed him the locker he'll share with a classmate for the year.

Markiah is the first of Scarborough's children to attend school. And while she wants her oldest son to advance academically, Scarborough also wants Markiah to pick up some new life skills.

"He should learn how to read and write," Scarborough said. "But he really needs to learn how to tie his shoes."

She also wants Markiah to learn how to better socialize with children his own age.

Yei Suah, whose son A.J. is also entering Pearson's kindergarten class, is similarly hopeful he will get the peer-to-peer contact he needs.

Suah's daughter is about to begin fourth grade at Hamilton. When the pandemic began in spring 2020, she had to finish first grade with remote learning — a tough proposition for a kid who loves spending time with her peers.

"It was definitely taking away from her social skills," Suah said.

Suah hopes the coming year features minimal disruptions so that her son and daughter get the education and socialization they need. She also wants to spend less time guiding her daughter through lessons online.

Berscheid, the mother of four from Delano, isn't stressed about her children making up lost ground. She regularly checked in with her daughters' teachers during the last couple of years and put more stock in how much the girls were progressing rather than focusing on the grades they got on essays and exams.

"I wouldn't put so much emphasis on testing as much as teacher input and what they're seeing," Berscheid said.

Educators like Pearson and Hamilton Elementary Principal Julie Bowman agree that regular communication between parents and teachers is key to ensuring a child makes strides in the classroom.

Bowman says the more parents share about their child, the better. Do they have a favorite toy? A favorite park to play in? Bowman said the key to keeping students engaged is maintaining their sense of curiosity.

"There's no start or stop place to learning," Bowman said, explaining that educators keep students engaged by relating to their experiences outside the classroom. "Learning is something that happens all day, every day."