Minneapolis Public School teachers are claiming victory after suing the school district for being forced, they say, to return to the classroom this week to do prep work as the students return a week from today.
Greta Callahan of the Minneapolis Federation of Teachers says the district ordered teachers back to work, without allowing them the opportunity to request the option of staying home for health reasons.
After the teachers filed the lawsuit last week, the court ruled in their favor that the district could not require staff to return in person, if they had or were in the process of making an accommodation to work from home.
In a statement, administrators with the Minneapolis School District said returning a large district to in-person learning is complex, and maintain that they had taken the recommended steps to prioritize the health and safety of staff and students.
Elsewhere, it's a big day for a lot of elementary school students, who are heading back into the classroom.
In St. Paul, some teachers have expressed concern about returning.
They say not everyone has been vaccinated, and there is concern St. Paul school administrators have not given the, a clear safety plan.
Elementary students returning to the classroom today in St. Paul and the state's largest school district, Anoka Hennpin.