NEWNow you can listen to Fox News articles!
Minnesota schools have been closing or offering distance learning options after an ICE shooting sparked violent protests, experts told Fox News Digital a political move that will ultimately lead to loss of learning and unnecessary harm to children.
In response to the shooting death of Renee Good in Minneapolis, the St. Paul, Minnesota announced temporary closures and the option for students to study remotely. Additionally, Minneapolis public schools are available offers distance education until February.
The decision to pull children out of classes has been described as “safety concerns,” but experts who spoke to Fox News Digital say it’s a politically motivated decision that will have the same negative impact on students as the COVID-19 shutdown.
“Minnesota’s teachers unions did a huge disservice to the state’s children when they called for extended school closures during the COVID-19 pandemic,” Stefano Forte, executive director of the 1776 Project PAC, told Fox News Digital. “Once again, the teachers’ union is acting against the interests of the children and is showing itself as a political wing of the Democratic Party.”
DID YOU LEARN ENGLISH AT THE CAMPSITE? SEND US A TIP HERE
Students gather and listen to speakers during a school walkout protesting forced immigration to the State Capitol building on Jan. 14, 2026, in St. Paul, Minnesota. (Stephen Maturen/Getty Images)
Many studies and reports have been released in recent years showing that distance learning during the COVID-19 crisis has significantly impaired student learning, including a 2022 Department of Education report, reported by Fox News Digital, that shows math and reading scores have dropped more during the coronavirus crisis than in decades.
Since the ICE shooting that sparked protests and violent unrest across Minneapolis, several videos have gone viral on social media showing school children at the protests, including one from the Minnesota capitol.
Paul Runko, executive director of Strategic Initiatives for Defending Education, told Fox News Digital, “Nearly six years into the COVID pandemic, American families know that school closures and remote learning have been a total disaster for children; academically, socially, emotionally and psychologically.”
PROFESSORS HEAR VOICES AFTER CHARLIE KIRK’S MURDER: WHERE ARE THEY NOW?
A walker walks at the University of Minnesota. (Getty)
“Every day leaving the classroom is a day students cannot return. These decisions are not made for children, they are made for adults, most of the time to get political points or to take care of important things that have nothing to do with the success of students. Students deserve classes, not excuses.”
Earlier this year, Fox News Digital reported on Defending Education’s release alleging that a state-sponsored teacher preparation partnership in Minnesota clearly limits eligibility based on race, potentially violating federal law.
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS PROGRAM
Minneapolis police in tactical gear take to the streets of downtown Minneapolis as protesters gather on Jan. 17, 2026, Minneapolis, Minnesota. (Jim Vondruska/Getty Images)
Rhyen Staley, director of research for Defending Education, told Fox News Digital that far-left ideologies dominate education decisions across the country.
“What’s happening in Minnesota schools is a feature, not a fault, of the current ideology that pervades the Colleges of Education and the education system,” Staley said. “Too many teachers are being trained to be left wing activists which is harming the children they are hired to work with. This will sadly continue until this is changed.”
Fox News Digital reached out to public schools in Minneapolis and St. Paul for comments.
