If Michigan’s experience is similar to other states, brace yourself for lower standardized test scores and bigger gaps between racial and income groups, caused by the pandemic.
Schools tried a bit of everything to keep students safe last year. Some of those efforts are being pared back now as schools and health officials learn more about what appears to help reduce COVID, and what doesn’t.
Parents against mask mandates in schools have grabbed most of the attention in school board meetings and protests. Now, parents who favor mask mandates to protect against COVID’s spread are organizing.
Data released by the state and published here as a searchable database provides information on current mask policies for many of Michigan’s 537 public school districts.
Even without a statewide school mask mandate, many Michigan students will be required to wear face coverings when they return to classrooms in the coming days.
With no state mandate, local Michigan superintendents are being forced to make tough decisions on whether to require face masks to protect against COVID this fall. The debate is dividing communities like Eaton Rapids.
Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, who said she would “follow the science” on pandemic policy, is apparently not following the advice of her chief medical officer on school face mask mandates.
How do you suppose we get children back in school and not vaccinate and not have them wear masks? If we want children to benefit from sports participation and in-person school, we need common-sense measures to protect students.
With so much at risk to every child who isn't vaccinated, discouraging a simple safety measure that can protect lives – wearing a mask in school – is as reckless and foolish as it is negligent.
Michigan schools are investing heavily in summer school to accelerate learning. They are hiring reading, math and behavioral specialists (and a few drones) as students transition back to classrooms.
Michigan’s Republican Senate Majority Leader argues that mask mandates are a ‘solution in search of a problem’ and inconvenient facts about COVID-19 are ignored by policymakers and public health officials.
Michigan’s school superintendent writes that critical race theory isn’t taught in public schools, but “to chose to ignore race and racism in our teaching is to … erase history.”
The board, by a 6-2 vote, rejected a non-binding resolution by Republican members to prevent schools from requiring masks, COVID tests or quarantining unvaccinated students. One GOP member was in tears.
Even as COVID cases increase, online-only learning won’t be an easy option for schools this year. The policy shift was agreed to by the GOP legislature and Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer.
Decisions on whether masks will be required in classrooms this fall will be left up to local districts, despite CDC and state pleas for them to mask up.
Job seekers can make almost as much at McDonald’s as they can working as a special education paraprofessional, making the vital but sometimes stressful jobs a tough sell for Michigan school districts.
High school grads on the fence about going to college didn’t get much personal contact with advisors and college representatives last school year because of the pandemic. The result is predictable and sobering.
