Educators and students react to face-to-face learning resuming in Metro Detroit
ROMEO, Mich. โ Romeo Community Schools hit another milestone on Monday as students returned to full class schedules. The excitement of a return actually started last week as teachers prepared to welcome cohorts back to Romeo High School. New Today: 200 students in quarantine as Oxford High School returns to virtual learning amid COVID outbreakMonday was the day a return to full days, full-time face-to-face learning for high school and middle schoolers finally happened, which means 80 percent of the districtโs students are physically back in class. Rick Boggio, an academy coach at Romeo High School also said Monday felt like the first day of school. The high school operates with a learning system called the Academies at Romeo in which students decide on an area of interest and attend micro-and macro-focused learning that gives real world experience in their area of interest.
Meijer holds COVID-19 vaccine clinic at Ford Field in Detroit for educators
DETROIT โ On Monday, Meijer hosted a COVID-19 vaccine clinic at Ford Field for educators and educational staff in Michigan. A total of 2,600 people got the chance to get vaccinated at the event. The vaccination clinic was pre-registration only and at capacity before the event started. Recently Meijer and the Michigan Education Special Services Association collaborated to identify and schedule 2,600 education employees still needing the vaccine. VIEW: Tracking Michigan COVID-19 vaccine doses ๐VIEW: Tracking coronavirus cases, outbreaks in Michigan schools
Parent advocacy group โcelebratesโ Ann Arbor School Boardโs decision to offer hybrid learning
Ann Arbor Reasonable Return co-founder Jesse Kauffman holds a sign at a rally organized by the group in downtown Ann Arbor on Jan. 30, 2021. ANN ARBOR โ Parent group Ann Arbor Reasonable Return released a statement on Wednesday afternoon in response to the Board of Educationโs vote to offer a hybrid learning option. โToday, we celebrate the vote by the Ann Arbor Public Schools Board of Education to offer Hybrid/Hyflex learning,โ reads the statement. The grassroots organization founded by local parents, including medical professionals, has been advocating for the safe return to face-to-face learning. Ann Arbor is the only district in Washtenaw County and one of few in the state that has remained virtual since the coronavirus pandemic began.
Ann Arbor-area teachers to receive COVID-19 vaccines on Saturday
ANN ARBOR โ The Washtenaw County Health Department has announced that approximately 1,200 local teachers will get vaccinated against COVID-19 on Saturday. In partnership with Michigan Medicine and IHA, the Health Department is allotting this weekโs vaccine supply from the state toward the effort as districts begin to reopen ahead of Gov. โLimited vaccine supplies continue to hamper our local efforts to reach everyone currently eligible for COVID-19 vaccination,โ Jimena Loveluck, health officer for Washtenaw County Health Department said in a statement. The Board received substantial backlash over its decision at last weekโs meeting to rush a vote on staying virtual. โWe are grateful for their work with the Governorโs team to resolve the issues that delayed getting vaccines to K-12 staff across Washtenaw County compared to communities across the rest of the state.
Ann Arbor students, parents rally at Skyline High School to demand return to hybrid learning
A high school student holds up a sign at a protest outside Skyline High School in Ann Arbor on Feb. 20, 2021. ANN ARBOR โ Dozens of students and parents stood outside Skyline High School holding signs and giving speeches on Saturday, calling for the Ann Arbor Board of Education to continue with their original plans to return to school buildings beginning in March. AdAnn Arbor Public Schools students hold up signs at a rally to reopen schools at Skyline High School on Feb. 20, 2021. Skyline High School senior Eli Hendricks addresses a crowd of students and parents outside his school in Ann Arbor on Feb. 20, 2021. Signs posted outside Skyline High School's student entrance in Ann Arbor call for the return to hybrid learning.
Washtenaw County Superintendents call to increase COVID-19 vaccines for teachers
(AP Photo/Nardus Engelbrecht)WASHTENAW COUNTY, Mich. โ The Washtenaw Superintendentsโ Association has issued a statement calling to increase vaccine supplies for teachers in the countyโs public school districts. According to a recent survey of educators by Michigan Education Association, only 25.6% of respondents in Washtenaw County had received at least the first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine. WSA represents the superintendents of the Washtenaw Intermediate School District and the following nine public school districts: Ann Arbor Public Schools; Chelsea School District; Dexter Community Schools; Lincoln Consolidated Schools; Manchester Community Schools; Milan Area Schools; Saline Area Schools; Whitmore Lake Public Schools and Ypsilanti Community Schools. Washtenaw County superintendents have taken every opportunity to collectively advocate on behalf of our school communities at the local, state, and federal levels. We call on local Washtenaw County leaders to continue to keep equity at the center of everything we do, including our vaccination efforts.
Education leaders say teacher shortages, learning loss among top issues at Michigan schools
DETROIT โ On Tuesday, the K-12 Alliance of Michigan -- representing hundreds of thousands of students, teachers and schools -- held a roundtable to give a glimpse of issues facing students, teachers and learning. READ: Michigan leaders say schools need $1 billion to recover from COVID financial tollAdREAD: Michigan GOP: No aid for K-12 schools unless Whitmer cedes power to ban in-person learning, sportsโI would say to Republicans to find a different bargaining chip, education is not it,โ said Kevin Miller with St. Clair County Regional Educational Service Agency. READ: With districts fully integrated in remote learning will Michigan schools declare a snow day? AdโOne way is to get kids, particularly minority and low-poverty kids, do tutoring throughout the summer and school, and pay them. So, both they get a professional experience and they get a positive relationship, and they contribute to helping with this learning loss,โ DeVault said.
Michigan health department launches program offering weekly COVID testing to educators
LANSING, Mich. โ The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) said it is moving forward with offering a voluntary COVID-19 testing program to educators. Officials said the MI Safe Schools Testing Program, which began Tuesday, will provide weekly tests for educators at private and public schools. Approximately 300 schools and 9,000 staff members have signed up for testing so far. Gretchen Whitmer pushed for schools to resume in-person learning by March 1. Everyone has a role to play in ending this pandemic.โThe state paused high school in-person learning in November.
Parents weigh in on Gov. Whitmerโs push to resume in-person in learning by March
Gretchen Whitmer announced on Friday her push for Michigan public schools to resume in-person learning by March 1. Whitmer encourages Michigan public schools to reopen for in-person learning by March 1Ibrahim has two kids in elementary in the Farmington Public Schools. Kids need their education... Our children are the future.โLike other parents, David Phillips, who has two kids in school in Fraser, knows that kids are better in school. And I think weโre putting our kids in harmโs way,โ he said.
Walled Lake teacher receives Michigan Lotteryโs Excellence in Education award
WALLED LAKE, Mich. โ A Walled Lake Consolidated School District teacher received the Michigan Lotteryโs Excellence in Education award. Michelle Fiebke-Lang, retired Mary Helen Guest principal, said, โSarah has served on numerous WLCSD District and school committees. As a parent in the District, Sarah continues to serve as the Guest PTA secretary." Dodds has been an educator for 16 years, all with Walled Lake Consolidated School District. We feel blessed to have her as a Gator," said Glengary principal RosaLeigh Johnson.
Educators warn they may not have tools, funds for students to return to class in the fall
Educators warn they may not have tools, funds for students to return to class in the fallPublished: June 18, 2020, 4:38 pmMichigan schools have been in crisis mode since the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic derailed life as we know it.