MICHIGAN SCHOOLS

Michigan will ditch a system that gave A-through-F grades to public schools each year after state education officials called the system overly simplistic and a duplicate of federal requirements.

Hundreds of Howell students received an email on Monday with a message that many within the community found homophobic.

A bipartisan group of lawmakers are expected to urge the state of Michigan spend more than $100 million on new mental health and safety programs for schools, according to a draft of recommendations obtained by Local 4.

Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer signed the education budget on Thursday, which is the highest state per-pupil investment ever.

Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer signed the education budget on Thursday, which is the highest state per-pupil investment ever.

OK2SAY is available across Michigan for public and private schools in the state. Anybody can submit a confidential tip.

Michigan is tracking coronavirus outbreaks in schools across the state.

Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer is pushing for investments that would help students manage their mental health.

More than 15 degree programs at Eastern Michigan University have been ranked among top programs across the United States, according to a 2022 assessment.

Since 2017, 47 courses at WCC offer the free textbook program saving students hundreds of dollars.

The coronavirus pandemic has led to learning deficits, contentious battles over masking and a shift to online learning in schools across the country.

The concept of snow days has undoubtedly changed for many Michigan schools thanks to remote learning during the COVID pandemic.

Taylor High School was placed on lockdown Tuesday after someone discovered a threatening note in a bathroom.

There is not a statewide face mask mandate right now in Michigan.

The new guidance from the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services says that you should isolate for five days if you test positive for COVID. Then, if you don’t have symptoms, you can return to school as long as you are wearing a well-fitted mask for six to 10 days.

A bipartisan task force has been formed with a mission to make schools safer.

The continued rise in coronavirus cases across Michigan and an expected surge following Christmas and the New Year is extending the holiday break for some students.

Schools across Michigan are working to recruit 562 mental and physical health professionals mostly to respond to student needs related to the coronavirus pandemic.

Michigan’s health department is urging Michigan schools to double-down on preventative measures to limit the spread of COVID-19 as students and staff return to buildings after the holiday break.

Michigan’s health department is urging Michigan schools to double-down on preventative measures to limit the spread of COVID-19 as students and staff return to buildings after the holiday break.

Michigan public schools can use non-teaching staff as substitute teachers the rest of the academic year under a law designed to address a shortage during the coronavirus pandemic.

The school board of Brighton Area Schools entertained a mask mandate to be implemented by the superintendent when there is a higher risk of transmission of COVID.

A 15-year-old Monroe Public Schools student has been arrested for posting threats directed at two high schools in an attempt to have classes cancelled, police said.

Michigan’s health department issued updated quarantine guidelines for schools to help prevent the spread of COVID-19 as cases rise, especially among young residents.

The Oakland County sheriff issued a stern warning Thursday after dozens of school threats were made in the wake of Tuesday’s shooting at Oxford High School.

Following the devastating Oxford High School shooting earlier this week, several schools across Southeast Michigan are increasing police presence or temporarily closing their buildings as they deal with their own threats.

Local 4′s Nick Monacelli teamed up with Utica Community Schools (UCS) to test drive one of their buses -- and he found that it wasn’t too difficult.

The struggle to find and retain teachers is one of the topics at the Michigan State Board of Education meeting.

The state of Michigan releases new COVID school data each Monday. The latest batch of numbers has Macomb County leading the state with outbreaks and cases.

“We’re engaged in a trade-off right now,” Dr. Navin said. “We know that school is good for kids, we know COVID is bad for kids and we’ve decided that a little bit of COVID is the price worth paying to have kids in school.”

Any other year, Count Day would be a day where millions of dollars would be hanging in the balance for Michigan school districts, but this time around is different thanks to the pandemic.

With more school outbreaks reported, students are being told to quarantine. However, some districts are trying to find a way to keep kids in the classroom.

The Bloomfield Hill Schools Board of Education released a statement after voting to remove its board president.

Wayne, Oakland and Washtenaw counties are keeping their K-12 school mask mandates in place, but it’s a mixed bag across the rest of the state.

As Michigan schools prepare for more COVID outbreaks, school nurses are on the frontlines for thousands of students, teachers and families.

The tenor of the meeting abruptly changed when a parent, whose child had just been exposed to COVID at school, came to the podium.

A staff shortage had Eastpointe Middle School turning to virtual learning last week, but the students have since been able to return to the classroom.

A new report has ranked the best public high schools in Michigan for 2022, with Oakland and Washtenaw counties dominating the top of the chart.

A new school district has taken over the top spot in Niche’s 2022 rankings for the best districts in Michigan.

As Michigan students return to the classroom, MDHHS has updated its COVID-19 quarantine guidance for both vaccinated and unvaccinated students

As Michigan students return to the classroom, MDHHS has updated its COVID-19 quarantine guidance for both vaccinated and unvaccinated students

When schools turned to virtual learning due to the COVID pandemic there weren’t illnesses spreading in schools and when students did return masks and social distancing kept the usual illnesses at bay.

We’re tracking which Michigan school districts and colleges are requiring face masks to be worn during the upcoming school year amid the ongoing COVID pandemic.

Over the past year, the workforce has been devastated by a loss of many teachers who quit or retired amid the coronavirus pandemic.

We have been tracking the evolving responses to the call for masks inside Michigan school buildings as students and teachers head back into classrooms for the start of the 2021-22 academic year.

All school districts in Wayne County will be required to enforce a mask mandate for the upcoming school year after health officials released new guidance.

"We feel it necessary to take this precaution instead of shutting down the building," said superintendent Chuck Hughes.

"The Board’s decision to recommend masks for our students and staff was based solely on the CDC’s return-to-school guidelines, which is not a health mandate."

A Hartland elementary school has issued a mask mandate after several students have reportedly tested positive for COVID-19.

Oakland County said the increase in cases is the reason it’s mandating masks at all K-12 schools. It’s decision not everyone is happy with.

The Oakland County Health Division issued an emergency health order Tuesday that requires all students and staff to wear masks when they return to school.

Face masks will be required to be worn inside all Plymouth-Canton Community Schools district buildings until at least Oct. 31, 2021.

Allen Park’s public school district has adopted a universal masking policy for the upcoming school year amid the ongoing pandemic.

Face masks will be required to be worn inside all Dearborn Public Schools buildings at least until Oct. 1, 2021.

Utica Community Schools is the largest school district in Macomb County and it is opting to start mask optional for fall semester. Superintendent Robert Monroe said it depends on parents and the choices they and their students make as to whether that can continue.

All students attending Warren Consolidated Schools (WCS) this fall will be required to wear face masks as COVID-19 continues to spread throughout Metro Detroit and Michigan.

Parents organizing in the Romeo School District in Macomb County said they are putting pressure on decision makers to mandate masks in schools.

School funding has always been tied to the number of students in the classroom.

We’re tracking which Michigan school districts and colleges are requiring face masks to be worn during the upcoming school year amid the ongoing COVID pandemic.

Michigan is allowing individual districts and county health departments to make mask policy -- a move education groups call a cop out.

“Because many students have yet to be vaccinated and students under age 12 are not yet eligible, layered prevention measures, including universal masking, must be put in place for consistent in-person learning to keep kids, staff and families safe,” reads a MDHHS release.

Michigan health officials are strongly recommending schools to require universal masking when students return for in-person learning.

Students at Chippewa Valley Schools will not be required to wear face masks when heading back to the classroom this fall.

As K-12 schools prepare to resume in-person learning in Michigan and across the nation this fall, many are discussing whether children should be required to wear face masks to help prevent the spread of COVID-19.

The decision by the Grosse Pointe Public Schools to start the school year with masks optional has parents divided.

“We’re teaching them something that honestly just breaks my heart, that we don’t have responsibility to care for and about one another,” Eisenberg said.

“We’re teaching them something that honestly just breaks my heart, that we don’t have responsibility to care for and about one another,” Eisenberg said.

Michigan has revealed its updated COVID-19 safety guidelines to protect students from the virus when they return to in-person learning.

Some Metro Detroit school districts claim to be consistent with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and state guidelines, but don’t appear to be.

Officials aren’t issuing mask mandates despite the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s guidance that fully vaccinated people should still wear masks indoors.

Michigan has revealed its updated COVID-19 safety guidelines to protect students from the virus when they return to in-person learning.

Michigan has revealed its updated COVID-19 safety guidelines to protect students from the virus when they return to in-person learning.

The American Academy and Pediatrics is strongly recommending masks be worn by all students and staff in school for the upcoming academic year.

Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer signed the School Aid budget into law on Tuesday.

Gov. Gretchen Whitmer signed a bipartisan funding bill on Wednesday giving Michigan’s K-12 schools a boost.

Gov. Gretchen Whitmer signed a bipartisan funding bill on Wednesday giving Michigan’s K-12 schools a boost.

Gov. Gretchen Whitmer has signed a supplemental spending bill that releases $4.4 billion in federal coronavirus rescue funding designated for K-12 schools.

Michigan lawmakers have approved of a $17.1 billion K-12 budget, one that will eliminate a longstanding base per-student funding gap among districts and boost overall funding by 10%.

Michigan health officials have issued 12 safety recommendations to protect students and teachers from COVID-19 during in-person learning at schools.

As school districts across Metro Detroit work to normalize the learning experience for the 2021-22 school year, a concerning trend is developing.

Gov. Gretchen Whitmer has proposed expanding government-funded preschool to 22,000 eligible but unenrolled 4-year-olds in Michigan, saying too many cannot access an “incredible opportunity” because of inadequate funding.

Michigan is tracking coronavirus outbreaks in schools across the state.

The bill is also opposed by the Michigan High School Athletic Association, which called it unneccessary.

Specs Howard School of Media Arts is set to become part of Lawrence Tech, officials announced.

Many people look forward to the big day -- graduation. But things are going to be different this year, especially for the seniors in the Troy and Southfield public school districts.

The first day of SAT testing was set for Tuesday. However, the call for voluntary 2-week pause has led to confusion among Michigan students, parents and schools.

The Ingham County Health Department is urging some schools within the county to avoid in-person learning for one week as coronavirus spread worsens throughout the state.

Michigan officials are ramping up COVID-19 testing at nursing homes, schools and airports as the number of cases spreading throughout the state continues to rise. More than 72,000 free tests have been conducted at neighborhood testing sites in socially vulnerable communities and continue to provide testing . Free post-spring break testing pop-up sites are planned for school districts in 34 communities. Testing sites at welcome centers and Michigan airports are in the works for returning travelers. Vaccine providers with the capacity to vaccinate all individuals ages 16 years and older are allowed do so at this time, state officials said.

WAYNE COUNTY, Mich. – With Michigan’s COVID-19 numbers on the rise and spring break around the corner, Wayne County superintendents are reaching out to parents to ask them to be vigilant in order to keep schools open. In order to keep schools open -- despite the rise in COVID cases -- it will depend on behavior outside of school. READ: Tracking coronavirus cases, outbreaks in Michigan schoolsAdWayne County school officials are asking parents as they head into spring break to skip the parties because of the substantial community spread going on. Officials said the precautions at schools -- daily cleaning, contact tracing and isolating students -- are working and that they don’t want students to return to remote-learning. They said they are concerned that if students and families let their guards down over spring break, the community spread will explode more than it already is.

DETROIT – During the coronavirus pandemic, Local 4 has been checking in with students around Metro Detroit on their struggles, successes and how COVID is impacting their lives. It’s no surprise that students are starting to get concerned about end-of-year activities like graduations and proms. Paula Tutman spoke with students from the Walled Lake Consolidated School District, and they thing Michigan lawmakers need to be more efficient with their time. They acknowledge that they are not entitled to a fun senior year, but believe they have earned the right to start making plans. Walled Lake superintendent Kenneth Gutman said he thought there would be more guidance from Lansing, so he could direct his students on what they can and cannot plan toward, but he said he’s heard nothing.

The CDC now said the science supports reducing the minimum recommended space between students as long as everyone is wearing a well-fitting mask. Under the new guidelines, students in elementary school can now sit three feet apart instead of the previously recommended six feet -- as long as everyone is wearing a mask. “These recommendations are specific to students in classrooms with universal mask wearing,” said CDC director Dr. Rochelle Walensky. However, six feet of distance is still recommended in several situations, including:Between all adults, or adults and students. pic.twitter.com/w3lHKrO3fu — CDC (@CDCgov) March 19, 2021The new guidelines will help some schools get back to face-to-face learning, especially where population and space is an issue.

OXFORD, Mich. – A COVID-19 outbreak has forced Oxford High School to return to virtual learning as 200 students are being quarantined, school officials confirm. The shift to remote learning is in effect through this week, and officials hope to return to in-person instruction on March 22, according to the school website. Of those student cases, one is at Daniel Axford Elementary, six are at Oxford Middle School and 11 are at Oxford High School, the data shows. There are exactly 201 Oxford High School students -- 10% of the student population -- quarantining due to potential exposure to a school-related case, according to the data. Three Oxford Middle School staff members are under quarantine due to potential exposure in a school-related case, the website says.

WEST BLOOMFIELD TOWNSHIP, Mich. – Two pieces of legislation passed last week offering additional funding for Michigan schools that provide at least 20 hours of in-person learning. Gretchen Whitmer, but one school district is now trying to decide if it’s worth to re-route its current learning plan. The West Bloomfield School District is in hybrid learning and was planning to keep it until next year. READ: What to know as Detroit public schools resume in-person learningBut the potential loss of $1.2 million in additional funding forced the district’s Board of Education to discuss on Monday whether to increase in-person learning to 20 hours a week. We’re living with the reality of the Legislature being the Legislature,” Hill said.

DETROIT – An estimated 20,000 Detroit Public School Community District students are set to return to classrooms Monday, but their teachers may not be there. READ: Detroit public schools to resume in-person learning on March 8The DPSCD said there are not enough teachers who are willing to go back into classrooms to meet the demand. AdREAD: Student demand for in-person learning far outweighs the number of teachers willing to return in DetroitSome parents spoke out and said they don’t want their children to be taught on a screen in a classroom. Even thought schools within the DPSCD will return to in-person learning Monday, some parents -- like Kimble and Ta’Mara Williams -- are choosing to keep their students at home. “The teachers are not ready and the students are not ready as well.”The bottom line is that the in-person demand for in-person learning exceeds number of teachers willing to return to the classroom.

READ: Detroit public schools to resume in-person learning on March 8That amounts to about 20,000 children, but Detroit teachers willing to return to the classroom are only about at 20-30%. Detroit teachers were moved to the head of the line and anybody wishing to have the vaccine has had access. “We’re going to need services relative to trauma, we need mental health services,” Martin said. Constant cleaning, a max of 20 children per classroom, masks and social distancing, plus an extra $750 per quarter for teachers willing to return to the classroom. In the beginning Vitti says, “There will be a disconnect between family demand for in person learning and teachers willing to teach in person.”More: Return To School

DETROIT – Detroit public schools officially announced Monday that they will return to in-person learning on March 8. The Detroit Public Schools Community District’s return to in-person learning includes all schools and grade levels, officials said. Detroit students will return to school one week after the state’s recommended date for districts to reopen their classrooms. Recent family and teacher surveys showed twice as many wanted to return to in-person learning than when then 2020-2021 school year began in September. Ad“The decision for (the) Detroit Public Schools Community District to have face-to-face learning as an option was a decision made based upon the current data available,” said Terrence Martin, president of the Detroit Federation of Teachers.

FARMINGTON, Mich. – As Michigan students approach a full calendar year of learning primarily from home, there is growing impatience to get them back to full-time face-to-face learning. Farmington Public Schools currently has a hybrid model, meaning that about a quarter of students are in the building at the same time. The district’s school board affirmed that that’s the plan it would like to keep until next year. At Tuesday’s board meeting, members read comments submitted by parents urging them to both reconsider and stay the course. Just 15% of districts planned to be fully remote, down from 35% in January.

DETROIT – 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, sports“I would say to Republicans to find a different bargaining chip, education is not it,” 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? Ad“One 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,” DeVault said.