School confessional: ‘Better to be careful now than to be regretting decisions later'

The following is a response to our call for people to share thoughts and concerns about Michigan schools returning to in-person learning this fall.

“As a lower elementary teacher, I truly cannot picture going back to school safely. I have almost 30 students in a small classroom. How do we keep them away from each other without completely consuming our day? As a teacher there are 1,000 things to keep track of throughout a normal day, then you throw in life and death, it’s unrealistic. I miss my students, I miss normalcy, but what do we do when we already have a teacher and substitute shortage, and then a teacher gets sick? Many students live in multi-generational homes -- they get sick and bring it home to their grandparents. If I got sick, I will have exposed all of my students, then their families, and other teachers. Does the whole school close then? We are getting closer to a vaccine or treatment -- it is better to be careful now than be regretting decisions later.”

-- Anonymous

View more: School Confessionals

School confessionals: Share your thoughts, concerns about return to in-person learning

Michigan school districts, colleges and universities are working to prepare for a return to in-person classes this fall amid the coronavirus pandemic.

In-person classes were stopped in March when the virus swept through Michigan. On June 30, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer revealed her plan to help schools across the state return to in-person learning this fall. The “MI Safe Schools Return to School Roadmap” is a 63-page document that outlines coronavirus (COVID-19) safety protocols for each phase of Whitmer’s reopening plan.

The governor’s order requires each school district to adopt a COVID-19 plan that lays out how it will protect students and educators across the various phases of the Michigan Safe Start Plan. Whitmer’s roadmap is to be used as a guide.

This has everyone -- parents, teachers and students -- wondering whether this is a good idea, how well it can be accomplished, how safe everyone can be kept, and what exactly the best to do this will be.

Please share your thoughts and concerns about returning to in-person learning this fall -- we want to hear from you:

Related:

• A look at how Oakland University is preparing campus for fall return amid pandemic
• What the new school year will look like for Detroit public schools
• A look at how Eastern Michigan University is preparing campus for fall return amid pandemic
• Return to School section