School confessional: ‘There is more to school than learning ABCs'

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.

“We want school to return to in-person learning in the fall. As the CDC states, and common sense shows, there is more to school than learning ABCs. They learn social skills, cooperation, team work, respect for authority, and are exposed to extra curricular activities. All of these are pieces in growth into a young adult and part of society. Even with technology, Zoom meetings, face time -- these kids are so isolated. It is almost cruel to abandon them into remote learning without their peers. Humans are social animals meant to be part of a group and community; we thrive together and wither alone. There is a reason solitary confinement is reserved for our worst criminals. Please don’t sentence our children to this same fate. I am afraid of the type of people we will be growing in the coming years.”

-- Anonymous

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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:

• Here’s what Michigan school districts have planned for the fall amid the pandemic
• 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