School confessional: ‘Start school off in a virtual manner'

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.

“My daughter is a high school administrator. She has an infant and toddler at home. She loves her students, her school, her job. She is also scared to death to return to school. Her job involves discipline issues, among many things. She will be the one dealing with those students refusing to wear masks, and we all know there will be many. She fears for the students, teachers and staff safety. She can’t sleep at night worrying about bringing home this disease to her family. I have already been told that even my distant and limited outside visits allowed now will have to be stopped for fear of getting her father and I sick. Everyone agrees that face-to-face education is best for all -- students and teachers. But pause and think of the students’ families at risk, not to mention pregnant teachers and older ones who are afraid to return, afraid for themselves and their families. Let’s put safety first and continue remote learning until the change of semester (January). We can make the remote learning better than it was in March/April/May, with more availability for the teachers to be in contact with their students. It can work. It will work. And less lives will be endangered. Please, please to those who are in charge -- start school off in a virtual manner -- for EVERYONE’S sake!

-- 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:

• 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