School confessional: ‘School is so much more than a place to learn'

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.

“I understand the complexities the school system and parents face with schools being taught from home. This will leave kids who go neglected while at home worse off than before. Parents who work while their children are in school will be scrambling for daycare they maybe can’t afford. I do feel for these kids and parents. School is so much more than a place to learn. I do, however, feel that it is detrimental to stopping the spread of COVID-19 to be sending all of our kids back to school together. Partial back-to-school with half classrooms and partial at-home learning might be a compromise that benefits everyone.”

-- Shannon C

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