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.
“Our kids are at a disadvantage now against the kids from these schools that have been face-to-face for months now,” read one comment.
Watch the full report in the video above.
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More than 80% of Michigan schools offering in-person instruction
More than 80% of Michigan school districts planned to offer some form of in-person instruction in February, which represented a more than 20 percentage-point increase over the previous month amid a decline in the coronavirus’ spread.
Michigan State University’s Education Policy Innovation Collaborative said it was the largest monthly increase since the start of the academic year. Gov. Gretchen Whitmer has strongly encouraged schools to offer a face-to-face option by March 1.
Researchers released a report showing that 83% of traditional districts and charter schools planned to do so this month, with 65% offering a fully in-person option and 18% offering hybrid instruction. Just 15% of districts planned to be fully remote, down from 35% in January.