LANSING – A group of Michigan educators is holding a rally in Lansing on Thursday to protest the state’s return-to-school plan amid the coronavirus pandemic.
The Michigan Caucus Of Rank-and-File Educators (MI CORE) will host the rally at the Capitol from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., featuring several educators speaking at the event. The rally is “to call attention to the danger of schools physically reopening and demand more funding to protect school communities.”
The group says social distancing and mask use is mandatory for the event. More on why they’re rallying, from MI Core:
“When Governor Whitmer suspended in-person school instruction in March, there were only a few dozen cases in Michigan. Now, months later, we are seeing hundreds of new cases a day and it is clear that it is unsafe to resume in-person instruction. The goal of this rally is to see our state commit to reopening all schools safely, and also recognize the incredible trauma our students’ families are dealing with due to job losses, the looming threat of evictions, expiring unemployment benefits, lack of access to health care, and a host of other issues affecting our communities. In order to have a truly safe learning environment, state and federal officials need to provide the necessary funding to address these challenges.”
Previous coverage: Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer reveals plan for schools to return to in-person learning this fall
MI Core represents more than 1,000 educators across the state.
Many school districts in Michigan have already moved to a fully-remote start to the school year, or have offered the option to parents. Most schools start after Labor Day in Michigan.
Updated: Here’s what Michigan school districts have planned for the fall amid the pandemic
Coronavirus resources:
- View more: Michigan COVID-19 data 📊📈
- Question about coronavirus? Ask Dr. McGeorge here.
- More: Return to School updates