LANSING, MI (WKZO AM/FM) — Governor Gretchen Whitmer is shutting down K-12 schools for the rest of the academic year. (Listen to the complete podcast.)
On Thursday she signed an executive order suspending face-to-face learning. This will also cause all K-12 school buildings to close for the remainder of the school year, create remote learning guidelines for each district, allow seniors to graduate, and make sure teachers and school employees are paid for the rest of the academic year.
District facilities will only be allowed to be used by public school employees and contractors who are conducting remote learning as long as they are also practicing social distancing.
“As a parent, I understand the challenge closing schools creates for parents and guardians across the state, which is why we are setting guidelines for schools to continue remote learning and ensuring parents have resources to continue their children’s education from the safety of their homes,” Whitmer said in a written statement on Thursday.
Now, the local districts will have to get to work creating a plan. According to the press release, “The Michigan Association of Intermediate School Administrators and the Michigan Council of Charter School Authorizers are currently developing a Continuity of Learning Plan template application for schools to utilize in order to create their localized plan.”
Each district must provide a plan on how they will offer opportunities for students to learn remotely and how schools will manage and monitor their progress. The plans will also have to be approved by their regional intermediate school district.
Some districts are concerned about how they can rely on remote learning when some students do not have access to the Internet or appropriate technologies to carry out their work. However, the release states that every district’s plan will be different and will reflect what’s best and feasible for their community.
For example, the governor mentioned the plan could be learning by phone, mail, online, project-based learning, paper packets, telephone lessons, and more.
If the plan relies on online instruction, the governor said districts should make sure students have the appropriate devices and internet access.
Michigan is now the 9th state to shut down schools for the rest of the academic year.
On Wednesday the governor signed an Executive Order, formally declaring a state of disaster for Michigan and earlier this week, Bridge Magazine predicted that Whitmer would sign legislation closing schools for the remainder of the semester.
Thursday’s press briefing can be viewed on the Michigan State Police Department’s Facebook page.
Governor Whitmer is also hosting a town hall Thursday evening to answer questions regarding COVID-19. WKZO will carry it live beginning at 7 p.m.
