Talent & Education

Michigan school leaders asked for a waiver from federal requirements for such tests because of the pandemic. DeVos said no, arguing that the pandemic makes it even more critical to measure and compare school performance.

The hallways are deadly quiet. They can hear sounds from other rooms but don’t know who lives there, and can’t visit. Life in CMU’s COVID Dorm is an eerie, monotonous journey for two, now-separated roommates.

With coronavirus cases spiking on some campuses, colleges are adjusting to ‘the inevitable.’

The outbreak at the mid-Michigan public university started with off-campus parties. Now, there are cases in dorms, too.

There are now 14 new or ongoing coronavirus outbreaks in Michigan K-12 schools and colleges. Where are they? How many cases? The state still won’t provide that information.

About 8 in 10 Michigan K-12 school children can go back to school buildings this fall if they want; the majority also have the option of continuing to learn from home during the pandemic.

A few dozen districts are offering parents a choice between in-person learning and online learning. Many are starting the school year remotely and planning to transition to face-to-face instruction when conditions allow.

The Detroit district and the union had been at odds over safe working conditions for teachers during the COVID-19 pandemic. The deal comes about a week after union members voted to allow leadership to launch a safety strike if certain demands weren’t met.

State law gives schools wide discretion on whether to inform the public if there’s an outbreak. That must change, says a union representing 120,000 teachers and support staff.

The governor’s office and state health officials have yet to identify schools with active coronavirus outbreaks. And under current state policy, there is no requirement of a public announcement.

School principals began asking teachers last week if they prefer to teach in person or remotely. Classes resume Sept. 8 for the district’s 51,000 students.

The COVID outbreak at CMU shows no signs of slowing, with the case count now at 54 among current students and 75 when counting others who were infected primarily at student gatherings.

Classes are moving online and dorms will remain shuttered for the first three weeks of school at EMU, while officials figure out how to adjust their reopening plans in light of coronavirus outbreaks at other colleges, including Central Michigan University.

Michigan has already reported 14 school-related COVID-19 outbreaks. CMU’s appears to be another.

The “yes” vote means union members could now walk if the district doesn’t abandon its plan to provide in-person learning to some students whose parents chose that option.

Coronavirus standards set by the CDC, WHO and Harvard point to most Michigan counties being safe for class. But a lack of specific state benchmarks means individual districts are left to wing it on their own.

With Notre Dame and the University of North Carolina facing COVID outbreaks after classes started on their campuses, MSU is switching to remote learning before students return to East Lansing.

A compromise schools plan approved by the Michigan Senate, and backed by Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, requires weekly check-ins between teachers and students, monthly board meetings to reaffirm instruction plans and offers some funding safeguards. Unions backed the deal, but some educators are upset it was rushed just before the start of school.

Students are returning to colleges throughout Michigan. That means partying is inevitable. But state, business and local leaders are working to find a way to ensure that doesn’t lead to coronavirus outbreaks.

Michigan school districts would have the ability to choose in-person, remote or hybrid instruction this fall under a plan being negotiated by Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and the Republican-led Legislature.