Safe Schools Roadmap Sets Requirements for Re-Opening
LANSING, Mich. — Today, Governor Gretchen Whitmer released the MI Safe Schools Return to School Roadmap, a comprehensive document to help districts create local plans for in-person learning in the fall. The Roadmap outlines a number of safety protocols for schools to implement in each phase of the governor’s MI Safe Start Plan. The governor also signed Executive Order 2020-142, which provides a structure to support all schools in Michigan as they plan for a return of PreK-12 education in the fall.
The roadmap details: Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), good hygiene, cleaning and disinfecting, spacing in classrooms, screening for symptoms, protocols for athletics and more. There will also be $256 million in new funding to implement school safety measures.
Four guiding principles were the foundation of the plan.
~Equitable access to learning is a right for each child.
~In collaboration with parents, students, and teachers, schools will use data and evidence to prioritize resources for each child.
~ Teachers and staff will prioritize deep, meaningful relationships to create safe learning environments for each child.
~Teachers and staff will empower the value, cultivation of relationships, and belonging of student and parent voice in all aspects of learning and emotional support for families.
The document explains that scientific research was used to determine the requirements and recommendations. “Regarding the use of facial coverings, the balance of scientific data supports their value in reducing the risk of transmission in community settings. Both recent, targeted studies on this particular coronavirus, as well as larger meta-analyses of mask use in other infectious disease outbreaks, support the value of facial coverings in keeping communities safe.5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10 Our recommendations on cleaning and disinfection are derived from CDC, EPA, and OSHA standards.”
The task force behind the roadmap also looked at how other countries adapted to fight the virus spread.
The roadmap explains that depending on the status of MI Safe Schools, there are three scenarios for school opening in fall 2020:
1 -Schools open for in-person instruction with minimal required safety protocols (MI Safe Start Phase 6).
2 -Schools open for in-person instruction with moderate required safety protocols(MI Safe Start Phase 5).
3 – Schools open for in-person instruction with more stringent required safety protocols (MI Safe Start Phase 4).
4 – Schools do not open for in-person instruction and instruction is provided remotely (MI Safe Start Phases 1-3).
To view video of the governor’s press conference, click here.
To view the PowerPoint presentation the governor used, click the link below:
6.30.2020 PPT .pdf
To view the Roadmap, click here.