The "Return to Learn" plan allows districts to choose if and how students return to school in the fall. | Pixabay
The "Return to Learn" plan allows districts to choose if and how students return to school in the fall. | Pixabay
Michigan Sen. Kevin Daley (R-Lum) has supported four bills collectively titled “Return to Learn,” which he said would give school districts across the state added flexibility to tailor their curricula to benefit students and parents during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Teachers, administrators and parents are facing some tough decisions as they weigh options for safely starting school this fall,” Daley said on MiSenateGOP. “My colleagues and I recognize these challenges and want to give districts the ability to make decisions that reflect the best interest of their students.”
Daley said the four bills have garnered bipartisan support in the Legislature. The Senate approved the bills on Aug. 15, and the Michigan House of Representatives on Aug. 17.
Sen. Kevin Daley
| #MiSenateGOP
The plan requires school districts to develop safety and health guidelines for in-person teaching based on data supplied from local health officials. The guidelines will explain to parents and residents of communities why instruction options were selected: in-person teaching, remote learning or a combination of both.
“The virus has had a tremendously different impact in different communities across the state,” Daley said, according to MiSenateGOP. “Local schools are in the best position to decide what form of learning is appropriate for their district.”
Daley said "Return to Learn" will give districts the leeway to decide the number of hours and days of instruction, as long as a full year of teaching is provided. The bills would require regular and direct contact between student and teacher, and personal attention, for those students on remote (virtual) learning programs.
School funding would be based on blending pupil headcounts for the years 2019-2020 and 2020- 2021 to ensure stability, and would include benchmark testing virtually online or in the classroom, with the results being shared with parents.
“It’s important both for teachers and parents to understand their child’s learning needs and have a plan to get them back on track in areas where they may need additional help,” Daley told MiSenateGOP. “Parents and teachers are rightfully concerned about what the upcoming school year may bring, and this plan provides them with the information they need to begin the new school year in the safest way possible.”
Gov. Gretchen Whitmer has indicated that she will sign the legislation.
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