Jason Mellema knows there’s no real replacement for time spent in the classroom. As an assistant superintendent at the Ingham Intermediate School District, Mellema is tasked with providing guidance to a dozen public school districts across Greater Lansing as they attempt to rewire curricula for students during the new Pandemic Age.
In an ideal world, Mellema would have every student back in the classroom, but he knows that COVID-19 still poses a very real threat across Michigan. And he also knows there’s no one-size-fits-all solution when it comes to how students should head back to school. “When this pandemic struck schools, we were all thrown into a tailspin quickly,” Mellema said last week to the Lansing Economic Club.
“We were able to lean into each other and think of ideas and solutions that could be applicable both here and at other districts.” Fear of the coronavirus has pushed many local districts to close their doors as students start off the fall semester entirely online.
Other districts, especially those in more rural areas, are physically reopening for the first time since the spring. Different townships and cities are tracking different levels of viral community spread and face varying challenges with transportation and internet access, Mellema said.
Lansing School District’s 10,800 students, for instance, needed a different return-to-learn plan than what was needed for the 550 students at Webberville Community Schools.
The uncertainty has bred a hodgepodge of lesson plans in mid-Michigan as districts balance feedback from parents and staff and data from their local health departments — while also weighing the social-emotional impact of largely computer-based education.
“This is a moving target,” Mellema said. “What we think we need today may not necessarily meet the challenges of what we’ll need in a few months. We need to stay open-minded and continue to be flexible. We’ll continue to need some creative solutions.” A few weeks after Michigan detected its first COVID-19 cases in March, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer ordered public and private school buildings closed to curb the spread of the virus.
But it wasn’t an early vacation for educators left scrambling to shift to a virtual world. Online lesson plans and printed packets were assembled for students to wrap up the remainder of their shortlived spring semesters, and teachers and administrators went into overdrive to ensure more concrete plans were in place for classes to resume this fall.
More than a million meals were distributed across the Ingham ISD this summer, including 600,000 meals for students at the Lansing School District and 10,000 meals distributed weekly for East Lansing Public Schools students, said ELPS Superintendent Dori Leyko. District officials also monitored Health Department data while simultaneously surveying parents, students and staff about plans to get classes back up and running by August.
Schools now have a choice to physically reopen, but only with masks, social distancing and cleaning protocols in place. And in Michigan, that created a variety of learning plans. Peter Spadafore, in addition to serving as president of the Lansing City Council, works as a deputy director at the Michigan Association of Superintendents and Administrators. He said the last few pandemic-filled months have been uncharted territory for public schools statewide.
“We’re seeing an unprecedented amount of collaboration and teamwork to make this work,” Spadafore said. “Of course, it’s our preference as educators to have students in the classroom, to be face-to-face with them, not just for the academic component of education but also the social and emotional learning taking place. But right now, in some cases, it’s just not possible.”
Whitmer signed a series of bills last week that provide flexibility for K-12 schools, waiving physical attendance and minimum instruction requirements to allow for remote classes. She also announced that she would allocate nearly $65 million in federal funding to school districts, colleges and other education-related entities most significantly impacted by the pandemic.
Lansing School District, even before the changes, was among the first to shift to an entirely virtual curriculum. Interim Sam Sinicropi said student safety was a priority, and the logistics of socially distancing 10,000 kids made reopening impossible.
Not all students could attend on the same days. There wasn’t enough space. More distance between students also means more buses needed to bring them to class. And Sinicropi said Lansing alone would’ve needed more than 100 more buses to make it work — not necessarily a financial reality in a school district that is already strapped for cash.
“We did look at surveys and choices of parents,” Sinicropi added. “We also spent a lot of time looking at the science. My number one concern is to keep students and staff healthy. It seemed as cases went up, the prudent thing was to start out with online education. We’re going to analyze the first nine weeks and determine when it’s safe to return.”
Several local districts — including those in East Lansing, Grand Ledge, Dewitt, Haslett, and Okemos — have also opted to begin the fall semester entirely online. Other districts are giving students an option to decide between virtual or physical class, or a mix of both.
“We’re all trying to make it work in the best ways we possibly can,” Spadafore added. “If education wasn’t this vital to the economy, we’d probably be having a different conversation. We’re really trying to evaluate all the statistics, all of the facts to learn how to deliver something that’s never been done before — and that’s a complete flipping of how we deliver education.”
In Webberville, for instance, an entirely virtual curriculum wasn’t considered, officials said. Busing a few hundred students in a socially distant fashion is more manageable in a smaller, rural district. And with fewer than 30 cases confirmed in the village, surveys showed that parents were comparatively eager to take the risk of in-person classes. As part of a working solution, most Webberville students will be split into two separate cohorts and attend in-person classes for two days each week.
Daycare and daily “homeroom” options are available, but school buildings will otherwise be closed on Wednesday. A district spokeswoman said up to 90% of Webberville parents preferred in-person lessons. Despite some initial hesitation from teachers and staff over the summer, that parental insistence weighed heavily on the district’s eventual reopening plans, she added.
Online classes — which include a mix of face-to-face synchronous instruction and pre-recorded asynchronous lessons — are still available for parents and students that want it. It’s a model mirrored at several rural school districts across the Lansing region.
At Maple Valley Schools in Vermontville, about 35% of students have opted to take online classes this semester and about 65% of the student body will return for in-person lessons. A lack of stable internet access in the region also pushed that district to reopen this fall.
“We’re following science in terms of how to do things safely,” said Superintendent Kathy Bertolini. “I’d also make a request that all people are patient with schools. We’re working with more radical changes than we’ve seen in the last 100 years, and we’re extremely committed to safety and welfare and continual reflection and improvement. We’re asking for some patience.”
In line with parental preferences, districts have also weighed the social and emotional benefits that only in-person instruction can offer students — and the consequences of too much isolation without it.
Webberville is still offering daycare and homeroom options for kids to get out of the house. Lansing is setting up “learning labs” to give up to 400 students a physical space to learn. Mellema advises districts to have teachers offer plenty of face-to-face instruction and one-on-one time with students, even from a virtual distance. It can be easy to lose a sense of engagement through a computer screen over extended periods of time, officials explained.
“Nothing replaces face-to-face contact. This is the time when our educators need to wrap their arms and minds around students the closest because of the trauma they’ve experienced through COVID-19 in general, but they can only do it through a screen,” Spadafore added.
Leyko, of the East Lansing schools, said paraprofessionals will visit some virtual classrooms in East Lansing using a “mood meter” to gauge how students are connecting with the material from afar. From there, teachers can quickly identify which kids might need some extra attention or help with a particular lesson. Special education students with highly customized education plans have also required more logistical work for school districts.
Local schools are largely handling those plans on a case-by-case basis and bringing students back to class even in districts otherwise closed.
“Those students can receive hands-on instruction with physical or occupational therapies that are difficult to replicate in the virtual format,” Mellema added. “It’s about balancing the fidelity of services with safety. Equity is different from equality, so it won’t be the same for everybody.” The Michigan High School Athletic Association has postponed all school sports to spring except for cross-country, golf and swimming.
Some districts have allowed band and choir programs to continue with social distancing protocols or canceled them altogether. In Okemos, for example, those co-curricular classes are shut down through October while future planning continues. “In Okemos, we really looked at what we could provide safely and consistently,” said Superintendent John Hood. “Also, in looking at the size of our classrooms and student body, we realized we just couldn’t safely reopen and social distance, even with half of our student body.”
Districts that have reopened for in-person instruction are also preparing for the possibility of a sudden shift back to a virtual environment should COVID-19 cases swell as students return. The overarching concern: Uncertainty amid continued uncertainty in a year filled with uncertainties.
Spadafore said districts with a virtual framework in place now will be better suited for the possibility of a virtual state mandate later this year. It’s always easier to send kids back off to school later than to send them back home for virtual classes in the middle of the year, he said. “There’s no playbook or map. We’re all just trying to make the best choices,” Spadafore added.
The pandemic has forced local schools to make tough decisions on reopening. Here is a list of what each district is doing and how many cases of COVID-19 there are in their communities.
COVID-19 cases tracked for districts in Ingham County are represented by the total number of confirmed cases relative to the zip code(s) in which the district is most centrally located. Cases for districts in Eaton and Clinton counties are simply the total number of cases in those counties.
Bath Community Schools
Start Date: Aug. 24
Student Population: 1,123
COVID-19 Cases: 373
In-Person Instruction: Yes — but only for special education students to start.
Virtual Instruction: Yes.
Bellevue Community Schools
Start Date: Aug. 17
Student Population: 600
COVID-19 Cases: 433
In-Person Instruction: Yes.
Virtual Instruction: Yes — but only as an entirely online alternative to in-person classes.
Charlotte Public Schools
Start Date: Aug. 24
Student Population: 2,530
COVID-19 Cases: 433
In-Person Instruction: Yes.
Virtual Instruction: Yes — but only as an entirely online alternative to in-person classes.
Dansville Schools
Start Date: Aug. 24
Student Population: 747
COVID-19 Cases: 1-10
In-Person Instruction: Yes — but only a hybrid model paired with virtual learning.
Virtual Instruction: Yes — both a hybrid model and an entirely online alternative.
Dewitt Public Schools
Start Date: Aug. 24
Student Population: 3,196
COVID-19 Cases: 373
In-Person Instruction: Yes — but only for special education students to start.
Virtual Instruction: Yes — with a phased-in approach to in-person instruction in September.
East Lansing Public Schools
Start Date: Aug. 25
Student Population: 3,711
COVID-19 Cases: 484-520
In-Person Instruction: Yes — but only for special education students to start.
Virtual Instruction: Yes.
Eaton Rapids Public Schools
Start Date: Aug. 31
Student Population: 2,266
COVID-19 Cases: 433
In-Person Instruction: Yes — but only a hybrid model paired with virtual learning.
Virtual Instruction: Yes — both a hybrid model and an entirely online alternative.
Grand Ledge Public Schools
Start Date: Sept. 8
Student Population: 5,375
COVID-19 Cases: 433
In-Person Instruction: Yes — but only for special education students to start.
Virtual Instruction: Yes.
Haslett Public Schools
Start Date: Aug. 31
Student Population: 2,742
COVID-19 Cases: 41-50
In-Person Instruction: Yes — but only for special education students to start.
Virtual Instruction: Yes.
Holt Public Schools
Start Date: Aug. 31
Student Population: 5,440
COVID-19 Cases: 91-110
In-Person Instruction: Yes — but only for special education students to start.
Virtual Instruction: Yes.
Lansing School District
Start Date: Aug. 31
Student Population: 10,661
COVID-19 Cases: 756-810
In-Person Instruction: Yes — but only for special education students to start.
Virtual Instruction: Yes.
Leslie Public Schools
Start Date: Aug. 25
Student Population: 1,212
COVID-19 Cases: 11-20
In-Person Instruction: Yes.
Virtual Instruction: Yes — but only as an entirely online alternative to in-person classes.
Maple Valley Schools
Start Date: Aug. 24
Student Population: 970
COVID-19 Cases: 433
In-Person Instruction: Yes — but only a hybrid model paired with virtual learning.
Virtual Instruction: Yes — both a hybrid model and an entirely online alternative.
Mason Public Schools
Start Date: Aug. 26
Student Population: 3,259
COVID-19 Cases: 91-110
In-Person Instruction: Yes — but only for special education students to start.
Virtual Instruction: Yes.
Okemos Public Schools
Start Date: Aug. 26
Student Population: 4,616
COVID-19 Cases: 121-130
In-Person Instruction: Yes — but only for special education students.
Virtual Instruction: Yes.
Olivet Community Schools
Start Date: Sept. 8
Student Population: 1,413
COVID-19 Cases: 433
In-Person Instruction: Yes — but only a hybrid model paired with virtual learning.
Virtual Instruction: Yes — both a hybrid model and an entirely online alternative.
Ovid-Elsie Area Schools
Start Date: Sept. 8
Student Population: 1,489
COVID-19 Cases: 373
In-Person Instruction: Yes — but only a hybrid model paired with virtual learning.
Virtual Instruction: Yes — both a hybrid model and an entirely online alternative.
Pewamo-Westphalia Community Schools
Start Date: Aug. 24
Student Population: 647
COVID-19 Cases: 373
In-Person Instruction: Yes.
Virtual Instruction: Yes — but only as an entirely online alternative to in-person classes.
Potterville Public Schools
Start Date: Aug. 26
Student Population: 804
COVID-19 Cases: 433
In-Person Instruction: Yes — but only for special education students to start.
Virtual Instruction: Yes.
St. Johns Public Schools
Start Date: Sept. 8
Student Population: 2,796
COVID-19 Cases: 373
In-Person Instruction: Yes.
Virtual Instruction: Yes — but only as an entirely online alternative to in-person classes.
Stockbridge Community Schools
Start Date: Aug. 24
Student Population: 1,249
COVID-19 Cases: 11-20
In-Person Instruction: Yes — but only for special education students to start.
Virtual Instruction: Yes — with a phased-in approach to in-person instruction in September.
Waverly Community Schools
Start Date: Aug. 31
Student Population: 2,992
COVID-19 Cases: 21-30
In-Person Instruction: Yes — but only for special education students to start.
Virtual Instruction: Yes.
Webberville Community Schools
Start Date: Aug. 24
Student Population: 502
COVID-19 Cases: 21-30
In-Person Instruction: Yes — but only a hybrid model paired with virtual learning.
Virtual Instruction: Yes — both a hybrid model and an entirely online alternative.
Williamston Community Schools
Start Date: Aug. 31
Student Population: 1,893
COVID-19 Cases: 41-50
In-Person Instruction: Yes — but only for special education students to start.
Virtual Instruction: Yes.
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