More Michigan students back in class since Gov. Whitmer’s call for more in-person learning

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First grader Quinn, left, gets help from her teacher making a craft during the school day at Anchor Elementary School in Dexter on Friday, Feb. 12, 2021. (Alie Skowronski/mlive.com)Alie Skowronski | The Ann Arbor News

More Michigan school districts have moved away from remote-only learning since Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s January call for more in-person school, a new report shows.

The report from Michigan State University’s Education Policy Innovation Collaborative shows that less than half as many school districts are offering remote-only instruction in February, compared to January.

The report also shows the largest increase - from 64% to 83% - in districts planning to offer some form of in-person instruction since the start of the school year.

Whitmer “strongly encouraged” schools to offer an option for in-person instruction “no later than March 1.″ She said the goal is for every student to have the option of face-to-face learning, especially younger children, as cases of COVID-19 decline.

“These findings from our incredible partners at EPIC are encouraging,” Whitmer said in a news release. “In-person learning is critical to the growth and development of our children and their findings show that the vast majority of schools in Michigan are providing students with face-to-face opportunities. With proper mitigation strategies, we can send kids back to class without compromising the health of our communities.”

The latest report from EPIC, the strategic research partner of the Michigan Department of Education, shows an overall increase in the proportion of districts planning to provide some form of in-person instruction in 2021.

By February, 65% of districts said they were planning to offer fully in-person instruction to students, while 18% of districts were planning to offer hybrid instruction and 15% were planning to offer remote-only instruction, which is a 57% decrease from the previous month.

Since January, some of the state’s largest districts have made plans to begin offering some in-person learning after being remote for the entire year, including Grand Rapids Public Schools, Lansing School District, East Lansing Public Schools and Dearborn Public Schools.

Other large districts like Kalamazoo Public Schools, have opted to remain in virtual learning through the end of the the semester, while Ann Arbor Public Schools continues to mull when and which students it will consider bringing back to the classroom.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has provided new guidelines for reopening schools saying schools can open safely if they put layered mitigation measures in place, calling for - but not mandating - hybrid learning models in the majority of counties across Michigan.

More smaller districts are offering in-person instruction full time, the report found, while larger districts tend to offer a hybrid learning model.

The 65% of districts planning to offer full-time in-person learning account for 55% of the state’s K-12 students. The 18% of districts offering hybrid learning, on the other hand, represent 29% of Michigan students, while remote-only learning districts accounted for 15% of the state’s students.

“With strong mitigation efforts, more educators and other citizens vaccinated daily, and the presence of antigen tests, our COVID numbers have flattened. More and more districts are rightly re-opening as a result,” State Superintendent Dr. Michael Rice said. “While we need to remain vigilant, we also need to offer families in all districts at a minimum an in-person option for their children. In-person instruction is better for so many of our kids, socioemotionally and academically. Families deserve choices for their children’s education.”

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