DEARBORN — The Dearborn Public Schools Board or Education will hold a special study session at 1 p.m. Aug. 6 to review the school opening recommendations of the Reopen Committee.
Due to the governor’s executive order limiting indoor crowds to 10 people maximum, the public may view the meeting via a live stream on the district website, www.dearbornschools.org, YouTube channel, Comcast cable channel 19 and Wide Open West cable channel 15.
Comments may be submitted via a Google Form from 8 a.m. to 1:10 p.m. that day. The form can be found here.
The committee established three options for a return to school. The board also will have the opportunity to hear from various subcommittee chairs to gather further details on topics such as transportation, cleaning, scheduling, and other health, safety, and logistic concerns.
The three options are:
Option 1: Begin the school year fully online for all students with face-to-face learning labs available for social-emotional and academic assistance. Details on the scheduling, staffing, and availability of Learning Labs will be determined if the Board approves this option.
If the board were to approve this option, the district would be making a commitment for online learning only until Oct. 1, according to a DPS press release. Depending on several factors, including but not limited to: local and state health conditions throughout the month of August and September; CDC guidelines; Wayne County Health Department recommendations; and the current orders from the state of Michigan; the district would re-evaluate the plan to determine the feasibility of changing the mode of instruction (full in-person, online, or a blended model that combines both).
Option 2: Begin the school year blended (partial online and partial in-person) for elementary students and 100 percent online for secondary students with learning labs available for social-emotional and academic assistance available to middle and high school students.
Option 3: Begin the school year blended (partial online and partial in-person) for elementary and secondary students. Given the current state requirements for schools to hold in-person instruction during Phase 4 of the state’s plan, traditional transportation services may be an issue for this option, the press release said.
The board will vote on one of the three recommendations, or a modified version, on Aug. 10th at the Henry Ford College Board meeting. As required by the governor’s “Return to School Roadmap” unveiled on June 30, a board-approved plan will be sent to Wayne County RESA and then to the Michigan Department of Education. The deadline for state approval is Aug. 17, according to the governor’s directives. The governor’s “Roadmap” provided a framework for the work done by the Dearborn Reopening Committee.
Any school reopen plan is subject to change at any time pending the local COVID-19 pandemic and any new executive orders issued by the governor. If the state moves to Phase 1, 2, or 3, the district must implement full online instruction as ordered by the governor. If the state is in Phases 4 to 6 the district could allow for in-person instruction but still would need to follow government requirements and recommendations.
“As educators, we believe that it is best for students to have in-person instruction in front of professional teachers,’ DPS Supt. Glenn Maleyko said. “However, the health and safety of students, staff and the community must be a priority when implementing any plan moving forward.”
Since its first meeting on May 28, the 80-member Reopen Committee met six times as a group and held several additional subcommittee meetings in its efforts to develop recommendations on how best to start the 2020-21 school year.
The committee was co-chaired by Dearborn Federation of Teachers President Jane Mazza, Association of Dearborn Schools Administrators President David Higgins, and Executive Director of Staff and Student Services Maysam Alie-Bazzi.