For the better part of two years, I wrote often about “normal” – the many ways COVID had pushed us far from it, and how much we craved signs that it might return someday.
Schools were as negatively affected as any institution, and perhaps in a more long-lasting way. We can’t get back two years of learning loss for children, and many communities have scars from acrimonious fights about remote learning vs. in-person, mask mandates, sports cancellations and more.
But positive signs are happening around us even as you read this – many Michigan public schools already are in session, most with relaxed or no COVID mandates – and the high school football season kicks off tonight.
“I think that we're going to see the most ‘normal’ school year that we've had since 2019,” said Leanne Smith, a news leader for Ann Arbor and Jackson. Smith and Monica Scott, a news leader in Grand Rapids and Muskegon, oversee MLive’s education coverage.
“School districts are working with new guidelines on quarantining, in the event of COVID cases, that are less restrictive and allow them to continue working in the classrooms. In most places, masks are optional, or only recommended during high rates of COVID cases,” Smith continued.
The last two years have been rough on schools, added Scott, but administrators learned some important lessons.
“As a direct result of the pandemic, we've heard a lot more about social-emotional learning stages,” Scott said. “More districts are partnering with mental health agencies and professionals to try to undo some of the damage that was caused when students were working remotely.”
MLive learned along the way too, and it was reflected in our journalism. We amped up coverage of COVID topics and education topics, so much so that we felt it necessary to launch a weekly newsletter during the pandemic called Michigan Schools.
Like kids, it has been on summer break, but it’s going back to work – the first edition of the season is Tuesday, Aug. 30. (You can subscribe to the newsletter by clicking here.) It covers the challenges that districts, families and students face as COVID circumstances change, but also lightens it up with good-news pieces on students and teachers doing interesting things.
“I think we refined it and beefed it up last year to include a lot of stories on the issues that we're facing,” Smith said. “Parents, students, teachers, administrators, superintendents – the news that they wanted to hear or read about.”
It may take years for social scientists and education experts to figure out what was lost in the pandemic. Everyone agrees it was not ideal, and that learning outcomes were impaired by remote learning.
But schools are doing the best they can to return to pre-COVID operations and standards. Some are speeding up the return by receiving waivers to start school early – after years of debate in Michigan, that means before Labor Day.
“Learning loss is another thing that encouraged districts to push for opening in August,” Scott said. “Every spring you hear districts referring to kids falling too far behind over the summer. (Educators) want to keep them sharp over the summer academically, (and) get them back into the classroom sooner rather than later.”
And so it is – students are back in classrooms with teachers, and MLive is back with the news that matters for families still adjusting to what COVID wrought. It’s good to see you again.
🎧 In this episode John Hiner and Eric Hultgren talk with Monica Scott and Leanne Smith, education coverage leaders for MLive about what we can expect this year during the Michigan school year. Listen here on Spotify or here on Apple.
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John Hiner is the vice president of content for MLive Media Group. If you have questions you’d like him to answer, or topics to explore, share your thoughts at [email protected].
