Anyone Think This Will Last For Long?

Good on the SPI for following the law, now it's time for the Michigan legislature to change the law:

Students attending public schools online during the coronavirus shutdown won't be able to count it toward their required annual instructional hours, but private schools will.

The Michigan Department of Education said Friday in a memo to school leaders across the state that the online time wouldn't count.

"There is no mechanism to earn instructional time during a period of mandated school closure," Deputy State Superintendent Venessa Keesler wrote in a memo. "However, schools can and are encouraged to offer supplemental learning opportunities to students using distance learning methods as they see fit."

Gov. Gretchen Whitmer sounded surprised by the decision.

"I know that the Michigan Department of Education put out a statement today, I was dismayed to see that, frankly," Whitmer said. "We are going to work to make sure that kids are getting the instruction, or the equivalent of an instruction, as needed so that they can finish this year."

State Superintendent of Public Instruction Michael Rice said the department is bound by law.

“State law limits us in this situation — not for an individual child in an individual cyber school or an individual virtual course offering, but for children across the state, many of whom have no computers at home, no connectivity, and no adults to monitor their learning and/or technology,” Rice said in a statement issued late Friday. “The state legislature should change state law to permit days out of school for this public health emergency to be counted as instructional days."

The article hints at school during the summer.  I don't see that working very well at all.