LANSING, Mich. — Huron Valley Schools parent advocate group rallied at the Capitol Saturday afternoon to push for in-person learning five days a week for all public schools.
The group started on Facebook and has grown to 4,000 members, who believe in-person learning is vital for the health and well being of children. Since the start of the pandemic, parents at Saturday's rally said, their children's mental health has declined and failing grades have become too common.
The rally lasted for 2 hours, allowing parents, teachers, and students from all over Michigan to voice their opinions over Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s handling of the pandemic.
During the rally, parents spoke about their children being depressed, having suicidal thoughts due to the pandemic and remote learning. Several said they felt Michigan had failed their children. One student talked about another young person in his community committing suicide.
The vast majority of Michigan school districts are offering at least some in-person instruction.
The state legislature recently approved a bill that will grant schools $1.8 billion in federal money to aid in reopening and getting students back up to speed.
However, half of that money is contingent on Whitmer signing a separate bill that would prevent the state from closing schools and sporting events in the event of future outbreaks.
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