Online Learning Won’t Count Toward Yearly Requirement
According to the Detroit Free Press, students attending school online during the coronavirus shutdown won't be able to count it toward their required annual instructional hours.
The Deputy State Superintendent said, "There is no mechanism to earn instructional time during a period of mandated school closure."
She also said that schools are encouraged to offer supplemental learning opportunities to students using distance learning methods.
The state also doesn't plan to reduce the number of instruction hours kids need this year.
The Michigan Department of Education will not be granting seat time waiver requests during this time.
When the virus first threatened to shut down schools, districts began scrambling to ramp up online offerings. Districts have been distributing laptop computers and WiFi hot spots to students who don't have those things at home in hopes of being able to offer online instruction.