Dearborn/Dearborn Heights — Superintendents from Dearborn Public Schools (DPS) and the Crestwood School District responded on Thursday to Governor Whitmer’s latest executive order, which closes all school buildings for the remainder of the school year, but continues distant-learning and other remote services. 

DPS Superintendent Dr. Glenn Maleyko applauded the governor’s decision and summarized the order’s main points:

All public school buildings will be closed for the remainder of the 2019-2020 school year.

• All school districts must develop a plan for continued on-line/distance learning.
• Seniors will be allowed to graduate and students will move to the next grade, assuming they are on track to graduate, have met standards and/or will show they have met standards over the next several weeks via online learning or other methods. 
• Assessments are waived (SAT, PSAT, M-STEP). Students who were scheduled to take the SAT this spring will have an opportunity to take the SAT, which may occur in the fall. 
• Food distribution programs will continue.
• The state will continue to provide school aid payments allowing districts to pay staff regular wages/salary and benefits for the remainder of the school year.

“We are still reviewing all of the details in the governor’s order and awaiting further direction from the Michigan Department of Education,” Maleyko said in a statement. “However, our administrative team has already started developing a distance learning plan that will be submitted to our local Intermediate School District (ISD) as required by the governor’s order.  

“Approval by the ISD will ensure the remainder of the school year will count for the district and that we will continue to receive our school aid budgetary payments. A key component in the governor’s order is that students need to participate in distance learning or other forms of continued learning that is provided by the district.”

Maleyko said items related to specific students or a specific grade level will be addressed at the school level in coordination with the direction taken by central office leadership. Principals and teachers will provide that information as it becomes available. As for seniors, the school administration is in talks to discuss how 2020 graduates will be honored. 

Maleyko thanked and recognized “the heroic effort” of DPS’ food service staff, PTA volunteers and operations staff for the distribution of thousands of meals over the past several weeks.

Crestwood School District

Crestwood Superintendent Dr. Youssef Mosallam said that his district plans to assist in creating some normalcy in this crisis. He said those seniors who are scheduled to graduate will be granted a diploma, with the administration working on a plan for a graduation ceremony. 

Mosallam said all students will be promoted to the next level of their instruction and that the district will assist students to catch up with any lost instruction time due to the unprecedented closure. He urged all students to finish all assigned work. 

Special education teams will set up phone conferences with parents to discuss next year’s placements. The district plans to start the next school year as smoothly as possible. Mosallam said he does not see students and teachers returning to school before August 24.