Update from the Superintendent
March 23, 2020, 3:00pm
COVID-19 Closure Update for OPS
Hello, Otsego families:
Today, Michigan’s Governor, Gretchen Whitmer, issued a Stay Home Order. During this time, critical services will remain open. That includes our food service distribution for our families, so this service will not end. However, we will be closing all of our buildings, including our administration office. For those families in grades 3-12 that don’t have internet access and haven’t picked up an instructional packet from the administration office, please call our office at 269-694-7902 and leave your name and phone number. We will make sure the packet is delivered to your house.
We also held our daily meeting with the Allegan County health Department and local superintendents. There are no new cases of coronavirus in Allegan County as of this morning’s update.
We also received a notice today from the Michigan Department of Education that it has received a federal waiver for state testing. This means there will be no state mandated testing for this spring.
I also want to share a few thoughts on a notice that came out Friday from the Michigan Department of Education - or MDE - regarding online instruction, or distance learning, that is taking place over the mandatory school closure. The Michigan Department of Education stated that due to current state law, online learning days could not count as traditional instructional days. We understand this might cause some confusion as we, and most other districts, are providing additional learning opportunities and assignments during this time. Why do it if they won’t count? From our perspective, they might not count as a day, but they do matter. A three-week closure was too long for us to do nothing. Keeping students connected to their schooling meets the goal of keeping students engaged in learning. This will be beneficial in a transition back to the classroom once we return. These online opportunities also keep students connected to their classroom and teacher. We know how important the relationships we have with our students are, both to them, and us. We don't want this to be an added stress for you or for your child. Have them do what they can and at a comfortable pace. They can, and are encouraged to reach out to their teachers with any questions.
We are thankful for the MDE’s support and encouragement in providing enrichment and supplemental learning opportunities to our students during this closure.
In terms of whether days will be forgiven or if we will have to extend the school year, we truly do not know right now. It will be the state legislature that will need to enact a law to forgive these days and guide us in what the rest of the school year will look like. With information regarding this virus continuing to evolve, we understandably don’t expect a decision on this soon. In the meantime, we will continue to support our students and families in any way we can.
As you are well aware, there is a great deal of uncertainty and anxiety right now caused by our inability to predict next steps in this unprecedented crisis. I wish I had answers and solutions to all of the questions and unknowns. This crisis has disrupted the lives of our students, staff, families and the community. Otsego Public Schools hopes to provide as much normalcy as possible and will continue to make decisions based on the best available information. I am proud to be part of such an amazing district and community that have been patient, understanding and working together to provide supports and services in very difficult and uncertain times. Stay safe and I will provide updates as information is available.
Otsego Public Schools
Email: ops@otsegops.org
Website: otsegops.org
Location: 400 Sherwood St, Otsego, MI, USA
Phone: 269-694-7900
Facebook: facebook.com/otsegops
Twitter: @OtsegoSchools