The MEA is demanding that both teachers and parents be informed whenever there is a positive coronavirus case in school. | Unsplash
The MEA is demanding that both teachers and parents be informed whenever there is a positive coronavirus case in school. | Unsplash
As battles continue to rage over the proper way to return Michigan’s students to school, even as schools reopen under a variety of plans, the state’s largest teachers' union is demanding that school districts have absolute transparency about any confirmed cases of COVID-19 that involve either students or staff during the school year.
Hartland High School in Livingston County moved to fully remote learning after there were 13 confirmed coronavirus cases within the district, according to Bridge Michigan. However, none of those were linked to transmission related to any school activity.
“We can very confidently say we haven’t seen evidence of transmission at school,” Dr. Juan Marquez, medical director at Livingston County Health Department, told Bridge Michigan.
Still, the Michigan Education Association (MEA), which is known as a close ally of Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, is using such cases as a basis to demand more information -- even personal information -- on those who have any association with a school and have been diagnosed with COVID-19.
“While privacy is important, safety trumps privacy,” David Crim, an MEA spokesperson, told Bridge Michigan. “Parents and teachers want to know where an outbreak occurs, in what buildings and at what levels.”
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