ST. CLAIR SHORES, Mich. (WXYZ) — The signs, smiles, applause and the marching band are all the first signs of how important it was to have the governor give her time and attention in the library of Rodgers Elementary School.
“I just can’t tell you how excited we are to have you here today,” said Dr. Joe DiPonio, superintendent at Lake Shores Public Schools.
“As we are doing this work, it’s just so helpful for me to get into districts and hear about what you’re seeing, what is working, what you think we can learn from,” Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer said.
Attention to the details of what's happening in this district highlights what is really happening across our state when comes to when it comes to the heightened need for educators and more care for students' emotional needs.
WXYZ’s Glenda Lewis asked, “How important is it to teach and also parent the kids?”
“Especially after COVID, students they’re more afraid to fail more than ever before, and they stub their toe, whether it’s intellectually, spiritually, emotionally, they want mom or dad,” said math teacher David Warehall.
“We’re also finding we’re allocating our resources to intervention,” said one social worker attending the discussion.
This roundtable discussion, in the shape of a U, will help underline some of Whitmer's decisions going forward for her MI Kids Back on Track Plan.
The $300 million investment to expand tutoring across the state but the message was clear here that it's more than just book studies students are struggling with — many are not able to keep up socially and emotionally.
"It’s just important for all kids that they know that at school, they have people that they can depend on and they have consistency,” said mom Melissa Florek.
Along with educators, parents and teachers, this high school sophomore student president, who could very well be president one day, captured the governor's attention and heart while talking about what she and her peers really need.
“Learning those skills in a choir class, or a band class, or even just a simple painting class, it’s very important to students,” said the sophomore student president.
“I learn something whether it is understanding the way that the stress of the last couple of years kind of manifest in student behavior and what the strategies are to address in to help our kids go back to learning, said Whitmer. “I think that there’s these are powerful conversations you know we’re making decisions that are impacting millions of kids in Michigan and teachers and para pro so understand what the impact of it is, I think it’s really crucial.”
