LANSING, Mich. (WXYZ) — Michigan’s largest teacher union caucus is holding a rally Thursday to protest the state's return-to-school plan amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
The Safe School Return Rally will take place on Capitol Lawn in Lansing beginning at 9 a.m.
The Michigan Caucus Of Rank-and-File Educators (MI CORE) says the rally will demand the need for Governor Whitmer to suspend in-person instruction and legislature to provide more funding to protect communities. Organizers say there are dangers to physically reopening schools during the coronavirus outbreak.
HAPPENING NOW: MI-CORE rally on the Capitol Lawn this morning. Several dozen teachers calling on @GovWhitmer to stop schools from reopening in-person in the fall. Their message ahead on @wxyzdetroit at noon @SchoolsMichigan @MICOREmichigan pic.twitter.com/q9tPeM9OCL
— Jenn Schanz (@JennSchanzWXYZ) August 6, 2020
"When Governor Whitmer suspended in-person school instruction in March, there were only a few dozen cases in Michigan," the union wrote in a release. "Now, months later, the state is seeing hundreds of new cases a day and it is clear that it is unsafe to resume in-person instruction."
"The goal of this rally is to see our state commit to reopening all schools safely, and also recognize the incredible trauma our students' families are dealing with due to job losses, the looming threat of evictions, expiring unemployment benefits, lack of access to health care, and a host of other issues affecting our communities. In order to have a truly safe learning environment, state and federal officials need to provide the necessary funding to address these challenges."
Masks are mandatory for the event, as well as urging protesters to follow social distancing protocols, according to the union.
Additional Coronavirus information and resources:
Click here for a page with resources including a COVID-19 overview from the CDC, details on cases in Michigan, a timeline of Governor Gretchen Whitmer's orders since the outbreak, coronavirus' impact on Southeast Michigan, and links to more information from the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services, the CDC and the WHO.
View a global coronavirus tracker with data from Johns Hopkins University.
See complete coverage on our Coronavirus Continuing Coverage page.
Visit our The Rebound Detroit, a place where we are working to help people impacted financially from the coronavirus. We have all the information on everything available to help you through this crisis and how to access it.