March 23, 2020
Your Daily ISD News & Updates
Welcome to the MAISA Daily InSiDe Update. MAISA will be providing this resource of critical topics each day. Please reach out to sfranck@gomaisa.org if you have additional items to add.
Governor Whitmer Signs Executive Order
Governor Whitmer Signs “Stay Home, Stay Safe” Executive Order
Governor directs all non-critical businesses to temporarily close, all Michiganders to stay home or six feet away from others during COVID-19 crisis.

Medical Supply Request to ISDs
Medical Supplies/Volunteers Needed at Local Hospital
Sparrow Health System has reached out to local ISDs and has two asks: One for medical supplies and two, for volunteers.  Please note, volunteers need not have medical experience.  

If you are not in the greater Lansing area, please consider reaching out to your local health centers to inquire about medical supply donations and volunteer opportunities.
National Special Education Guidance
Addressing the Risk of COVID-19 while serving Children with Disabilities
CASE, the Council for Administrators of Special Education, is continuously updating a  considerations document  and is the best "one stop shop" for national special education guidance. We would also encourage you to review and share the most recent  guidance  issued by OSEP on March 21, 2020. 

A highlight from this document includes:"To be clear: ensuring compliance with the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), † Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act (Section 504), and Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act should not prevent any school from offering educational programs through distance instruction." 
Student Connectivity at Home
The Governor's office and the Michigan Department of Education (MDE) are working together with the Michigan Association of Intermediate School Administrators (MAISA) and Michigan's ISD to better understand the technology resources currently available to kids at home. MAISA’s METL (Michigan Education Technology Leaders) group is positioned to be able to take a look at connectivity now, while better information is being gathered.

Currently 36 ISDs responded to MAISA’s survey on statewide connectivity for students. The 36 ISDs represent about 72% of Michigan Students.

Please see the results from the survey listed in the data charts below:
We know that after speaking with the METL group that there is a fairly large margin for error, but it is a great first step to help the MDE with their planning. Dave Cairy of MAISA and several METL members have been working closely with MDE, so as we learn more on what possible plan(s) are (or are not) on the table, we will keep you all in the loop. 
Child Care Provider Status - Important Update for Local Leaders, Stay Home Executive Order  
In alignment with the “Stay Home, Stay Safe, Save Lives: Executive Order” issued today by Governor Whitmer, child care providers, in centers, home-based or school-based settings for schools that re-open programs in this emergency, can choose to stay open or remain open to provide care only to the children of “critical infrastructure and essential workforce” starting Tuesday, March 24, 2020.

This means that the status of many child care providers who completed their program status survey with their capacity last week, will change. In fact, we anticipate that providers’ program status and capacity will change daily. The original survey was designed to give local communities a starting point of those programs who were willing to stay open or re-open. Read more here.
MDE Receives Federal Waivers
MDE Receives Federal Waivers
Please refer to the linked document below for a press release regarding preliminary approval from the U.S. Department of Education to waive a number of federal requirements for statewide student testing and school accountability.