>> Karen: GOOD AFTERNOON!
I’M KAREN DREW, "FIRST AT 4."
DETROIT PUBLIC SCHOOLS HAVE MADE
IT THROUGH THE FIRST DAY OF FALL
CLASSES.
WE KNOW THE SCHOOL YEAR IS LIKE
NO OTHER.
THE GLOBAL PANDEMIC HAS CHANGED
JUST ABOUT EVERYTHING FOR HOW
THE DISTRICT OPERATES.
THERE’S UNCERTAINTY FOR EVERYONE
INVOLVED.
PAULA TUTMAN JOINS US LIVE THIS
AFTERNOON.
PAULA, YOU’VE BEEN FOLLOWING
THIS VERY CLOSELY.
WHAT HAVE YOU SEEN AS CLASSES
STARTED THIS MORNING?
>> Paula: WELL, OBVIOUSLY THERE
IS VERY, VERY HARD FOUGHT TO
EVEN GET TO THIS POINT.
IF YOU IMAGINE WHAT THE WEATHER
WAS LIKE TODAY, I DON’T KNOW
WHAT IT WAS LIKE WHERE YOU WERE,
BUT IT WAS HORRIBLE.
KIDS WERE DANCING, RUNNING,
THRILLED TO GO BACK TO SCHOOL!
THUNDER, LIGHTNING, AND
SOMETIMES THIS MORNING BLINDING
DRENCHING COLD RAIN.
>> GOOD MORNING!
>> Paula: WITH THE HELP OF
UMBRELLA CONCIERGE SERVICE BY
THE DEAN, YOU COULD STILL SEE
THE HAPPY ARRIVAL OF CHILDREN.
>> I LOVE SCHOOL!
AND I -- AND I THINK MY FRIENDS
WILL BE BACK HERE.
>> Paula: THIS PARTICULAR SCHOOL
BUILDING IS A HUB OF THREE
DIFFERENT LEARNING MODEL FOR
DETROIT PUBLIC SCHOOLS COMMUNITY
DISTRICT.
FROM HER HOME, HER MATH TEACHER
STARTED REMOTELY WITH HER
STUDENTS.
>> I SEE A FAMILIAR FACE AND A
STUDENT I’M NOT FAMILIAR WITH
BUT IT’S VERY NICE TO SEE YOU.
MY NAME IS MISS CAMPBELL.
I WILL TEACH YOU MATH AND
SCIENCE THIS SEMESTER.
>> Paula: OF THE 36 REGISTERED
STUDENTS, ONLY 5 SHOWED UP
ONLINE.
PARENTS WERE ALSO PICKING UP
DEVICES AND MATERIALS SO THEIR
CHILDREN COULD START REMOTELY.
>> I FEEL MY DAUGHTER WOULD BE
MORE COMFORTABLE AT HOME IN HER
SURROUNDINGS WHERE SHE’LL BE
MORE SAFE.
>> Paula: THE SCHOOL ACTS AS A
LEARNING CENTER, NO IN-PERSON
INSTRUCTION BUT A FACE FOR
PARENTS TO DROP OFF CHILDREN TO
BE SERVICED WHILE THEY DO REMOTE
LEARNING SO THE PARENTS CAN GO
TO WORK.
THESE ARE PARENTS WHO DON’T HAVE
THE ABILITY TO KEEP YOUNG
CHILDREN AT HOME LEARNING.
>> I’M THE GRANDMOTHER, AND I
WORK AND HIS MOTHER WORKS.
MY SON SAID, HE SAY, YOU KNOW,
MOM, I AM NOT A VIRTUAL LEARNER,
I’M A VISUAL LEARNER.
SO THAT WAS HIS CHOICE.
>> EVEN IF CHILDREN ARE
ACCESSING EDUCATION ONLINE, THEY
CAN COME IN, EAT BREAKFAST, BE
IN A CLASSROOM WITH AN ADULT,
HAVE LUNCH AND BE PROVIDED THE
EXTRA SUPPORT, AND THAT’S A GOOD
SUPPORT STRUCTURE FOR PARENTS
TOO THAT HAVE TO WORK TODAY.
>> Paula: IN-PERSON LEARNING FOR
GRADES 1, 2, AND 4.
USUALLY THE FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL
SEES 600 CHILDREN.
THIS MORNING, BY THE START OF
CLASSES, ONLY ABOUT 40.
>> I’M VERY OPTIMISTIC, AND I’M
THE TYPE OF PERSON THAT WHATEVER IS THROWN AT US, WE’LL MAKE IT
IS THROWN AT US, WE’LL MAKE IT
WORK FOR OUR CHILDREN.
>> Paula: HENRY FORD HIGH
SCHOOL, THE QUESTION IS WILL THE
REST OF THE STUDENTS SHOW UP
ONLINE?
YOU KNOW, THAT’S GONNA BE THE
KEY QUESTION, HOW THEY’RE GONNA
MEASURE THAT AND MAKE SURE
THEY’RE ABLE TO REACH OUT AND
MAKE SURE STUDENTS HAVE REMOTE
LEARNING.
SOME PARENTS ARE TRYING TO GET
THEIR DEVICES AND TRYING TO GET
THEIR MATERIALS.
BUT THAT IS GONNA BE THE NEXT
PIECE IN THIS STORY, KAREN.
>> Karen: IT WAS DEFINITELY
IMPRESSIVE, ALL THE DIFFERENT
LEVELS OF PLANNING.
THE DISTRICT TOLD YOU TO EXPECT
CHAOS ON THE FIRST DAY OF
SCHOOL.
WHAT DID IT LOOK LIKE TO YOU?
>> Paula: I THINK YOU CAN ALWAYS
EXPECT CHAOS ON THE FIRST DAY OF
SCHOOL, BUT FROM WHERE WE WERE,
WE COULDN’T SEE IT.
MAYBE IT WAS THE BLINDING RAIN.
[LAUGHTER]
PARENTS SAID SOMETIMES THERE WAS
A LITTLE CONFUSION.
SOME KIDS WERE WEARING THEIR
MASKS AND THEY NEED TO WORK ON
THAT.
WE DIDN’T SEE IT.
IT LOOKED LIKE SMOOTH SAILING