With parents across the state facing many challenges over the coming weeks, MEA President Paula Herbart offers resources for weathering the crisis in her latest “Labor Voices” column in The Detroit News.

“As jarring as this is for us as adults, we also must remember that this situation can be even scarier for a 10-year-old,” Herbart writes. “The changes we’re all facing have been swift to put it mildly, and our students had little to no time to process this with their teachers and other educators they’ve worked with all year.”

Among other suggestions, Herbart says parents can help by maintaining a routine, ensuring their children get adequate sleep, and accessing quality resources for at-home learning – noting that students who live in poverty and who have special needs will bear extra difficulties during the crisis.

“From the bottom of my heart, I want to thank my fellow school employees — and everyone else engaged in public service at this difficult time — for what you’re doing to help our students and our communities.”

Read the full column here, and access some online resources for both parents and educators compiled by MEA here. Find all of MEA’s coronavirus updates at www.mea.org/coronavirus.