EAST LANSING – The following can be attributed to MEA President Paula Herbart regarding Gov. Whitmer’s executive order suspending in-person school operations for the rest of the school year (or until schools are deemed safe to reopen):

“The Michigan Education Association supports Gov. Whitmer’s executive order to close in-person public school operations to help slow the spread of COVID-19. Protecting the health, safety and well-being of our students, teachers, support staff and other public school employees is our top concern.

“MEA stands ready to work with school leaders on a district-by-district basis to serve the learning needs of students in every community across Michigan. Distance learning can never fully replace face-to-face time between students and educators, but we must do the very best we can under these unprecedented circumstances.”