To comply with a state mandate, Harvard schools revised their daily schedules at the beginning of February to make sure each student had some “face time” with a teacher every day. Creating those schedules, school administrators said, required hours of extra work for teachers.
Then, in a new requirement last week, Gov. Charlie Baker announced that elementary schools across the state should plan to reopen for full-time, in-person learning in April. In his Feb. 23 statement, Baker said, “It’s time to set our sights on eliminating remote learning by April.” He said scientific evidence is “crystal clear” that it is safe to be in school “regardless of the community transmissions rates as long as people abide by the protocols.” Those protocols include masking, social distancing, and regular testing. On Wednesday, Baker announced teachers will be able to sign up for vaccinations starting March 11. Thirty other states already have given teachers priority for vaccination.
Following Baker at the podium, Education Commissioner Jeffrey Riley announced his intent to phase out remote and hybrid learning, beginning with elementary students in April and proceeding to middle school students “and possibly high school students” before the end of the school year. But he also promised that parents who want their children to continue with remote learning would have that option.
In response to those statements, School Superintendent Linda Dwight wrote to Harvard school families noting the state mandate would require a number of changes. “In order to realize these [state] goals,” she wrote, “most districts will need to change the distancing in classrooms from 6 ft. between students to 3-6 ft.” She cited the commissioner’s assertion that most Massachusetts doctors consider 3 feet sufficient “when other safety protocols are in place.” Dwight said school staff will begin measuring distances between desks in elementary classrooms and “trying to maintain as much distance as possible.”
If elementary students no longer go home at midday, staff will also have to find a way to safely serve lunch at school. Dwight’s letter mentioned outside lunches, with tents for shelter from the weather. April may not be the cruelest month in New England, but it isn’t always balmy, either.
As a first step, Dwight said she was sending a survey to families this week to gather their feedback. She said families whose students are currently in the remote-learning program but want to begin attending in person next month should notify the school by March 22.
On an upbeat note, Dwight also reported that the COVID-Safe Schools pooled testing program, which began after winter vacation and has been supported by community donations, now has enough funds to assure continued weekly testing for students and staff for the rest of the school year.
The mandates by the governor and state commissioner tilt the delicate balance between state regulation and local control of schools. While the state sets the hours of learning time required in a school year, local school committees have controlled many aspects of daily school schedules.
On the same day as the state announcements, Glenn Koocher responded on behalf of the Massachusetts Association of School Committees (MASC). Koocher, who is MASC’s executive director, wrote, “These decisions should remain in the hands of the people who are overseeing individual schools and school districts: school superintendents and school committees in consultation with parents and community members.”
School Committee Chair SusanMary Redinger said the committee members will likely discuss the new state mandates at their March 8 meeting.
