FYI from BSF, 7.24.20
Some things we have read through recently...
Notes in the Margin
Reopening Schools, Local
BPS released its initial reopening framework at School Committee on Wednesday night. This topic was not posted on the agenda, the materials used for the presentation were posted after meeting yesterday afternoon, and members of the public were unable to attend the meeting due to technical difficulties.
Here is a good summary of the plan. It’s technically a draft, and the Mayor commented yesterday the plan may not be finalized for weeks. Reactions were quick and varied amongst community leaders and students, families, and teachers.
Here it is: BPS Hopscotch.
Very, very high level, kids go to actual school twice per week with half of their peers (or maybe by week in high school), and are remote the other three days. 2 of those 3 days they are essentially simulcasting to watch their classes while the other half of their peers are in school. Wednesdays entail a lot of cleaning and planning.
There is no policy, no one size-fits-all approach, or even consensus for reopening schools in America, Massachusetts, or even within individual cities and towns. Any plan, first of all, must reflect public health of the local community, even before one begins to examine the complexities of medical and health needs of all stakeholders, learning needs, buses, arrival and dismissal, lunch, and class size.
Many other school districts - from New York, to Worcester, to Fall River - have announced some form of hybrid approaches. There are dozens, maybe even hundreds, of operational and training complexities to account for in this model, ranging from installing cameras to matching up sibling schedules.
So, in the end, BPS Hopscotch will hinge not on the “right” policy framework, but how well it is executed.
This is what we will be watching and talking with school communities about:
There is a public engagement process to come, but how does this plan reflect and how will it change based on educators’ expertise? The Boston Teachers Union was not consulted on this plan. A quick poll of principals confirmed for us that neither were they.
What school level capacity is going to be provided to pull this off? As Ruby Reyes testified in public comment on Wednesday, school-based decision making is critical for getting this right. Teachers don’t have to report back until September 8th. Many assistant principals, and many central office staff, don’t have to report back until some time in August. Who is going to do all this work?
Who is going to be where on September 10th? Families have the option to opt to and remain remote; many teachers may, too. There was a discussion of utilizing community partner space - which ones? Who is collecting that data and how? Will/how will student assignment shift as a result?
Will equity be a priority? The plan references attempting to have students with high special needs attend school in-person more. How much? How? With what supports? What about English Language Learners? What about students with documented social and emotional needs? What about low-income students?
What are going to be the shifts in remote learning? This will continue in some form for the foreseeable future. How/will the BPS-BTU agreement change (which ended in June)? What are the resources and professional development being provided to teachers and principals? What are the differences between total remote learning and this mixed approach?
And, because it is Boston, what about buses? Guidance was released by the state yesterday. Summary here.
School Committee added a meeting on August 5th for further deliberation.
Reopening Schools, (MA) Local
Districts are being held accountable for not serving special education students during the pandemic.
Prevailing opinions on reopening, side by side:
Harvard School of Public Health
Harvard School of Public Health, part 2
The case to prioritize teacher safety.
What happens if a student tests positive for COVID-19?
A long read on how private schools and public charter schools pivoted to remote learning.
Massachusetts high school sports will start later, on September 14th.
Reopening Schools, National
It looks like another infusion of federal dollars may be headed towards schools. Whether it happens, how much it is, and whether it is additive or simply fills state and city revenue holes, to be seen.
The governor of California was sued for closing schools, while the governor of Florida was sued for opening schools.
The media has caught on to the rise of micro-schooling/pods - good round-up here.
Reopening Schools - Global
Research on the risks and children continues to evolve - a big study in South Korea makes a strong distinction between younger and older children for risks to their health and community transmission. High rates in Florida and infant diagnoses in Texas introduce further wrinkles.
Other Items
A lot more happened at School Committee on Wednesday.
Principal dissatisfaction with the Superintendent was discussed; this followed the Mayor’s direction for Cassellius to consult principals (which raised its own set of questions and reflections) and a meeting and letter in which principals committed to working together while not changing any of the content of their feedback. The Superintendent’s evaluation has not been completed yet.
Discuss of new exam school test, and extensive public comment criticizing both the new exam school test and the process by which it was selected.
Year of concerns around the land around the McCormack building.
Lots of stuff about UP Academy (as a Horace Mann charter they periodically have approvals in front of School Committee).
Boston is the seventh most educated city in the country.*
*Among adults, does not reflect student outcomes.
Even with schools such as UMass tightening their belts, some Massachusetts colleges are at great financial risk. (paywall)