FYI from BSF, 8.7.20

Some things we have read through recently...

In a dizzying 30 hours, Boston Public Schools released its initial draft of its reopening plan, communicated initially that individual schools would have the ability to decide their own remote status, had that story corrected, and then embarked on +6 hour School Committee meeting covering not just reopening, but also several other hot button issues.

In the background, there was increasing pressure to start the year remotely from City Councilors and teachers unions, questions about buses, air, summer data, bad starts in other parts of the country, and a growing list of major cities in Massachusetts and around the country announcing remote starts - Chicago, Somerville, Lynn, Revere, Springfield and more - in spite of continued urgency from Commissioner Riley to prioritize in-person instruction wherever possible.

[A nascent map on MetroWest daily is tracking Massachusetts districts.  The Globe has district plans tracked.]

Calling back to a previous point, there is no “correct” way to reopen schools.  There are, however, incorrect ways, as showcased by the photo taken by a Georgia high school student (who was suspended for sharing this photo).

Community transmission rates, the physical plant of a building, and the medical needs of school communities should be the drivers of the “correct” policy.  The question, therefore, is one of execution - can a school/system actually do what it says it will, and will students, families, and educators trust them to do it?  Continued turnover at BPS provides an additional challenge.

When we first reviewed BPS Hopscotch (good summary here) and the charter and parochial school plans we have been able to gather, we said we would be looking for five things: public engagement, school-level capacity, logistics for families, equity, and remote learning.

A quick scan, as the plan is sure to change - yesterday, the state pushed its plans deadline back to August 14th:

Public Engagement - There have been many public meetings and opportunities for comment, including a meeting with Black clergy; full notes and videos have not been posted.  

School-Level Capacity - The draft BPS plan does indicate that there will be school-based planning work, with something due by August 21st.  This was also rolled out to principals this week.  This makes sense given how specific plans must be for buildings and school communities need to be.  It is not clear exactly how this is going to happen - principals have virtually no staff in August, and the plan does assign roles and responsibilities for things like health protocols, buses, and enrollment.

Logistics for Families - Families know no more than they did two weeks ago, and the tumult of Wednesday likely left them more confused.  Parents we engage through our schools and Boston School Finder have simple, fundamental questions unanswered.   If in-person happens, when is my kid’s first day of school?  Would s/he go on Monday/Tuesday or Thursday/Friday?  When will I know?  When would we know we would be remote?  At School Committee, it was stated that may not be known until “the day before school” (date to be determined).

Equity - The BPS draft plan does include a “Group C” - high needs students may have the option to attend school in-person for up to 4 days or as needed.  However, that would be determined after opt-outs and assigning children to their cohorts.  In other words, the highest needs students get attention last.  This is literally the opposite of what equity and inclusive practices in education are supposed to look like.  Cambridge and many of the Boston charter and parochial schools plans we reviewed prioritize high-needs attendance first in a hybrid or in-person model.  Here is what it looks like at the classroom level at a school in New York.

Remote Learning - No further evidence for the simultaneous teaching method was provided. There are references to professional development for remote learning in the draft plan, and in testimony.  There are references to creating spaces where students can go for remote learning if their families can’t work from home, like this initiative in New York or even this one at the Lena Park Community Center.  No further details provided.

With so many details left, the question remains - can the system do what it says it will do, and will its stakeholders trust it?  

Every day that passes without a “yes," Boston children and families are more unlikely to get what they need and deserve, regardless of whether that is in a seat in a building or on a Chromebook. 

Notes in the Margin

For a particularly packed School Committee meeting (reopening, McCormack land deal, exam schools, Superintendent’s evaluation), it is always helpful to listen to the summary from Shah.

Whatever comes of new federal funding for education, Massachusetts is looking at a big revenue hole one year from now.  Let’s not forget what happened in 2010 after the start of the Great Recession.

Following the trend and additional pressure, UMass Amherst now will not let most students back onto campus.  Deferments appear to be up at a lot of colleges, too.

As seen in Massachusetts and national polls, major cities like Houston also see a racial gap in confidence in reopening plans.

Edweek is doing a good job of collating school reopening across the country.

What do opt-outs, pods, homeschooling, and continued in-person instruction at private schools mean for the future of public education?  There is a fierce debate on this topic in Montgomery county in Maryland right now.

Other Matters

A new program was announced to support BPS Valedictorians complete college.  The proposed approach (there is no money or staff yet) is mentoring after graduation.  Mentoring has a spotty research basis, but there are many other interventions that have clearer correlations with college completion, particularly for low-income or first generation college students: money, college counselors, embedded coaching programs and supports, matching, academic skills acquired by 8th grade, going to certain charter schools, to cite a few.

The Massachusetts study on diversity and school segregation went national.
The MA Senate passed a bill aimed human rights/genocide awareness in middle and high schools.