NOW THAT THE Boston Public Schools have announced a delayed reopening of schools, let us examine a way for students to reintegrate into their schools with an emphasis on what the students need rather than what the adults want. Superintendent Cassellius has proposed a plan she calls hopscotch. Some students would come into schools on Mondays […]
Elementary and Secondary Education
Posted inOpinion
Science says schools not ready to open in higher risk communities
TWO SEPARATE ANNOUNCEMENTS from the Baker administration last week underscore the total absence of a comprehensive statewide back-to-school plan that protects students, their families, and educators. On Thursday, Baker announced that the state will deploy COVID testing “SWAT teams” to schools with virus outbreaks – but only after COVID-19 transmission has already occurred within a […]
Posted inEducation
Promising results with early college programs
STATE HOUSE NEWS SERVICE HIGHLIGHTING NEW DATA showing greater academic success among high school students who take college courses, education experts called Wednesday for Massachusetts to continue investing in early college programs and broaden access to thousands more students. The early college courses available at roughly three dozen high schools have made a sizable impact […]
Posted inOpinion
Curtatone: A color-coded map is not a plan
EVERY CITY AND TOWN in Massachusetts has spent months trying to figure out how to return to in-person schooling. We all know the social, emotional, and educational benefits for our children. We all know a fully functioning school system also primes the pump of our economy because it allows everyone to go to work. I […]
Posted inEducation
Baker to offer mobile testing resources to K-12 schools
SEEKING TO REASSURE schools reopening this fall with in-person learning, Gov. Charlie Baker said he is launching a statewide mobile testing program that can be deployed if a handful of staff or students come down with COVID-19. “This program will be designed to quickly deliver testing resources for students and school personnel if there are […]
Posted inEducation
Unions say in-person learning plans not a done deal
THE SHARON SCHOOL COMMITTEE voted to start the year with a hybrid model of education, where students will return to school in person two days a week. Sharon teachers, however, have not yet agreed to the plan. In fact, the Sharon Teachers Association voted to only teach remotely at the start of the school year. […]
Posted inEducation
70% of school districts adopt some in-person learning
STATE HOUSE NEWS SERVICE MORE THAN TWO-THIRDS of the Massachusetts school districts that have so far reported their reopening plans to the state envision some sort of in-classroom education, while the others are poised to resume remote learning, Gov. Charlie Baker said Tuesday. Baker said 371 of the 400 districts had submitted their plans as of […]
Posted inEducation
Curtatone, Novick slam state guidance on reopening
For months, school districts were struggling to decide whether to reopen schools in person, with little guidance from the state as to what thresholds to use to make that decision. Now, with the first state guidance emerging as to which of three plans to choose — remote, hybrid, or in person — based on a […]
Posted inEducation
Curtatone, Novick slam state guidance on reopening
FOR MONTHS, school districts were struggling to decide whether to reopen schools in person, with little guidance from the state as to what thresholds to use to make that decision. Now, with the first state guidance emerging as to which of three plans to choose — remote, hybrid, or in person — based on a […]
Posted inOpinion
A third path for Boston’s School Committee
Students versus teachers. Teachers versus parents. Parents versus administrators. Administrators versus everyone. In a COVID-19 world, this “us versus them” mentality just doesn’t work anymore. We’ve seen it happen a lot recently, with talks over the past few months around reopening the Boston Public Schools and in discussions concerning the McCormack Middle School. As parents, […]