School leaders finalize remote-to-hybrid start for K-12

The full version of this story appears in the September 3 print edition.

The Canton School Committee last week signed off on a new timeline for the district’s phased-in reopening model, approving a remote start for most K-12 students on September 16 before moving to a hybrid model on September 29. The hybrid model calls for two days of in-person learning and three days of remote learning per week, with students divided into two cohorts by last name.

The only exceptions are students with special circumstances (IEPs or 504 plans), who may be eligible for up to 4.5 days of in-person learning per week based on their individual plans. A decision on the reopening plan for the Rodman preschool program will be made at tonight’s School Committee meeting.

The unanimous decision by the committee on August 27 to adopt a remote-to-hybrid model for K-12 students came after a recommendation from School Superintendent Dr. Jennifer Fischer-Mueller. The decision followed a bit more positive health news with regard to COVID-19 metrics and with mounting pressure from parents who supported in large numbers the move to hybrid learning in a previous survey. Two different parent petitions with over 1,400 combined signatures were also mentioned at the meeting, with criticism directed at the committee for not paying enough attention to the survey results.

School Committee Chair Kristin Mirliani said that while the community appears “deeply divided” over whether to open remotely or in a hybrid model, school leaders remain committed to their objective of getting students back in school once the conditions are safe.

Mirliani said the committee continues to negotiate in good faith with the Canton Teachers Association on working conditions. She urged community members to be kind to one another and to be respectful of educators.

“Educators in Canton are committed to our children, and I would ask that what we are saying, particularly around our kids and in public forums, is respectful of those educators,” she said. “Because our kids are listening and when they go back to school in whatever form that is, we want them to know that their teachers love and care about them and want to be with them.”

She added that the mission of the committee is to identify a way forward that is best for the entire district, which includes all staff, students, and their families with safety as the number-one priority.

Committee member Charles Rae, who has been steadfast in his support for a full return to in-person learning, said it was important for him to listen to everyone and consider all input. He expressed his hope that students would be back in school full time “sooner rather than later,” but said he could “live with” the phased-in plan for the time being. “It’s certainly not perfect,” he said, “but there are no perfect answers for a situation that we’re all in that was not of our creation.”

Committee member Nichola Gallagher voiced her strong support for the phased-in plan and said that returning to hybrid before the end of September “represents a balance between the logistics and safety and the overall district against the urgent need to get kids back in school …

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Posted by Mike Berger on Sep 4 2020. Filed under News, Schools. Both comments and pings are currently closed.