While school administrators heed government and public health reopening guidelines, they have some flexibility in deciding between in-person, hybrid, or remote learning.
Fall school instruction plans vary by district. Boston Public Schools have yet to announce reopening plans, postponing the first day of school to Sept. 21. Malden Public Schools plan a fully-remote start on Sept. 16. The Quincy Public Schools district will allow administrators at each school to decide instruction plans.
These district-based decisions come as the state government imposes restrictions on remote learning. The Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education issued guidelines for reopening schools, limiting the use of online learning within districts based on the coronavirus risk. Governor Baker also rejected an overarching remote instruction model for the state.
As government and school districts respond to fluctuating public health considerations, administrators are tasked with making reopening decisions within these broader guidelines.
In making this decision, Richard Chang, Head of School for Josiah Quincy Upper School, sought to understand public opinion for the school community. Josiah Quincy Upper School is a part of the Boston Public Schools district.
“My goal has been to make sure that the school’s decision is fully informed by families, students, and staff,” Chang said. “Administrators cannot unilaterally make decisions for the whole community. It has to be a very wide, transparent process.”
To solicit this public opinion, Chang created a task force of parents, students, and staff members. The task force created a school-wide survey for parents to rank the importance of values like safety, social needs, instruction quality, and child supervision. Nearly all students and parents ranked safety as their number 1 concern.
The task force reached a consensus to offer a fully remote start to school.
Depending on public health directives, sixth- and seventh-grade students may be invited back on campus after the first quarter. Students would be spread between the middle and high school buildings to provide an adequate buffer for social distancing.
This priority for younger students in future in-person learning hopes to salvage the non-academic offerings of schools, such as social and emotional development.
“The importance of belonging is much more important for sixth- and seventh-graders,” Chang said. “From a developmental and academic standpoint, older students are better able to manage online learning. Their self-identity is stronger. They don’t need to be a part of a pack to form their identity.”
Shaue-Fung Peng also voiced concern for students’ social-emotional needs in a fully-remote model. Peng is a guidance counselor at North Quincy High School, a part of the Quincy Public Schools system.
“We are losing students,” Peng said. “The connection is not there. Kids close their cameras. They do not want to see you. If I have students that don’t respond for a day or two, I contact the parents right away. That kind of communication is a key thing to make sure students are still connected with us, with someone.”
Preparing for a virtual semester, Chang plans to incorporate technological and pedagogical shifts to support remote learning. This includes providing Chromebook computers and internet hotspots for students who need them.
In a letter from Superintendent John Oteri, Malden Public Schools pledged a similar commitment to technological infrastructure. Every student K-12 is ensured a Chromebook or other device to access remote learning.
Josiah Quincy Upper School is also partnering with Harvard Medical School and McClean Hospital to identify students with social-emotional challenges and help teachers address these needs. The school also hired an additional social worker to conduct in-home visits and assessments.
“All students will be monitored, and we will constantly make adjustments for students that need it,” Chang said. “We are grateful for our partners in helping students and families get mental health support they need. This would be remote instruction 2.0. This time we’ll be much more prepared.”
