Published in the August 14, 2020 edition.
By MARK SARDELLA
WAKEFIELD — The School Committee this week approved a hybrid re-opening plan for Wakefield Public Schools that reflects modifications in the preliminary proposal presented last week by Superintendent Douglas Lyons based on surveys and feedback from parents and faculty.
In the week since Lyons released his recommended hybrid re-opening plan, which includes a mix of in-person and remote instruction, the administration has met with hundreds of parents via Zoom meetings. Surveys of parents and teachers were also conducted over the last week to gather their reactions to the recommended plan.
“We know that there is no substitute for in-person instruction,” Lyons said. “Our goal continues to be to make relationships with our students and families to provide high quality instruction in any model we may be participating in.”
The School Committee-sanctioned hybrid instructional model for K-12 is designed to allow each school building to reduce the number of students attending school in person at one time and allow for maximum social distancing and safety precautions.
The hybrid instructional model includes a combination of in-person learning in all school buildings, as well as remote learning on days and time frames when students are not in-person with their teachers. The models at each level have some common themes, but are differentiated based on students’ developmental needs, staffing structures, and scheduling factors specific to each building and grade level.
The School Committee-approved plan also calls for a phased re-opening of schools.
Phase 1 will run from Sept. 2, 2020 – Sept. 16, 2020 (10 school days). During this period, time will be provided for faculty and staff to set up their classrooms/learning environments and prioritize safety training and professional development focused on safety protocols, hybrid and remote schedules and technology.
Phase 2 under the final plan will fun for eight days (up from two days in the preliminary plan). From Sept. 17 – Sept. 28, principals and teachers will start the process of welcoming students back to school. Teachers may begin to welcome back small groups of students in their assigned cohort or by grade to slowly acclimate students to their classroom. This will allow teachers and students to begin relationship building, as well as review safety protocols and guidelines for remote learning. This orientation will be differentiated to meet the needs of students, staff and parents at each level.
According to the plan, public health data specific to Wakefield, including the Massachusetts DPH COVID-19 metrics, will be reviewed prior to moving to Phase 3. If the data supports it, Phase 3 will begin on Sept. 29, 2020. Principals, and teacher leaders will share new hybrid schedules with students and families. The school administration will review opportunities to add extra curricular offerings as guidance allows.
Under Phase 3, schools will move into the hybrid model, which will vary from school to school.
Under the final plan, the Doyle Early Childhood Center schedule will not change from the preliminary plan released last week. The nine teachers at the Doyle will teach four full days and one half-day on Fridays.
The preliminary hybrid plan had elementary school students attending school four consecutive days, Monday through Thursday, with Friday as a remote instruction day. For the Galvin Middle School and the high school, students would be attending in-person classes Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday with Wednesday as a remote learning day.
It was noted at last week’s School Committee meeting that having the remote learning day consistent across all grade levels would be much easier for parents with children in different grades. In the parent survey that was conducted since that plan was released, about half of the respondents preferred Wednesday as the remote day and half preferred Friday. The teachers preferred Wednesday over Friday by about 56 to 44 percent.
In the final hybrid plan, Wednesday will be a remote learning day for students at all grade levels.
The elementary hybrid model involves separate morning and afternoon sessions.
All elementary students will attend school for three hours per day in person on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday. Students will be divided into two cohorts to reduce the number of students in a class and maintain safer spaces. Cohort A will participate in in person learning in the morning and remote learning activities in the afternoon. Cohort B will attend in person in the afternoon with remote activities in the morning. On Wednesday, all students will participate in some remote learning activities with their teachers and some independent learning activities.
At the Galvin, grades 5 and 7 will attend school in person on Monday and Tuesday, with remote learning on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday. Grades 6 and 8 will be in school on Thursday and Friday, with remote instruction on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday.
Under the final plan, high school students will be divided into two “cohorts,” A and B. (Exactly how the division will be done has not been finalized.)
Cohort A will attend in person on Monday and Tuesday, with remote learning on Thursday and Friday. Cohort B will attend in person on Thursday and Friday, with remote learning on Monday and Tuesday. Wednesday will be scheduled remote learning for both cohorts.
Regularly scheduled block classes (A-F) will end at 12 noon at the high school and lunch will be grab and go. Students who stay in the building for afternoon learning will eat in the cafeteria and be spaced six or more feet apart (with personnel present to monitor). Afternoon learning time (12:35 to 2:05) may include one-to-one and small group support, remote learning support, remedial academic supports and special education and guidance supports.
Assistant Superintendent of School Kara Mauro reviewed the results of teacher and parent surveys conducted since the preliminary hybrid plan was released last week. The teachers were asked if they anticipated being able to return to their positions in-person under the hybrid model.
Mauro said that 25 percent of teachers at the Doyle Early Childhood Center said that they did not anticipate returning to in-person instruction. About 13 percent of elementary school teachers did not want to return to in-person teaching. At the Galvin, about 16 percent said that they did not feel comfortable returning to school. About 28 percent of teachers at the high school said that they did not anticipate returning to in-person teaching in September.
The parent survey indicated that about 16 percent of elementary student would be electing the full remote instruction model. About 14 percent of Galvin Middle School students will be opting for full remote instruction as will about 11 percent of high school students.
Mauro said that the administration will attempt to re-allocate teachers who do not anticipate being able to return to in-person instruction to other roles including teaching students who have elected the full remote learning option.
School Facilities Director Bob Schiaroli said that an independent engineering firm has been brought in to do an assessment of the ventilation system at the high school. He said that the use of air purifiers is being considered where needed.
Schiaroli also detailed an intensive cleaning cleaning and sanitizing schedule for all schools. But Wakefield Health Director Ruth Clay, who also joined the Zoom meeting, pointed out that there have been no documented cases of COVID transmission from contact with surfaces. She encouraged the schools to focus their efforts more toward guarding against person to person transmission.
The final plan also specifically addresses the remote component, which makes up half of the hybrid model. It will be necessary to transition smoothly to this remote model if public health data dictates a further delay in in-person instruction. The remote model will also be implemented on snow days.
The remote model is also an option that families may choose exclusively for their students, even as the district proceeds with a hybrid instructional model.
Under the final plan, the remote instructional model will be more robust in the fall by implementing schedules and predictable routines for students and families, consistent technology tools and platforms, increased accountability and grading, increased opportunities for synchronous learning, more opportunities to interact with faculty and staff to support social-emotional learning and academic needs and more opportunities for students to get feedback on the work they produce, which will lead to grades and conversation about developmental milestones at the elementary level.
After reviewing the final plan with the School Committee, Lyons offered some closing remarks.
“We are committed to providing learning opportunities, with integrity and structure for all of our students,” Lyons said. “The foundation of this commitment is based on relationships, trust and communication between faculty, staff, administration and our students and families. This commitment is not tied to any one plan.”
The School Committee unanimously approved the recommended hybrid instructional model for the 2020-2021 school year.