Published August 6, 2020

By MAUREEN DOHERTY

NORTH READING — The School Committee voted 3-2 last Thursday morning to submit the school district’s preliminary reopening plan to the state Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) by the July 31 deadline. All districts in the state must submit their final plans by next Monday, August 10.

Superintendent of Schools Dr. Patrick Daly subsequently shared the preliminary plan, which favors the hybrid model, with parents and the public last Friday afternoon on the district’s website to seek additional public comment.

Daly emphasized that all of the proposed plans remain subject to collective bargaining with the North Reading Teachers’ Association (NREA) because they involve changes in working conditions.

Parent and family forums on the school reopening plans were held with Daly this week. A special Monday morning session was held specifically for middle and high school students. Parent/family sessions were held Monday night and Tuesday morning, and at press time an additional meeting was being planned to specifically address the kindergarten program with parents.

For those who were unable to attend these sessions, there is a link to a recording of Monday evening’s parent forum posted on the school district’s website under the heading for the Superintendent’s Blog at: https://nrps-academicservices.blogspot.com/

SC meeting Friday 8 a.m.

The School Committee is holding one more virtual public meeting this Friday, August 7 at 8 a.m. to finalize its reopening plan prior to the August 10 DESE deadline. The agenda includes public comment, review of the reopening plan, the revised school calendar and a review of the October Town Meeting articles.

To sign in to the virtual meeting by google meet go to: meet.google.com/qsf-gthx-zrr

To call in by phone dial 1-415-662-0596 PIN 232-039-284#

The agenda and check-in instructions are posted on the town’s website (www.northreadingma.gov), as required under the Open Meeting Law.

“The one challenge I have with this plan is there are no metrics in place about when we go to a different one,” School Committee Chairman Scott Buckley said at last Thursday’s board meeting. “It’s challenging. The state has tried to lay out guidelines, and that is what we need to work on going forward, maybe with the Board of Health and other groups, about when is it safe to come back and when is it not even safe to be doing hybrid. That is the one thing I don’t think we really addressed. That’s not required right now.”

Buckley asked for a motion to approve Daly’s reopening plan which included the hybrid plan and endorsement of the three different models.

SC member Rich McGowan offered an amended motion that the board approve the submission as presented by Daly to the DESE “which includes outlines of how we would address the three scenarios and indicates that we are looking at the hybrid as our go forward plan.” SC member Janine Imbriano seconded it.

The motion carried 3-2 with McGowan, Imbriano and Chris Pappavaselio voting in favor and Dyana Boutwell and Buckley voting against.

“Mr. McGowan crafted it very well and we need to approve something to go forward,” Buckley said. “We have the three (votes), but I still have concerns about what the guidelines will be, so I will also vote ‘nay.’”

In Daly’s letter to parents explaining the proposed reopening protocol, he states: “Once feedback is received from the DESE we will incorporate additional feedback from parents, students, and staff into our reopening plan that will be presented to the School Committee on Friday, August 7 at 8 a.m., submitted to DESE, and also shared with all in the North Reading Public School’s community on or around August 10. Additional details pertaining to the model will need to be collectively bargained with the unions in our district, all of whom have been involved in our reopening planning group from the outset.”

One-day waiver

In order for the hybrid plan to work, Daly has sought a one-day waiver from the DESE to allow the first day of school in North Reading to be Thursday, September 17. North Reading is one of the few districts that normally starts school the Wednesday after Labor Day, which falls this year on September 9. Contractually, teachers do not report to school prior to September 1 or work beyond June 30. This year, due to COVID-19 concerns and additional time needed to work out these reopening plans, DESE pushed back the school reopening day to Wednesday, September 16.

“I anticipate that this waiver will be approved and that the week of September 14th will be a week when students may be coming into the buildings or riding buses in small groups to learn the processes and procedures that will be in place when school begins on the 17th. Many more details will be shared in the coming weeks,” Daly stated.

Since the state has also dropped the required number of school days for students by 10 days, to 170, the school year will still end on time and the extra 10 days without students would be used to further develop the plans and train teachers and staff in adopting the models approved for use by each district.

The Hybrid Model

In his letter to parents and families, Superintendent Daly explained how the hybrid model would work as follows:

The district’s feasibility study presented data that would have allowed a return to school in-person for all students at a distance of three feet. “However, the busing guidance that came out more recently would not have allowed us to bus all interested participants each day. Furthermore, the teacher’s union presented additional data from internal surveys that led the district to conclude that a hybrid model where approximately 50% of the students attend in person each day was our best and safest approach in order to bring the most students back in-person. In this model all students would be able to spread out to the CDC recommended six feet of distance between desks.

The hybrid model that the district plans to utilize would be a two days on, two days off model where students returning in person are divided into two cohorts, A and B. Additionally, cohort C would include students who are high priority students who would attend in person on most days. Cohort D would include students who elect for full remote learning.

Additionally, for those students attending in-person, Cohort A would attend Mondays and Tuesdays and Cohort B would attend Thursdays and Fridays. On alternating Wednesdays either Cohort A or Cohort B would attend in-person. There would be a deep cleaning in between the switching of the Cohorts.

Students at the Middle School will follow a Day 1, Day 2, Day 3, Day 4 schedule for the entire year while students at High School will follow a Green Day / Gold Day schedule for the entire year.

On the days when the students are participating in-person, they would receive lessons that could then be supported remotely on the days when they are engaged in remote learning.

Teachers at all levels would meet with half of their classes each day for the in-person model. Students at home will participate remotely, including synchronous or live lessons. The specifics of these arrangements are subject to collective bargaining.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q. Are the in-person days full days? Will lunch be served?

A. Yes, at this time the in-person days are full days and lunch will be served. Schools are in the process of determining the best process for maintaining physical distancing during lunch time.

Q. Will siblings be in the same cohorts (A or B) across all schools and levels?

A. Yes, this is our intention and will schedule the cohorts this way to the extent feasible. If you do not want your children in the same cohort please indicate that in response to the question in the feedback form.

Q. Will there be a fully remote option?

A. Yes, students in Cohort D will have the option of participating in our district program in a fully remote manner. More details will be forthcoming about this model.

Q. Will there be a set schedule? What about working parents or essential workers?

A. Yes, the hybrid schedule will allow you to identify the days each week your student will attend in person. Cohorts A and B will alternate between 3 day and 2 day weeks. Cohort C will attend in person every day. Cohort D will be remote every day. We are also investigating options for working parents that we would help to facilitate to provide remote learning assistance.

Q. Will there be opportunities to pivot to either full remote or full in-person?

Yes, our plan will allow for all modes this year and we will make adjustments as needed depending on the current data and recommendations.

Q. How will remote learning be different this year?

A. Remote learning, in hybrid or full remote, will look different than it did in the spring when we had very little time to prepare. Additionally, DESE guidelines and restrictions have changed for the 2020-21 school year.

For example, this year remote learning will include:

• more opportunities for live teacher interaction and synchronous learning

• some computer-based and non-computer based activities

• grades and assessments

• a set schedule

• attendance taken every period (indicating whether students were in-person or remote)

The particulars of our remote learning program and schedule are subject to collective bargaining.

Q. What considerations will be in place for students with disabilities, English learners, and others?

A. The district currently runs specialized learning programs for students with disabilities at all of our schools. The students in these specific special education programs will be in attendance every day in order to receive their services. The Special Education liaisons will be in touch with individual families to confirm their participation in these programs as a part of Cohort C.

If a class, school, or the district needs to move to full remote learning, the students will receive special education services remotely as well. There will be an emphasis on as much in-person instruction as possible for all students with moderate or severe disabilities.

English Learner (EL) students who are receiving services will also be able to attend in person every day during a hybrid model and will receive individualized support from the EL teachers during remote learning as well. Students in foster care as well as homeless students will also be prioritized for in person services associated with Cohort C.

Economically disadvantaged students will continue to receive lunch as needed as well as access to devices and internet access as indicated in our recent survey.

Q. Will there be opportunities for student electives?

A. Yes, currently we hope to have all elective options available in hybrid form this year. There are additional factors that need to be considered through collective bargaining.

Q. Has a decision been made about sports and extracurricular activities?

A. At this time there has not been a decision made about these activities for the fall. Fall sports can begin no earlier than September 14. We expect more information will be forthcoming from DESE on this soon.