The new guidance came hours after Governor Charlie Baker released a color-coded map on Tuesday that classifies the risk level for coronavirus for each community statewide. During a press conference, he asked why every district in the white and green low-risk zones would begin their school year at a distance.
“It is our expectation that district learning models will follow this color-coded metric unless there are polluting conditions identified after consultation with local health boards,” Education Commissioner Jeffrey Riley wrote in a memo to superintendents Tuesday night received by the Globe. “This includes monitoring additional metrics, such as whether cases increase or decrease, the local test positivity rate and other contextual factors.”
Riley added, “We understand that local school committees and boards, working with district and school leaders, have recently finalized or are about to finalize initial fall reopening plans. We expect these updated metrics and related guidance to support both your decision making for reopening schools all year round when we face changing circumstances. “
The commissioner notes that leaders of superintendents and charter schools may want to wait for multiple data reports before making adjustments to fall back on plans, or, based on the new metrics, they may want to move forward immediately with adjustments.
The vast majority of entire communities are located in the white or green zones, indicating that COVID-19 infection rates are low or non-existent. The new metrics advise that these districts be fully open and only shift to a mix of personal and distance learning in seductive circumstances. The state advises these districts not only to provide remote instruction for all students.
The guidelines come as the Massachusetts Teachers Association, the American Federation of Teachers Massachusetts, and the Boston Teachers Union have launched an aggressive campaign to begin the school year with only remote instruction and advise members not to enter school buildings until state and local officials can prove that the environment is safe enough to teach in a pandemic.
At the same time, many parents have urged local superintendents and school boards to open schools full-time, especially in communities where COVID-19 infection rates are low. Very few districts statewide have indicated that they will reopen fully on the first day.
Thomas Scott, executive director of the Massachusetts Association of School Superintendents, welcomed the state’s new guidance, but wanted it to come sooner.
“It’s great to have this, but it would have been better to have this three weeks ago when critical decisions were made,” he said. ‘Let us remember that every superintendent is placed in a wedge between the wishes of parents and the demands of teachers and without clear guidance or metrics. Superintendents have been left alone to make recommendations. ”
Scott said the new metric would be useful for the remaining districts finalizing their plans for reopening, which are up for grabs on Friday. He was unsure if superintendents, with approved plans from their school committees, would make major changes to them based on the new metrics.
COVID-19 infection rates under the color-coded map and the methods for reopening schools are based on cases recorded over a period of two weeks. The new metric breaks this way:
– Red will identify communities with more than 8 COVID-19 cases per 100,000 inhabitants. Districts should make use of distance learning.
– Yellow will indicate communities that have more than 4 and a maximum of 8 COVID-19 cases per 100,000 inhabitants. Districts should use a mix of personal and distance learning; they must apply instructions remotely in seductive circumstances.
– Green will indicate communities that have 4 or fewer COVID-19 cases per 100,000 inhabitants. Districts must fully open or use a hybrid in tempting conditions.
– Unshaded will target communities with small populations and fewer than 5 cases in the last 14 days. Districts must fully open or use a hybrid in tempting conditions.
Regional school systems should monitor COVID-19 infection rates for all of their member communities.
James Vaznis can be reached at [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter @globevaznis.
