Worcester Picks Remote Back-To-School Plan, With Hybrid Later
WORCESTER, MA — Worcester Public Schools students will return to school this fall under a fully-remote model, with a transition to a hybrid model planned in November, according to a plan approved by the school committee on Thursday evening.
The school committee's approval of the back-to-school plan comes after months of planning, and weeks of public discussions. The plan will be submitted to the state Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) by the agency's Friday deadline.
The Worcester school year would begin with remote classes on Sept. 15, with teachers returning for training beginning on Aug. 27. Worcester teachers will be allowed to work remotely through the first quarter.
Worcester's back-to-school plan shares similarities with other large districts, including Framingham and Boston.
First, Worcester will split students into three groups: A, B and C. Students in group C, who require more intensive learning support, will be transitioned to the hybrid model after the first quarter ends on Nov. 16.
Students in groups A and B will be allowed to continue learning remotely after the end of the first quarter if they choose. But students in those two groups can also choose to attend classes under the hybrid model beginning in the second quarter.
Worcester's hybrid model will split students into cohorts, and each cohort would spend one day per week in a school building. The students would spend three days in synchronous remote classes, which means learning along with a teacher. And one day would be reserved for asynchronous remote learning, where students complete assigned tasks on their own.
The district will distribute Chromebook laptops to students who need them. The district has also purchased 5,000 Wi-Fi hot spots to distribute to families. Superintendent Maureen Binienda said that about 2,500 of the 17,000 families in the district requested a hot spot, but the district bought extra as a backup.
For in-person learning, the district is requiring all students in grades two through 12 to wear masks, and "whenever possible" students and staff will maintain 6 feet of distance. But in general, students will only be 3 feet apart in classes. The district is also installing Plexiglas barriers, upgrading HVAC systems and ordering extra personal protective equipment supplies.
One parent asked the committee how the district would handle parents who don't believe coronavirus is real, and therefore won't let their kids wear masks.
"Children from second grade on have to wear masks, and all children have to wear them on the bus," Binienda responded. "That's the message we will continue to tell parents."
The final vote on the back-to-school plan was unanimous. You can read the entire 56-page plan on the school district website.
This article originally appeared on the Worcester Patch
