School leaders, parents leaning toward hybrid model

The full version of this story appears in the July 30 print edition of the Citizen.

Following the second week of School Committee review and a tremendous response from a new family survey, Canton school leaders appear to be leaning somewhat toward a 50/50 hybrid learning model as the preferred approach for the reopening of school in the fall.

While no decision has been made and committee members remain open to a range of possibilities, factors that appear to support the hybrid approach — which calls for two days of in-person learning and three days of remote learning per week — include pedagogical benefits, budget considerations, and support from local health officials. Families also expressed a preference for this model, with more than 65 percent of survey respondents indicating their intention to send their child to school if a hybrid approach is used.

A preliminary plan consisting of three reopening models (in-person, hybrid, remote) must be submitted to the state Department of Elementary and Secondary Education by tomorrow, July 31. A comprehensive plan is due by August 10 and will include the district’s selection for the reopening model it will use to begin the school year.

The committee has met for two consecutive Thursday evenings and will continue to meet over the next two Thursdays (July 30 and August 6). School leaders also held a listening session prior to the July 23 meeting to hear feedback and answer questions about the district’s initial reopening models.

The most recent online survey distributed to parents and guardians garnered 2,885 responses, representing nearly 88 percent of all Canton Public School (CPS) students. The district was also planning to distribute a follow-up survey with more specific questions about the learning models and plans for school busing.

Fischer-Mueller also advised that, due to the changing health environment, all of the models could be in play at some point during the upcoming school year.

The four initial reopening models presented two weeks ago included two in-person models — one with six feet of social distancing between students and one with 4.5 feet of social distancing — as well as the aforementioned hybrid model and a full remote learning model.

Both of the full in-person models would necessitate the hiring of additional staff, and the six-foot model may also require off-site classroom space. Both models would also pose challenges for transportation, impacting start and end times at one or more schools.

As of July 23, administrators prefer the following three models: in-person with 4.5-foot social distancing, hybrid, and an enhanced “Remote Learning 2.0” model. However, Superintendent Dr. Jennifer-Fischer Mueller noted that she does not believe that a full in-person model would be feasible for the start of school in the fall.

In addition to the three preferred models, administrators also introduced a distance learning plan, potentially operated by an outside vendor with CPS educator support, for parents who choose not to send their children to school. Also outlined at the July 23 meeting was a firmer bus plan calling for one child per seat and a maximum of 24 students per bus, and an announcement by the Mass. Interscholastic Athletic Association (MIAA) delaying the start of fall sports, if allowed, until September 14 …

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Posted by Mike Berger on Jul 31 2020. Filed under News, Schools. Both comments and pings are currently closed.