School District Enters Phase Three of Remote Learning

In response to Governor Baker’s announcement that Massachusetts schools will be closed for the remainder of the school year, the Department of Education (DOE) provided the district with updated guidelines for remote learning.

In only six weeks, the district has gone from a classroom setting, to phase one and two of remote learning. Now, the administration, faculty and students will be entering phase three, following the DOE’s guidance. This phase of learning will enhance and refine remote learning plans, allowing for an expansion of remote learning in grades K through 8. This will build on the initial guidance that was passed down on March 26^th and will provide a focus on deepening standards in both student learning and teaching content.

“There has been a traumatic shift for both teachers and students, who went from being in a classroom and interacting continuously, to remote learning where not every child has access to technology and the same amount of parental support time,” said School Superintendent Lisa Howard. “Every family’s situation is different.”

In phase three, the district will be encouraged to ramp up engagement and face time with students at all levels. Howard met with the principals, administrators and curriculum director, Lori Galvin, to go over guidelines, assessing what needs to be done in each grade level.

“We believe that within one week’s timeframe we will have adjustments made. We can prepare teachers with the tools needed and talk to parents about expectations.”

The Google Classroom has been executed at the elementary level and staff is being trained on the various capabilities and forms of video conferencing.

“There is a lot of work to be done. We are teaching kids to learn remotely…remotely. It has not been easy but the staff has been fully committed to doing what they need to do. We will be tweaking the remote learning plan right up to the last day of school, hoping that we never have to use it again, but we will have something in place if we do.”