Coronavirus News: Thursday, August 6, 2020

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Category: Coronavirus Resources

Pioneer to start with three weeks remote learning, then reassess

America is about to roll out online learning, round 2. For millions of children, it won't be better. (Washington Post)

Perspective: Back to school in a pandemic: a guide all the factors keeping parents and educators up at night (Washington Post)

Most teachers concerned about in-person school (NPR)

Column: Listen to teachers (Boston Globe)

NYC announces coronavirus tracing team just for schools (Chalkbeat)

Special education students aren't just falling behind; they're losing key skills (Washington Post)

Pittsfield School Committee takes full fall return off the table (WAMC)

Southwick-Tolland-Granville School Committee hears presentation about reopening (The Reminder)

Rep. Pressley holds listening session with students about schooling (MassLive)

New Hingham Elementary will start year all-remote (Daily Hampshire Gazette)

Mahar School Committee to start with hybrid model; chair says committee may reassess (Greenfield Recorder)

Pioneer to start with three weeks remote learning, then reassess (Greenfield Recorder)

Teachers demand air quaility be safe in Haverhill schools (Eagle Tribune)

North Shore teachers worry about safety (Salem News)

Swampscott superintendent asks to keep students home (The Item)

Framingham teachers asked to work in empty classrooms for remote learning (Metrowest Daily News)

Natick cancels Wednesday meeting; will vote on back to school Monday (Metrowest Daily News)

Bridgewater-Raynham opts for hybrid start to year (Enterprise)

Mansfield going with hybrid plan for reopening (The Sun Chronicle)

In Boston, various options for school this fall (Boston Globe)

Boston teachers, parents voice strong opposition to hybrid model (Boston 25)

Boston City Councilors push for all-remote learning during pandemic (WGBH)

Coronavirus News: Wednesday, August 5, 2020

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Category: Coronavirus Resources

Education Commissioner Riley pushes in-person learning (Commonwealth Magazine)

School Committees face tough reopening decisions (State House News Service via Wicked Local Marion)

Southern Berkshire Regional looking at phase-in to hybrid learning (The Berkshire Eagle)

Mount Greylock member pushes to reopen schools (iBerkshires)

South Hadley will begin with all-remote learning (Daily Hampshire Gazette)

Worcester Schools to hold forum on reopening plan on August 6 (MassLive)

Fitchburg schools release reopening plans for fall (Sentinel & Enterprise)

Milford to choose reopening plan Thursday (Metrowest Daily News)

North Andover parents demand classroom time for students (Eagle Tribune)

Haverhill educators call for gradual reopening, beginning with remote learning (WHAV)

Lynn superintendent to recommend reopening plan to School Committee tonight (The Item)

Newburyport schools to start Sept. 16 with remote or hybrid model (Newburyport News)

Abington School Committee votes for hybrid model (Enterprise)

Weymouth cancels graduation ceremony set for Friday (Patriot Ledger)

Foxborough schools lay out hybrid approach with rotating in-class schedules (The Sun Chronicle)

Somerville announces fully remote learning plan for fall (Boston Herald)

Quincy teachers' union sounds alarm on possible push by MTA to strike this fall (Boston Globe)

Coronavirus News: Tuesday, August 4, 2020

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Category: Coronavirus Resources

Educators rally on national day of action as reopening debate continues (Chalkbeat)

AFT-MA calls for remote-only instruction (Boston Globe)

When COVID subsided, Israel reopened its schools. It didn't go well. (The New York Times)

Teachers returned to a Georgia school district last week. 260 have already gone home to quarantine. (Washington Post)

Massachusetts not tracking coronavirus outbreaks in schools even as officials say they are inevitable (Boston Herald)

Agawam curtailing use of school athletic fields (Western Mass News)

Gill-Montague Regional expanding school meals during the pandemic (Greenfield Recorder)

Worcester educators call for safe schools before return to classes (Boston Herald)

Lowell School Committee closes in on reopening plan (Lowell Sun)

Weston school officials discuss how they plan to return this fall. They also announce the superintendent has COVID-19. (Milford Daily News)

Hudson to hold a Q&A for parents Tuesday on return to school (Milford Daily News)

Cohasset graduation cancelled after gathering with no social distancing (Patriot Ledger)

Coronavirus News: Monday, August 3, 2020

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Category: Coronavirus Resources

Why is there no consensus around reopening schools? (The New York Times)

Mapping the risk that students could arrive at school with coronavirus (The New York Times)

An Arizona superintendent: "i'm sorry, but it's a fantasy." (The Washington Post)

Safer air: schools scramble to improve ventilation (WBUR)

Berkshire Hills' reopening complicated by teachers' union objections (The Berkshire Edge)

Mount Greylock proposes fully remote learning for most of high school (iBerkshires)

'Pieces still in play' as Hoosac Valley weighs reopening scenarios (The Berkshire Eagle)

Lenox pushes reopening back to mid-September (The Berkshire Eagle)

Springfield to hold town hall on back-to-school plan (WAMC)

Holyoke High class of 2020 a testament to resilience (MassLive)

Southampton adopts hybrid plan for Norris school (Daily Hampshire Gazette)

Greenfield School Committee adopts 'remote learning plus,' sets opening date (Greenfield Recorder)

First day of school changed to September 14 in Ashburnham-Westminster (The Gardner News)

Survey finds Wachusett parents want students in the classroom (The Landmark)

Lexington School Committee adopts back-to-school blueprint (Lexington Minuteman)

Tensions rise as Haverhill debates start of school year (Eagle Tribune)

Haverhill gets update on Ch. 70 aid, facilities work (WHAV)

2020 put into focus in Peabody commencement (Salem News)

'We can truly build great things': Hopkinton class of 2020 graduates (Milford Daily News)

Most Taunton students will be fully remote for at least the first few months of the year (Taunton Daily News)

Rockland graduates told to take on the world with kindness and hard work (Enterprise)

Upper Cape Tech graduates lean on lessons learned during pandemic (Cape Cod Times)

Draft reopening plan for Vineyard public schools issued (The Vineyard Gazette)

Epidemiologist sees hybrid as worst model due to child care (WGBH)

Guidance on Policy Issues for the Pandemic

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Category: Coronavirus Resources

This document has been developed to act as a guide for school committees as your district develops and implements a back-to-school strategy. This task will require flexibility on the school committee’s part in schedules of meetings and the time commitment required to meet the deadlines established by the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education.

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Coronavirus News: Wednesday, July 29, 2020

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Category: Coronavirus Resources

Mass Legislature accelerates interim approach to budgeting; passes $16.5B measure through October (State House News via WWLP-22)

Nation's second largest teachers' union says it will back strikes over teacher safety this fall (Chalkbeat)

Hoosac Valley's 66 graduates prepared to define their own future (iBerkshires)

Pittsfield not back fully in person and pushed back by two weeks (The Berkshire Eagle)

Central Mass school officials appreciate delayed start to school year (Worcester Telegram & Gazette)

Mass allows two week delay in start of schools (Boston 25 News)

Naked man on screen as Leominster School Committee interrupted by Zoombombing (Metrowest Daily News)

Natick School Committee to vote on back to school plan amid pandemic (Metrowest Daily News)

New Bedford cancels in-person graduation at New Bedford High (South Coast Today)

Commentary: We bailed out banks and car companies; why can't we invest enough to make our schools safe? (WBUR)