Brookline Schools have been running with a combination of hybrid classes and fully remote for all grades, much like Newton, for some time now.
At last night’s Brookline School Committee meeting this proposal was discussed to move next month to the next phase of bringing their kids back into the classroom. In brief, the proposal will bring all of 1st grade back to full non-hybrid classes starting March 1, bring grades 2-5 back on March 29.
A key to this plan seems to be treating the previous 6′ recommended spacing between students as a strong recommendation rather than a magic inviolable rule.
“We believe our mitigation strategies of improved ventilation, staying home when feeling sick, washing hands, wearing masks, maintaining distance, and asymptomatic testing have been effective in containing the in-school spread of the virus. Since in-person school has begun, wehave closely monitored positive COVID cases, conducted thorough contact tracing to track the spread of the virus, and, with the exception of 3 cases, have not found definitive evidence of in-school spread.
“…. This proposal (with the exception of grade 1 on March 1)may require a reduction in the 6-foot distancing parameters..”
The Brookline Schools are not intending to ignore the spacing of the students. Indeed in grades 6-8 they will remain in hybrid due partly to continuing space constraints, even with the relaxed 6′ rule.
Would you favor Newton considering a similar approach? Would you be comfortable with somewhat relaxed spacing of students if it could mean the difference between hybrid and normal classes for your child? Now that the ventilation and some amount of in school testing has been addressed, does that change your calculus about required spacing?
My thoughts are that while its definitely good to have a generally agreed upon, easy to communicate, single rule – i.e. “every one should be 6′ apart“, we should always keep in mind that this is not a scientific formula like e = mc*c. It’s a general, non-formulaic best guess based on science. For example, in Europe the rule is “2 meters” rather than “6 feet” – which is 6 inches different.
I would like to see the school department invert their thinking to calculate “what minimum spacing would fit all kids into a given classroom” vs “how many kids can fit with 6′ spacing. With that information in hand, parents, teachers, administrators can then have a more fruitful discussion about the relative tradeoffs. i.e. If it would make the difference between hybrid and normal classes, would you accept 5.5′ spacing? 5′? etc
While you’re thinking about it, here’s a Student Spacing Calculator that will let you try different scenarios
‘But Newton is different………..’
Also, a number of European countries keep 1.5 (instead of 2) meter distance, which is less than 5 foot.
Good questions, Jerry, but first something else.
Putting aside the merits of the Brookline decision for the moment, it’s worth noting the stark contrast in the manner with which public officials there have handled this whole matter of school re-openings compared with the Newton school committee and administration. From the beginning (in the summer) Brookline tapped into the huge reservoir of expertise and experience among the town’s parents and other professionals. They set up four committees to review and make recommendations on the key topics surrounding school openings. Those committees met regularly, in open meetings, to discuss and debate the science and the facts. Those meetings then informed the recommendations of the administration and the discussions and votes of the school committee. For example, the Public Health, Safety and Logistics Members met weekly, over 30 times (!) between June and February. Here’s the membership of that group:
Ms. Lan Dennie, RN, BS, CMAC, Occupational Health Nurse, Fenway Health
Mr. David Gacioch, Partner, McDermott Will & Emery LLP (co-chair)
Dr. Benjamin Linas, Infectious Diseases Physician, Boston Medical Center
Dr. Nira Pollock, Boston Children’s Hospital
Mr. Boris L. Perlovsky, Director, Innovation Strategy. Cambridge Innovation Center
Dr. Serena Rajabiun, Assistant Professor, University of Massachusetts, Lowell
Dr. Vishakha Sabharwal, Pediatrics Infectious Diseases, Boston Medical Center
Dr. Elena Savoia, Deputy Director, Emergency Preparedness Program, Harvard School of Public Health(co-chair)
Dr. Benjamin Sommers, Professor of Health Policy & Economics, Professor of Medicine, Harvard T.H. ChanSchool of Public Health / Brigham & Women’s Hospital
Dr. Lakshman Swamy, Pulmonary/Critical Care physician, Boston Medical Center
Dr. Jenny Tam, Senior Staff Scientist, Wyss Institute, Harvard University
Now, look at Newton’s governance process. They regularly turned down requests from equally eminent doctors and public health experts. Most recently, when over 140 parent-doctors offered their help, the quoted reaction from the chair of the school committee was, “I don’t think we need an outside expert panel.” As if these citizens are “outsiders.” And as if they didn’t need their advice. Brookline proves that they did. It’s one thing for the Mayor to claim, as she did in her recent state of the city address, that the city consulted a few times with a few experts. It’s another thing altogether to recognize the resources that exist in the community and the commitment they are willing to bring to bear to solve an unprecedented problem—and the level of effort required to make thoughtful decisions that can be put into operation in a timely fashion.
There are two ways to handle a crisis. One, characterizing our city, is to hunker down and look inwardly and think you have all the answers. The other is to look outward, tap the good intentions and expertise of your constituents, and make decisions that have a sound basis in science and policy. The shame, in our instance, is that it is the students, families, and teachers that suffer from poor governance. Now, it will now take extra months to remediate the effects of Covid on the academic standing and social and emotional health of our children: Will Newton elected and appointed officials ever begin to look outward and draw in the resources that are available to assist?
Jerry – thanks for sharing this update and raising these questions. Brookline’s openness to think about spacing in a new way resonates with me.
I completely agree with your approach – let’s work from the goal in mind: what criteria, including spacing, do we need to meet to have all students learning in person full time. While it’s a difficult problem with many important considerations to take into account, our guiding north star should be doing what it takes to have all students learning in person as soon as possible.
In parallel, I think teachers should be better prioritized on the vaccination list. Teachers are essential front line workers delivering an invaluable service to our students and it’s upsetting they aren’t part of the current group eligible to get vaccinated.
This is encouraging to see the medical community in Brookline better define the science regarding classroom spacing, particularly as it relates to our youngest students. I hope the recently formed ad hoc medical advisory committee in Newton pursues this same issue, as it has remained the immovable object in returning more kids to the classroom more often.
So many physician residents in Newton have offered their services to help the city navigate these issues. Now that we have decided to empower them to provide that advice, I hope our elected leaders can move forward with science leading the way.
Changing the distancing requirements to three feet may not mean 5 full days in every school. The 3 new elementary schools and Burr have classrooms that are at MSBA space guidelines (900 sf), but classrooms in many schools don’t the same square footage, limiting the numbers of students able to return. Even NNHS classrooms aren’t up to the state guidelines for HS’s except for the science labs. Given this problem, establishing minimum spacing that would fit all kids into a given classroom is somewhat problematic as a citywide decision.
Could more students fit in classrooms than the current policy calls for? Possibly, but remember that 40% of high school parents/students chose to remain remote as it is. Parents’ comfort with new guidelines would need to be assessed in a systematic way before making the change to ensure that students in the DLA or those who choose to remain remote have access to NPS teachers.
It also doesn’t address the issue of staffing. If I may put in my plug one more time for vaccinating teachers/staff who are unable to work in person due to documented medical conditions identified by the CDC, here it is. I have no idea why the State hasn’t figured out that this is the easiest way to ease the staffing issue in schools.
Jane, the Brookline discussion last night focused on elementary schools, where the spacing allowed the conclusion to be reached. They recognize that middle and high schools present other types of problems. In talking with many people around town, I’ve found very few elementary parents who favor remote or hybrid environments. Many are extremely concerned with the amount of screen time expected for little children in the hybrid environment–especially those who have spent years limiting their children’s time on computers.
Question for you and others: Do you think it would be appropriate to open up classes in some Newton elementary schools that have adequate classroom sizes if other Newton elementary schools have some classrooms with insufficient space to allow it? In other words, does the result have to be the same in every elementary school before proceeding with any? I don’t know if that issue will arise, but it would be good to get people’s perspective on that matter just in case.
It’s good to see things moving in the right direction. Unlike Newton, Brookline has also had K in person for a full 5 days a week since September.
Setting aside the folly of trying to have the very youngest grades learn virtually, I’ve raised before whether hybrid models actually provide a safer environment. While class cohorts may originally have been constructed to have kids in smaller groupings with further spacing and exposure to fewer individuals, the reality of many families’ lived experience is different. Some of my friends who haven’t had the option of staying home have had to cobble together arrangements that include sending their children to the Y or JCC’s J-All day program for in-person “wrap-around care” on the days when their kids’ cohorts are virtual. Or they have their kids going to a variety of other private classes with mixed groupings. So, you presently have a situation where a child who might be in, say, cohort A at Zervas who is now mixing with kids from other schools as well as a whole different set of adults on their virtual learning days. This increases exposure and risk for both students and teachers, and is arguably worse from an exposure viewpoint than 5 days a week with the same consistent set of kids and adults.
Let’s think about policies that are both based in science, draw on the accumulated expertise of the many experts at hand, and that are also pragmatic from the point of view of the thousands of families and teachers involved.
It’s great to see such leadership in Brookline. I’ve been saddened by our own city’s lack of leadership on issues like this during the pandemic – it often appears we are playing “catch up” or looking to others for guidance insteading of setting the example for others to follow. To be fair, we have for too long lacked strong state and federal leadership on this issue – but we can’t wait for that.
I’ve been consistently advocating for greater in-person learning opportunities for elementary students, who are among the most vulnerable when it comes to a lack of face-to-face time with teachers. While fear in the face of uncertainty is – at times – understandable, we now have over a year of real-world learnings that strongly suggest there is nothing magically “more safe” about 6-feet, and that relaxing that rule will be essential to bringing kids back into the classroom.
I’m encouraged by Newton’s recent investments in HVAC upgrades and testing (both symptomatic for-cause testing and asymptomatic surveillance testing). And I am heartened to see how well vaccines are performing, to dramatically curtail the risk of developing severe disease and/or hospitalization.
I look forward to hearing more from the Mayor’s office, NPS and the school committee in the coming weeks about Newton’s plan to bring back elementary students this spring. A single cohort, full-time model is great for everyone.
Parents can support teachers by opting-in to both of the testing programs. Teachers can support students by opting-in to getting their vaccine when their turn comes. NPS can support parents by getting the schools open, and also by ensuring close coordination with the independent non-profit after school programs co-located at each elementary school – those educators should have a path to be included in the NPS testing programs, even if paid for by the after-school programs.
I totally agree with Jane Frantz and David Micley that its inexplicable that the state has not given classroom teachers an elevated priority in the vaccine queue.
The state has been making some tweaks as the rollout continues (e.g. they just added asthma as a co-mobidity). Let’s hope they re-visit teachers’ place in the vaccine pecking order soon.
Paul – That’s my essential question, as it’s sure to arise. I’m working from memory of classroom sizes when it wasn’t an essential issue in determining the number of students allowable in a space so please don’t look upon my next comment as factual. As I recall, Ward, Williams, and Countryside classrooms were much smaller than other elementary schools. Before being rebuilt, Angier and Cabot classrooms were 760 sf. but I don’t think any other building is that far off the 900 sf requirement at this point. But the point is, every facility is different.
In every school, each space used for any service (teaching, counseling, testing, etc) currently has the number of allowable people in it posted, and that would need to be recalculated as part of this process. I have no idea how parents would react to the differences in facility capacity or to this change. As we’ve seen at other points during this pandemic, assumptions about these issues are often proven wrong when NPS conducts an actual survey. For example, the number of HS students choosing to remain remote was higher than expected, as was the number of teachers/staff with documented medical conditions.
As for the amount of screen time: I think everyone’s concerned about this issue and how to address it once life returns to some semblance of normal. When my kids were at home, we were very strict about screen time, right through high school. I’m fully sympathetic and concerned.
EE – Unfortunately, the school system can’t control what happens outside of school. Being in school 5 days a week doesn’t prevent families and children from activities and gatherings outside of school that aren’t in compliance with guidelines based on science. As a system, (IMO) NPS has a responsibility to those families whose children have remained in compliance outside of school and many families fall into this category.
I appreciate Jane’s desire to get teachers vaccinated, but let’s be clear about the real problem. The state’s vaccination policy equally affects Brookline teachers, NPS teachers, and private school teachers. Our dismal relative performance has nothing to do with vaccinations. Only half of my son’s high school classes are taught in person. I have spoken with friends who live outside of Newton with high school students. They tell me that all of their children’s classes are taught by teachers in the classroom. This is not a vaccination problem. This is a Newton high school problem.
Yes, absolutely, elementary school kids should be back full-time ASAP.
It boggles my mind that we continue to repeat this mantra of 6 feet of separation despite:
(a) DESE allowing 3-6 feet since summer 2020.
(b) The now director of the CDC, telling the city that 3 feet was OK… again over summer 2020.
(c) Parochial and private schools operating at 3-6 feet… with minimal problems…since fall 2020.
There is nothing magical about 6 feet. COVID does not hit a force field at 6 feet and disappear.
Some will argue – well, we’re just being cautious. Sure. But the harm caused by this caution is so evident: poor learning outcomes for the youngest kids (learning to read and video conferencing don’t mix). And perhaps most ironically, as Env Engineer points out, hybrid school may lead to worse public health outcomes because it leads to more mixing of kids in wrap-around programs etc. Incidentally this very point was made by medical experts in the Boston Globe months ago… and again ignored.
To add to Jeffrey’s point, and Jane’s and Jerry’s, the Brookline action is not based on what percentage of teachers are vaccinated. It is based on the other mitigation measures that have been put in place, so the priority of teachers in the vaccination queue is not the determining factor. But Jane is likely correct that more teachers will feel more comfortable about returning to schools when they are vaccinated.
David Fleishman and others have clearly stated they would approximately double the classrooms at our megaplex HS to accommodate the proper social distancing. The minute you need another classroom, you need another teacher.
Last time I checked there were 54 open NPS positions on Indeed, mostly teachers and paraprofessionals. Teachers are retiring and many new teachers do NOT want to come to Newton because of the way we demonize and treat our teachers (word gets out quick).
So, as Fleishman said, it is a staffing issue. Not bc they won’t bc teachers can’t teach or we don’t have enough.
I agree with Jeffrey that we have a serious high school problem in Newton. I don’t know any other high school teachers that are so organized as our high school teachers in their effort not to go back to in person, your comment is funny Kim
Any discussion in Newton about the distancing should take into account the herculean task of the updating of the ventilation system in the schools, now complete. The CDC emphasizes layers of mitigation including ventilation. The ventilation work had been a key ask of not only the NTA but also of many in the community. Like many, I was upset that this project wasn’t done last summer, but the work is done now and it is done well. Not to revisit all the work of Commissioner Josh Morse, but his team really did an excellent job and the results are impressive. Not just for covid but for fresh air in general, the classrooms are in really good shape ventilation wise, even in older buildings.
There has a been a lot of focus of air changes per hour based on the Healthy Building Report from The Harvard Chan School and one of its authors Joe Allen. https://schools.forhealth.org/risk-reduction-strategies-for-reopening-schools/download/
This report recommends in the era of covid, 4-6 ACH per hour for a classroom of 25 kids in 1000 sq feet. It is important to note that this target is based on tighter density than 6 feet but instead the report says, “three feet of distancing between children is acceptable for normal classroom activities.” and continues in footnotes to say, “Our target air changes per hour (ACH) values (Step 4) are based on classroom default densities as expressed in ASHRAE Standard 62.1-2019 (25 students/1000 sq ft for 5- to 8-year-olds).
In many of the Newton Schools the ACH data is found in the tab ventilation reports or it can be calculated. https://www.newton.k12.ma.us/Page/3804
It would have been nice to have it all in one summary chart but the information is there and it aligns with the recommended results of the Chan study. For example, the Newton South reports clearly have the ACH by classroom (the measure of fresh air plus filtered air) and they all are really high, my daughter’s English class is 8 ACH, her science classroom is 18 ACH! In general, NPS is hitting the ACH with the measured fresh air, but when you factor in the MERV 13 filters being capable of filtering out 85% of Covid particles and returning clean air, the ACH almost doubles. I looked at every one of my kids classrooms at Newton South and did the calculations myself in my own spreadsheet and they match.
So that’s a long-way to say that the ventilation data must be taken into account with each of the other mitigation efforts.
Then when you layer the weekly surveillance testing that now (finally) exists already for teachers and soon for high schoolers on down, Newton Public Schools is in really good shape with almost everything that can be controlled (not withstanding getting teachers vaccinated sooner!)
The new Health Advisory panel assembled by David Fleishman is a step in the right direction and the participation of NTA in the Back to School Committee is promising. Transparency, open meetings or minutes and urgency will be key if the public is to have any trust in the process. I want to say it again, transparency, trust and urgency.
First of all, I would like to agree with Paul’s first comment. I have followed the Brookline’s Expert Advisory Panel 4 Public Health, Safety and Logistics group. Not only do they share a links for each Friday’s meeting so the public can follow, Brookline is very lucky to have a group of dedicated, experts who have volunteered their time since summer to help guide the families and the educators. Another thing I was so impressed by was the openness of the interim Superintendent Marini (formerly of Newton) to host an online meeting with the community within a week or two of the start of his contract in July. Things are still very contentious in Brookline, like everywhere else, but they are not treating the community as if they are not able to understand how complicated everything is. The NPS and the SC has basically isolated themselves from the community. Meanwhile, I look at how far apart students must be by looking at the space itself. Yes, every college requires 6 ft. of spacing between everyone, which is probably more relevant for high school since the ages of the students overlap. But they also look at the size of the room, and the air exchange and determine how many students can be in a room based on this calculation. In some rooms we could have many more students in a classroom 6 ft apart but the calculation does not support that.So, I teach in 1 room where we would routinely have about 25 students in the room and now it is rated for only 10. Also, there are rules about how long a room can be used before it needs to be empty. The classroom I referenced can be used for 75 minutes and then has to be empty and open for 30 minutes. Another space I work in requires 40 minutes of instruction followed by 20 minutes of an empty open room. I wish Newton could have engaged the people who worked so quickly to make it possible for the colleges to open safely. Many have positivity rates have been anywhere from .01-.16 or so. And wouldn’t it be nice to have some of those 117 paraprofessionals NPS did not renew back right now! Leadership from the NPS and the School Committee=F.
From my limited calculations, by the end of March through mid-April there should be sufficient supply to give vaccines to all teachers who want them. However, it would take 45 days for full immunity (wait for second shot, wait for second shot to take hold). That’s the end of the school year. And unless those school teachers who get a vaccine live in the vacuum with no loved ones, I doubt the problem goes away.
I will never understand why more of the elementary schools in Newton couldn’t be back in person, especially for K-3. It will be a failing that will stick with the school system for a long time. But it is done and the damage is done. And it is easy for many of us who are able to work from home to question the decisions of folks who need to work from a school or a retail establishment. The truth is it was a difficult situation, made more difficult by the failings of our infrastructure, our leadership, our teachers union, and our own inability to come together to solve the problem with more resources. Enough blame to spread around.
The next battle is the fall. By the fall most if not all folks who want a vaccine will have one. Every school in Newton should be open full time by the fall. No excuses. No maybes. If the Mayor can’t make that happen, the Mayor should find a new job. Same for the school committee and the city council. Our neighboring communities will be back full time for sure. I’ve given the schools, the city and the teachers the benefit of the doubt during a difficult situation. I can think of no excuse that will satisfy me if my elementary school student is on Zoom next year.
I’ve come to accept that Newton schools are dysfunctional in major ways. And I have hope our community will figure this out. It is an incredibly low bar to clear in my view, absent some new strain of virus.
@Fig
Unfortunately you’re right that next year is the battle. It starts with getting the Ward 1/2 candidates in the upcoming election being on record for next fall. No excuses, do they personally insist that schools should be full-time next fall. No qualifiers, just clarity. Its a yes, or they don’t get a vote. It should be that simple, and we should be insisting on that clarity. Candidates winning or losing on this dimension now, will give urgency for the rest this November. Unfortunately our local politicians need be given this clarity. Its our fault if we don’t prioritize school/COVID policy questions for this election and set the tone.
I appreciate your comment about WFH-quarterbacking on appropriate policy. But the reality is that many of us in Newton are essential workers, particularly in the health care field. For us, its galling to see the teachers yelling from the rooftops about vaccine prioritization as an essential worker, when they’re the only group of essential workers that hasn’t been doing their job in person. Essential workers can’t do their jobs from home– that’s the essence of the designation. The hypocrisy of skirting out of their responsibilities, while relying on so many of us for food, health care and other essentials as we take risks that they’re not willing to do, makes me and others that have been in-person through the pandemic extremely angry.
I love our teachers, believe pay should be higher, but the union leadership and the Mayor/School Committee has failed our community in this time of crisus. Every essential worker held their breath, and still do when they go into work. It sucks. Wish things could be different. But there is reality, and a sense of obligation of serving the community. Its time for teachers to be the essential workers that they are.
Hi Newton neighbors- I co-chair Brookline’s Advisory Panel 4. I happened upon this conversation and just wanted to share with you this detail (including the supporting scientific brief) on Brookline’s reduced physical distancing/increased in-person time plan in case it’s helpful to Newton’s ongoing conversation and work: https://www.brookline.k12.ma.us/site/default.aspx?PageType=3&DomainID=25&ModuleInstanceID=651&ViewID=6446EE88-D30C-497E-9316-3F8874B3E108&RenderLoc=0&FlexDataID=9258&PageID=257. You can find all of our Panel 4 school health and safety work here: https://www.brookline.k12.ma.us/Page/2621 I hope some it can be of help to NPS. Be well.
I need to clarify: I was NOT referring to all teachers being put up in the vaccination queue, and I was certainly not referring to any teacher’s “comfort” level at returning to school. No one in the NPS asked if teachers were “comfortable” when it made its recommendations for reopening. If a teacher is medically able, then s/he is back in the classroom – period.
I reread my initial comment, and I made no mention of all teachers being put up in the queue – just offered one quick and easy way to increase in-person staffing at all levels. My suggestion was NOT that all teachers be put up in the vaccination queue. I suggested that the teachers who are currently medically unable to teach in person, in accordance with CDC guidelines, be vaccinated NOW to increase staffing at all levels. IMO, the rule about needing two comorbidities essentially makes no sense in the case of public school teachers if we want them back in the classroom. One comorbidity, if it’s on the CDC list, is enough to put a person at very high risk and prevent a return to school.
The CDC has a list of medical conditions that identify who’s at high risk for a very serious case of COVID that could lead to hospitalization or death. Teachers who have one of these conditions are/were required to provide medical documentation to ascertain that they in fact had the condition. In normal times, teachers with these medical conditions do their jobs without explanation about their health issues to their students or their parents.
We have a cohort of teachers with medical conditions on the CDC list, and I’m not sure why this comes as a surprise. I have several people in my family on that list who are working remotely.
As for the union, NTA had two issues that it worked very hard to resolve that will make a return to school safer for students and adults: upgrading and repairing the aging ventilation systems and establishing a surveillance testing program. At an NTA General Membership Meeting in September with 1500 teachers and staff in attendance, members voted for the leadership to focus on these two issues (the vote for one was 98% for 99% for the other – an unheard of level of agreement amongst teachers and staff). Thankfully, both issues are now resolved.
Sufficient space will remain a problem in many of the older schools that need to be rebuilt, no matter what the spacing requirements may be. I have no idea how to resolve that issue. Brookline schools are K-8 so returning K-5 students can be in the classrooms typically used for grades 6-8 – probably an estimated 9/10 extra classroom spaces per school. This makes their space issues are far less burdensome.
@Alec – I personally insist that all schools should be full time by the fall.
No qualifiers. This is an absolute goal that needs to be achieved and the city and school leadership should allocate whatever resources are required in terms of time and money, while leveraging the expertise of our medical advisors, to make that happen.
Madeline Ranalli (at-large seat, all wards can vote) is endorsed by the Newton Teachers Association.
This is nice, I like Maddie, she went to school with my older son.
Does anyone know what’s her position on school?
So we have roughly 150 days between now and August 1. At even a reduced rate of 1,000,000 vaccinations a day (we are currently at 1,500,000 a day), we should have over 200,000,000 folks with at least 1 shot by then. We already have 50,000,000 with a first shot by end of February! It wouldn’t be difficult to get to 250,000,000. If folks are willing to be vaccinated (big if!)
This isn’t a huge lift everyone for teachers to come back September 1. They will all have the opportunity to be vaccinated by then. ALL OF THEM. If they choose not to be, that is a personal choice, but it is not an excuse not to show up and teach.
David, this isn’t a “time and money” problem by the fall. It really isn’t. It certainly was for this year, and other school systems did it better. That much is obvious. By the fall, it isn’t a choice. The schools are back.
It is entirely possible some amount of virus will be circulating. We might not have herd immunity by then. I’m fine discussing mask wearing in the schools and social distancing measures if folks still want them in the fall. But absent an outbreak that renders the vaccines moot, school is back. Every teacher and likely every adult will have the ability to be vaccinated by that point. No excuses or maybes or we will have to see. If the NTA and the City don’t understand that, they need to start talking to parents and other communities that do.
I would have a really hard timing advising any of my friends to move to Newton with young kids at this point. Our community is just dysfunctional in so many ways. So is our school system. This seems like a really low bar for a line in the sand, but since it doesn’t seem as obvious to everyone, so be it. School is back full time in September.
It is said but true when Fig says, “I would have a really hard timing advising any of my friends to move to Newton with young kids at this point.” Years ago, when I met people who were moving to the area, I would recommend Newton. For families with kids, I no longer do so. The schools have been incredibly mismanaged. Has anyone ever seen a school committee meeting that delves into whether we can improve our delivery of math, English, or science? We have lost focus. What really sickens me is when elected officials spout, “We have excellent public schools.” Are lying or are they clueless?
What Jeffrey just said, it’s all about social justice now. We have lost focus, very true.
Jeffrey, my experience is that in the past it really depended on the child. If you have a self-starter, with no learning disabilities? They will do well in Newton schools. Will they be challenged? Maybe not so much until high school, and then they will certainly be challenged. My self-starter basically coasted in 5th and 6th grade, and we wished for honor classes in middle school that never were available. No extra work really available for kids in higher level math.
And then the pandemic hit.
If you have a child with learning disabilities? Good luck. And that was BEFORE the pandemic. Schools on the North side don’t get the same resources. I repeat, schools on the north side don’t get the same resources. The school system will fight you on IEPs and 504s, and drag out the process as long as possible. Each meeting takes weeks to arrange. You’ll need to pay for outside testing, and fight for your kids. I’ve got family members in other school districts. Similar issues as my kiddo, except their kid got immediate help, no fight from the school district. Our advocate that we hired just laughs when I said I didn’t think it would be this way in Newton. Too many kids trying to access too few resources. And we were told if we lived in Angier or Zervais, the result would have been different. That conversation alone made me want to scream.
We’ve had some AMAZING life changing teachers in Newton. And we’ve had some ambitious teachers as well, who refused to contradict the school administration, and seemed more like future administrators than present teachers. And we’ve had a LOT of new teachers, with little to no experience. Lovely people, but the idea that new teachers make up for their inexperience with passion for their job is pure bull. They don’t. They learn on your kid’s back. Sometimes that works. Sometimes your kids pay the price. A good school system finds ways to help those new teachers. Our experience? Newton doesn’t.
I ask myself: Is it better in other districts. Yes. Yes it is. Part of that is on all of us. We don’t pay what we used to. The market for teachers has moved beyond Newton. We don’t fund special education. We certainly seem to fund administration positions. I hear that all the time…
I think what this pandemic did is reveal just what our school system is. Overwhelmed. Underfunded. Resistant to change. Crappy buildings. Bloated administration. Strong union at odds with said administration and city. And lots of really involved parents who will supplement their kids educations as needed, so that the cracks don’t easily show.
I’m really at a loss. I love my youngest teacher this year. She is really a terrific teacher. And two days is just not enough. Zoom is POINTLESS for the youngest kids. So I regret not holding her back a year. Preschool is 5 days a week…
This wasn’t meant as a rant. But I keep hearing from folks they “hope” school is back to normal next year. And I keep hearing Newton toot its own horn about said school system. And I say, in my best Princess Bride accusatory old woman voice yelling out to Buttercup: “LIAR!” “LIAR” “LIAR”
Fig – How many times do you have to hear that all teachers who are medically able to are in the buildings NOW? Why do you insist on saying that teachers can “choose” not to teach in person? I don’t get it. Why would any teacher want to continue to work remotely when it takes double/triple the time to get the job done? You’re usually so logical and your information is just inaccurate, yet you’ve repeated it a number of times.
Obviously once everyone’s vaccinated, all teachers will teach in person. That’s the point of getting the vaccination! To get life back to normal. If I were a parent with kids in the system, I’d be calling the governor’s office and demanding that teachers with one CDC-identified comorbidity get vaccinated NOW. The number is (617) 725-4005. Call him, please. Monday morning. I’ve called a number of times, but my pleas have fallen on deaf ears.
Totally agree with all of you. I am reposting this here – I did on another thread but just in case you didn’t see it. I sent this to the Mayor after the “State of the City” address.
—————————–
Dear Mayor Fuller,
Thank you for the recent update to the State of the City. As a parent of 2 high school students, I have attended every school committee meeting since this past spring as well as many City Council meetings with HHS, Facilities and Finance. I have closely followed all the school opening plans, testing plans and ventilation updates. Much progress has been made but Newton must do more for our children.
In your recent State of the City email, you state: “For me, reopening our schools full-time is an urgent priority. I will do everything I can from City Hall to not just open fully in September but also to help students this spring who want to be in person more. As weekly surveillance testing rolls out in a few weeks, our ventilation upgrades in school buildings finish up, and our educators and staff get vaccinated, we will have all the key ingredients in place for more in-person teaching and learning.”
I implore you to be a leader to make this priority a reality. Having ingredients is one thing, but in order to put them together and make the proverbial recipe, you need to set deadlines based on science metrics. What % of testing results will be sufficient to bring in more kids? If a teacher is vaccinated, will they still have a remote accommodation? If students are tested and ventilation is good, can the 6ft distancing be relaxed and more students can go to school more often?
Instead, it seems that the ingredients list for getting all of our kids back to school full-time is ever-changing. Last summer it was equity of offerings so remote was the result, then it was ventilation, then it was surveillance testing, now it is vaccines – when will the ingredient list be complete?
In order to have a sense of urgency, it needs to be communicated regularly and in partnership with Superintendent Fleishman and whomever is ready to be a real leader in school openings from Health and Human Services. I have been dismayed that HHS Commissioner Youngblood has only attended one School Committee meeting since September and is arguably defensive and evasive at City Council meetings. In the #1 public health crisis in a generation, her absence from both school committee meetings and regular communication to the parent community is inexcusable. The new Schools Health Advisory Committee is a good start but, in the end, who will own the health decision to get more kids back in school?
So much of the recipe for back to school is going well but no one is telling the science facts to the public. I heard the METCO Director Gilbert-Smith at the School Committee meeting on Monday say that there have been zero cases from transmission on the buses, that’s amazing! Last week NPS tested 622 teachers and had 0 positives, that too is amazing! These results need to be shared so people can understand that in-school rates are dramatically lower or non-existent compared to the community. Where is this level of communication from the City?
I just read this NY Times article about the Rhode Island Schools staying open, it is coming out in print on Sunday. This article talks of Governor Raimondo and her clear leadership that opening the schools is a chief priority. “Every day that a child is out of school,” she (Raimondo) said, “is a problem for that child.” She shook her head slowly as she spoke. As bad as the numbers were in Rhode Island, she was about to bear down on a conviction she had held since the spring: Schools must remain open for in-person learning.”
https://www.nytimes.com/2021/02/10/magazine/school-reopenings-rhode-island.html
Although you wrote that reopening schools is an urgent priority in your newsletter, the message was buried in a very long email. Schools do not appear to be front and center, there has not been one stand-alone email from your office about getting our kids back in school. Perhaps the perspective is changing but, on every turn since last summer, from hybrid planning and ventilation to testing or medical advisory board, there has never appeared to be any sense of urgency from the Newton Mayor’s office or from Health and Human Services. I hope this is now changing.
The NY Times article continues to speak of the clear, regular partnership among the RI schools, their governor and health department, “Raimondo …. made it clear, in almost every public appearance she made, that opening the schools was one of her chief priorities as governor. Starting in July, she had the state’s education commissioner, Angélica Infante-Green, join her at her Covid briefings. Also in attendance: Nicole Alexander-Scott, the health commissioner, who had spoken at those briefings since March. At most of the appearances, those three women — all of them mothers of children under 15, two of them women of color — reiterated their commitment to open the schools and their belief that they could open them with adequate safety precautions. “The people leading my response are all mothers,” Raimondo said. “I know that’s affected me.” Working mothers, she said, often urged her to stay strong on schools. The confidence they projected, and the information they provided, offered strong counterprogramming to any campaign teachers’ unions might have wanted to wage in favor of school closings….”
As an outside observer, I do not see this level of communication, partnership and coordination in Newton among the Mayor’s Office, NPS and the Health and Human Services that Raimondo demonstrated. But it can be done with leadership. I truly hope that Newton will do better and sooner with a return to full-time schooling and get more kids back in school this spring. As you say, the ingredients are ready to go. Please make this “urgent priority” a reality baked with science and deadlines.
Sincerely,
Liz Padula, Auburndale
Parent of Newton South students, 10th & 12th grade
Former Brown Middle School PTO Co-President and 8 years Creative Arts & Sciences Chair, Williams School
While we all appreciate the importance of vaccinations and hope that as many teachers as possible have access to those shots as soon as possible, let’s not neglect the message from Jerry’s initial post–that the experts advising the Brookline Public Schools have recommended a return to full elementary school class schedules NOW, based on the mitigating factors that have already been adopted in the schools. To the extent teachers (and parents and others) are vaccinated, the situation will only improve, but an increase in the vaccinated population is not a precondition of the recommendation by the BPS scientists and doctors and public health experts.
Hi Jane:
I think you and I aren’t on the same page as to the choice I’m mentioning, at least in these posts. I’m saying there is no “choice” for the fall. I guess you could say that means I feel that this is a choice for now, but really, my focus was on the fall. Please go back and read my posts and see if you disagree.
As for your point:
“How many times do you have to hear that all teachers who are medically able to are in the buildings NOW? Why do you insist on saying that teachers can “choose” not to teach in person? I don’t get it. Why would any teacher want to continue to work remotely when it takes double/triple the time to get the job done? You’re usually so logical and your information is just inaccurate, yet you’ve repeated it a number of times.”
I’m not sure how to square that with the idea that K-3 is expanding to 5 days a week in April (at least I think I’ve been told that). What has changed? Or that many school districts have had K-3 full time throughout the last year. Why not us?
Your statement could be true for high school or middle school, but for elementary school, I don’t think the school system has done enough. And much of it was a choice, to protect teachers in our jurisdiction and their families, over opening schools in person. I understand that choice. I didn’t push for us to be Rhode Island. I did push for us to be Brookline though. Or Needham. Why couldn’t we have figured that out?
As for teachers “choosing” not to teach, I don’t believe if every teacher is vaccinated that alone would be the return to school some folks believe. It would need to be a broader vaccination, so that more of their spouses and other loved ones are covered. I get that. Hence why I think this school year is lost. But “everyone” won’t be vaccinated by the fall. I doubt kids below 18 will be vaccinated. I doubt we will convince anti-vaxxers to do it by August either. I doubt most 20 year olds will do it. None of that matters to me. If the Federal Government and MA do what we think they will, every adult will have *access* to a vaccine by August. And hence there is no choice but to open the schools September, full time.
Paul, I certainly understand BPS and the science. I also am trying to be practical. I’ll be thrilled if they come back this year. But I’m already hearing talk about a delayed start to next year. A wait for “herd immunity”. A worry about variants. A wait and see attitude.
I’m happy for others to fight for a return this year. I’m just pointing out how much progress will be made in the next few months, and how much will change between now and September.
Fig, there’s clearly uncertainty, but absent a big surprise, the general scene should be better by fall. I think you and I are agreeing that it’s best to plan for a full return by then, with proper contingency planning just in case it’s not possible. But whether fall for everybody and/or spring for elementary school, it won’t happen unless there is a concerted effort to make it so. Liz Padula, in my view, is right on target about what it takes to make that happen: coordinated leadership and a commitment from the mayor, the superintendent, the school committee, and the NTA. All combined with a good dose of communication with the families and teachers, responsiveness to their legitimate concerns and questions, and based on the best possible scientific advice from the marvelous corps of doctors and other experts who have volunteered their time and effort.
There’s nothing about all that that is beyond reach for our community. There’s nothing about that that should not be expected in our community.
Thanks Paul, good summary. And frankly, agree with folks here that the goal is full-time by fall, and for my senior, hopefully before she graduates!
The new Health Advisory organized by the Superintendent should be transparent with regular, frequent meeting minutes and community updates. The High School Working Group did a good job of that, a barebones website and updates every week. They established credibility because they “showed their work” in the process.
Hopefully this all will happen sooner than later with the back to school plan, if it really is an “urgent priority.”
@Paul
The idea that the 501Y.V2 variant becomes predominant and is ultimately found to have inadequate coverage with the existing vaccines and needs a modified booster for coverage is a plausible, albeit not likely scenario (hopefully). That could clearly impact the fall if vaccinations are a prerequisite.
If COVID has taught us anything is to not be complacent and assume success. Getting ahead of the curve before the next crisis is precisely what we’ve been missing.
Fig- Thanks for the reply. A few notes on separate topics:
1. Teachers were permitted to teach remotely for the first 45 days of school if they lived with a family member who was in a high risk category. The household exemption was dropped at that point, and only the teachers themselves are eligible for remote teaching for medical reasons.
2. Space will be severely lacking, and a major gating item, in many Newton elementary schools until we no longer have social distancing regulations. Brookline is a K-8 system so each building has classroom spaces for nine grades rather than just six. Bringing K-5 back into a K-8 building is doable because they have extra classrooms to space out students. I’m pretty sure Needham has replaced all of their old buildings (something like 14 DE overrides to replace aging infrastructure vs 3 for Newton). I’d want to see how the space issues impact school capacity in the various districts.
3. Whatever reopening plan the district adopts is completely out of the hands of the teachers, as it should be. That’s a central administration/school committee decision. Why did it play out as it did? A lot of bad luck, a lot of crummy infrastructure, a school district that’s larger and more complex than comparable communities. The one thing I do know is that the constant barrage of anger directed at teachers and the assumption that teachers have a choice, when the larger issue is that teachers don’t have a voice in any of this, has been devastating to the system.
4. I agree that schools should reopen full-time in September. Frankly, what’s going on for teachers this year is unsustainable and I can’t imagine doing another year like this one.
Someone asked if teachers can go back once they’re vaccinated. If a teacher has a class of students who will remain in the remote arm, that class still needs the teacher. How that will affect elementary classes when more students return isn’t clear to me.
As I understand it, the ventilation systems and the testing program are good to go. All good news in terms of large-scale building safety concerns. I happen to be very part-time at this point, teach as part of a team, have my vaccination appointment set up, and look forward to returning to school as soon as I’m set free.
@Jane – your point that Brookline can go back full time K-5 because they can use the 6-8 space doesn’t make sense. 6-8 is still hybrid and will presumably be using their space.
NPS should do the math on classroom capacity at 3, 4 and 5 feet. This isn’t hard.
Fig and others touched on some good points. This crisis has really unveiled what is behind the curtain and it isn’t pretty. This was managed poorly from the get go. There was an initial lack of stakeholder involvement in plans and transparency. Not evaluating return to learn plans in terms of what the roadblocks would be and how to address those. The unwillingness to bring in experts for advice. Some touched on Belmont Hill. Yes the private schools are smaller but their methodology was flawless. Addressed HVAC in the summer, used experts to advise on spacing & logistics, implemented testing, and their ultimate top priority was the students Also Brookline’s approach of expert committees that met regularly and were incredibly transparent. To me the biggest problem for us has been the approach and the decision making.
I agree with others that I would not recommend moving to Newton for the schools. Their focus is on appearance not substance. There are some great teachers but the focus by the decision makers is off. They have gotten away from differentiation in educating our students under the name of equity. The system is not striving to bring out the best in each learner but is instead lowering the bar. That does but do any learners, any favors particularly those struggling. Make it appear that all are succeeding when no one is truly getting what they need.