DESE denies Boston's Curley K-8 School's remote learning waiver request after COVID-19 spike

AND THE STATE EDUCAONTI COMMISSIONER IS SAYING THE SCHOOL CLOSED WITHOUT APPROPRIATELY CONSULTING .A STATE HE’S ALSO SAYING THAT H IS ASKING IF OTHER STEPS COULD HAVE BEEN TAKEN SO THIS DIDN’T GET OUT OF CONTROL. ALICE BOOKMAN IS A PARENT WHO SAYS THE CURLY SCHOOL MADE THE RIGHT CALL BY SHUTTING DOWN AMID A COVID OUTBREAK. I THINK THE SCHOOL DIDHE T RIGHT THING AND CALLING CALLING IT AND SAYING WE CAN’T MANAGE THIS SAFELY ANYMORE BOSTON PUBCLI HEALTH OFFICIALS RECOMMENDED THE 10-DAY SHUTDOWN BECAUSE OF COVID-19 CASES IN NEARLY FOUR DOZEN STUDENTS AND STAFF NOW THE STATE IS ONLY APPROVING FOUR OF THOSE DAYS FOR REMOTE LEARN. THINK IT’S DISAPPOINTING. I TNKHI THE TEACHERS ARERY TING REALLY HARD TO MAKE SURE THAT TH E KIDS ARE GETTINGETTING G LEARNING THE STATE EDUCATION COMMISSIONER SAYS I AM PARTICULARLY CONCERNED THAT REMOTE LEARNING WILL NOT FULLY MEET THE ACADEMIC AND SOCIAL EMOTIONAL NEEDS OF OUR STUDENTS. HE CRITICIZED THE DECISION TO CLOSE SAYING WE ARE LEFT TO WONDER IF THE WHOLE SCOLHO YOU’RE AT THE CURLY COULD HAVE BEEN AVOIDED IF PROGRESSIVE INTERVENTIONS RECOMMENDED BY DESI WERE IMPLEMENTED LAST WKEE SUCH AS QUARANTINING INDIVUAIDL CLASSROOMS OR GRADE LEVELS. HE WANTSHE T SCHOOL TO REOPEN SOON. I’M GRATEFUL TTHA THEY GAVE US FOUR DAYS IF MY KIDS HAVE TO BE IN SCHOOLOR F AN EXTRAIX S DAYS, YOU KNOW, WE’LL WE’LL LIVE WITH THAT BUT I WOULD HATE TO SEE IT AS A PUNISHMENT TO OUR SCHLOO ADMINISTRATORS FOR DOING WHAT THEY REALLY FELT LIKE WAS THE RIGHT THING TO DO. BOSTON PUBLIC SCHOOLS SAY THEY’RE LOOKING AT THEIR OPTIONS ADDING WE WILL MAKE A DECISION. PARTNERSHIP WITHHE T BOSTON PUBLIC HEALTH COMMISSION ALWAYS WITH THE TOP PRIORITY OF KEEPING OUR STUDENTS STAFF FAMILIES AND BOSTON COMMUNITY HEALTHY AND SAFE. THE STATE EDUCATION COMMISSIONER SAYS THIS WAIVER ESSEIANTLLY GIVES THE SCHOOL. TIME TO SET UP A CONTACT TRACING PROGRAM AND A TESTING PROGRAM BY THIS COMING SUNDAY. WE'R’ L

The Department of Elementary and Secondary Education has denied a waiver request filed by a Boston school after it made the decision to close to in-person learning after a spike of COVID-19 cases. The Curley K-8 School in Boston's Jamaica Plain neighborhood said on Tuesday it would close for 10 days, which includes seven school days, from Nov. 10 and reopen Nov. 22.During a virtual community hearing Tuesday, Boston Public Schools Superintendent Brenda Cassellius said that since Oct. 22, there have been nearly four dozen confirmed COVID-19 cases among Curley's students and staff across 21 classrooms in the school.On Friday, DESE announced it had denied Curley's full waiver request, saying, "in the case of the Curley, a decision to close took place without appropriate consultation with DESE.""I am particularly concerned that remote learning will not fully meet the academic and social emotional needs of our students, especially students with disabilities, English learners, and other vulnerable students," DESE Commissioner Jeffrey Riley said in his denial. DESE did, however, say it would allow Curley four days to get a reentry plan in place, including the following steps: Complete contact tracing efforts at the Curley to identify true close contactsCreate an appropriate plan for these close contacts in accordance with DESE and Department of Public Health protocolsSet up a testing program beginning Nov. 14 to prepare for reentry"This limited waiver of four school days will allow remote learning at the Curley provided on Wednesday, Nov. 10; Friday, Nov. 12; Monday, Nov. 15; and Tuesday, Nov. 16 to count towards the required 180 days of structured learning time," Riley's letter said."This morning, we received the Commissioner’s response to partially approve the request for remote learning and are reviewing our options and next steps on his request to return students sooner than the 10 days the Boston Public Health Commission advised. We will make a decision in partnership with the Boston Public Health Commission, always with the top priority of keeping our students, staff, families and Boston community healthy and safe," the district said in statement.Massachusetts state officials said in the spring that remote learning would no longer count toward required learning hours unless a waiver is granted. Any remote school days not granted by a waiver must be made up by students and teachers and the end of the year, similar to snow days.

The Department of Elementary and Secondary Education has denied a waiver request filed by a Boston school after it made the decision to close to in-person learning after a spike of COVID-19 cases.

The Curley K-8 School in Boston's Jamaica Plain neighborhood said on Tuesday it would close for 10 days, which includes seven school days, from Nov. 10 and reopen Nov. 22.

During a virtual community hearing Tuesday, Boston Public Schools Superintendent Brenda Cassellius said that since Oct. 22, there have been nearly four dozen confirmed COVID-19 cases among Curley's students and staff across 21 classrooms in the school.

On Friday, DESE announced it had denied Curley's full waiver request, saying, "in the case of the Curley, a decision to close took place without appropriate consultation with DESE."

"I am particularly concerned that remote learning will not fully meet the academic and social emotional needs of our students, especially students with disabilities, English learners, and other vulnerable students," DESE Commissioner Jeffrey Riley said in his denial.

DESE did, however, say it would allow Curley four days to get a reentry plan in place, including the following steps:

Complete contact tracing efforts at the Curley to identify true close contacts
Create an appropriate plan for these close contacts in accordance with DESE and Department of Public Health protocols
Set up a testing program beginning Nov. 14 to prepare for reentry

"This limited waiver of four school days will allow remote learning at the Curley provided on Wednesday, Nov. 10; Friday, Nov. 12; Monday, Nov. 15; and Tuesday, Nov. 16 to count towards the required 180 days of structured learning time," Riley's letter said.

"This morning, we received the Commissioner’s response to partially approve the request for remote learning and are reviewing our options and next steps on his request to return students sooner than the 10 days the Boston Public Health Commission advised. We will make a decision in partnership with the Boston Public Health Commission, always with the top priority of keeping our students, staff, families and Boston community healthy and safe," the district said in statement.

Massachusetts state officials said in the spring that remote learning would no longer count toward required learning hours unless a waiver is granted. Any remote school days not granted by a waiver must be made up by students and teachers and the end of the year, similar to snow days.

DESE denies Boston's Curley K-8 School's remote learning waiver request after COVID-19 spike

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