On Aug. 6 at 7 p.m., Watertown Public School officials will present their recommendation for how to reopen the public schools in the fall. They will choose between three options: in-person, remotely or a hybrid of both.
The School Committee delayed the decision on which option to use from Monday to Thursday. The meeting will be held online, with option to join by Zoom, phone, or watch on cable.
Superintendent Dede Galdston will present the preferred option, which will be followed by time for the School Committee to ask questions. Then the public will have an opportunity to ask questions and comment. Finally, the School Committee will vote to approve and option.
This week, the Watertown Educators Association, the teachers union, was one of 30 unions to sign a letter calling for schools to open in the fall using only remote learning options. The letter sites health and safety concerns surrounding COVID-19 as the reason for calling for remote learning this fall.
Last week, School officials discussed the three reopening options. They noted that even with the in-person option, students would not be attending school for a full day, and that option is not possible at Watertown High School due to the state’s COVID-19 social distancing requirements. Most students would attend school for four hours in the morning and then have remote lessons in the afternoon.
The remote option would be similar to the spring, but Galdston said lessons would be more substantial, with more time with teachers and grades would be given.
In the hybrid option, students would attend school on alternating days, one group Mondays, Wednesdays and every other Friday, and the second group Tuesdays, Thursdays and the alternating Fridays from the first group. At WHS, students would not attend school on Fridays, but would have time to speak to teachers remotely during office hours.
On the in-school days under the hybrid option, students would focus on the core classes, such as English, math, social studies and science. The other days students would have remote learning, where they would focus on special subject, world language and electives.
The School Committee meeting begins at 7 p.m. on Thursday. After the reopening plan decision, there will be an update on the elementary and high school building projects.
Join by Zoom at: https://watertown-k12-maus.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_tUi8KbkdT5Ww99t0CU0ZNQ, or by phone at: 617-581-703
The meeting will be broadcast by Watertown Cable Access (Channel 8 – Comcast, Channel 15 –RCN) or online at https://wcatv.org/
Remote learning is not a viable or recommended option for all levels of learning and skill sets. The teachers should know this and support some sort of a hybrid plan. Many kids will fall further behind without that in person, structured setting of a classroom.
I agree, Fred.
What I would like to know is the science behind it all.
I keep reading that youth are not at much risk for getting Covid-19 and that even if they get it the risk of serious illness or complications are rare.
So why not just go back to school the regular way? What does the science say?
If minors are not as real risk, why all the precautions?
I just do not understand.
Teachers, I am sure, would prefer in-person teaching. But are you really asking them to risk their lives and health for it? The science is changing and not yet well defined (hard to measure when children have not been in school since March). Are we going to use the schools as an experiment?
There have been lots of outbreaks in camps and in schools that have already opened. Massachusetts rate is going up. There is no testing plan for the kids in the schools and only a voluntary one for the teachers. And no plan for when a child or an adult tests positive. Or when a child or an adult has been exposed outside of the school. Is there a good contact tracing program in place?
https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.forbes.com/sites/williamhaseltine/2020/07/31/new-evidence-suggests-young-children-spread-covid-19-more-efficiently-than-adults/amp/
This article explains that although children may not suffer as greatly from the virus and are more likely to recover, they spread the virus more effectively. All of these kids will be bringing the virus home to their families and spreading it through the entire community.
I want fully remote learning for my kids. I want to have this optin. Thanks.
The obvious and easy decision with the schools is first to cancel Fall sports. That is where the kids have way too much close contact and that is where it is very likely for kids to get sick and spread the virus throughout the community.
With the schools it does seem like if the schools take the right steps that they should be able to open. Keeping students 6 feet apart, wearing masks when moving around the schools, having plenty of hand sanitizer stations in the hallways, and wiping down surfaces throughout the day should help to control the virus. Temp checks when students enter buildings also.
There is definitely a big push by the Teachers Union through social media to not go back. Most parents I know think that with the right protocols in place the kids should go back. If the SC decides on remote learning then it makes sense that teachers still show up at the schools in teach from their classrooms via zoom. If they do decide on remote learning then I hope our Town Manager and Council consider laying off any staff member that is not working, working far less or needed during remote learning. That would include classroom aides, library, gym teachers, art teachers, guidance, SPED staff, and more. It really seems that many got a long paid vacation in the Spring at the towns expense.
There seems to be no end in sight with this virus and maybe the best thing for all of us to do is adapt to the many changes we need to make to learn to live with this virus.
I already know they are choosing remote they have not made any effort to prepare the schools for in person. They took the easy way out!
I believe the biggest issue is keeping teacher and staff safe. Last I heard 25% of teachers are at risk. Age, alone with health issues create dangerous conditions for these people. They get COVID they have a higher rate of death or serious sickness.