Hello Heath School Households,
Here is a summary of the latest meeting of the Brookline School Committee's Ad Hoc Remote Learning Task Force on August 21:
Reopening Plan Updates - At the August 20 School Committee meeting, the PSB Central Administration presented reopening updates. One notable update is that for those who choose to enroll in the Remote Learning Academy (RLA; learning model Option 1: Remote Only), the commitment was originally for a full semester (till the end of December), but is now only through the first quarter (the exact date is TBD, but is usually around mid November). The PSB Central Administration is asking all families to choose a learning model option by Monday 8/24 (Option 1: Remote Only or Option 2: School-Based Learning). Understanding how many students will be in each learning model is critical for the administration to plan the staffing and many other aspects of the fall reopening. More information, including the August 20 presentation slides, the full PSB Reopening Blueprint, instructions on completing the reopening form, and a new frequently asked questions webpage are all linked from the PSB School Reopening webpage (https://www.brookline.k12.ma.us/reopen).
Ongoing Discussions on Remote Schooling Concerns - We engaged in a wide-ranging discussion of ongoing concerns around remote schooling. For students who opt for the Option 1: Remote Only learning model (the Remote Learning Academy), a common concern was about how to build a community among those students, and how to maintain connections to their neighborhood school. For students who opt for the Option 2: School-Based Learning model, a common concern was the challenge for teachers who will have to plan and deliver both in-person and remote instruction for multiple cohorts of students, including for individual students that will inevitably need to quarantine at home as needed for health and safety. Another concern was that students with IEPs may need to have an inclusion plan that distinguishes the accommodations necessary when that student is learning remotely versus when they are learning in person. The central administration appreciates and values all the feedback it is receiving to highlight these concerns, and many people at all levels of the school district are working tirelessly to design solutions that address them.
The next meeting of the Task Force is scheduled for August 28. See the Town calendar for upcoming School Committee meetings. You are encouraged to listen in and submit comments or questions.
As always, if you have a perspective that would be relevant to the Task Force, please do reach out to me by email (esilk@me.com) to share your thoughts.
Sincerely,
Eli Silk, Heath School Parent Representative
