Massachusetts education officials and the state’s three largest teachers unions have reached a tentative deal that calls for delaying the reopening of school this fall by up two weeks so districts can have more time to prepare — and students would not have to make up the lost learning time, union officials confirmed on Monday.
Under the deal, districts could use the first 10 days of the school year to provide teachers and staff with time to redesign classroom lessons, learn techniques to help students overcome trauma they may have experienced during the pandemic, and to learn an array of new safety and health protocols developed to keep students safe from the coronavirus.
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The latest school could be delayed is Sept. 16 However, districts could seek approval from the state to begin classes later than that. Districts typically start the school year just before or after Labor Day.
The idea is to be more thoughtful about reinventing education this fall rather than the scramble that occured in March after Governor Charlie Baker abruptly closed schools statewide as part of a concerted effort to halt the spread of the coronavirus.
“We had 24 hours from the time the governor closed schools to begin what I called crisis learning,” said Merrie Najimy, president of the Massachusetts Teachers Association. “We now have 10 days to redesign COVID learning to connect educators and students with one another. It’s exciting.”
Union officials and state Education Commissioner Jeffrey Riley, who have been negotiating a number of proposals since early this month, reached a verbal agreement on Friday and then union leaders signed a memorandum of understanding — drafted by state education officials — on Monday, union officials said.
A spokeswoman for Riley said Monday evening the commissioner has not signed it yet.
The reopening of school is expected to be unlike any other ever before. Students will have to wear masks, keep at least 3 feet of physical distancing between one another, and most likely eat breakfasts and lunches in their classrooms. Music classess will largely be banished to outdoors — the only place where students can sing and play musical instruments, although they will have to maintain at least 10 feet of social distancing.
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And students will likely see only half of their classmates at most, as districts including Boston and Lexington have signaled they will rotate their studetns in groups between in-classroom and remote learning from home.
James Vaznis can be reached at james.vaznis@globe.com. Follow him on Twitter @globevaznis.
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For many Massachusetts districts, school year might start 2 weeks late - The Boston Globe
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