Greenfield teachers’ union disappointed in lack of school reopening plan
Greenfield High School’s main entrance. Staff Photo/Paul Franz
Published: 3/17/2021 5:09:59 PM
GREENFIELD The president of the Greenfield School Department’s teachers’ union says staff and families are still waiting for a reopening plan from administrators.
According to Paul DeMarco, a field representative with the Massachusetts Teachers Association in Holyoke, despite attempts by the Greenfield Education Association to negotiate an agreement with the School Committee for the April 5 return to full in-person learning for elementary students, educators said the district remains unprepared.
“We’re 100 percent focused on a safe return to school for our kids, so it’s incredibly disappointing that the School Committee still has no plan, not even a draft plan,” Greenfield Education Association President Ann Valentine said. “They sent us an email claiming that ‘site-based teams with teacher
Learning models stir debate over state, local control for Massachusetts K-12 schools masslive.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from masslive.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
By COLLIN BINKLEY AP Education Writer
BOSTON New evidence that it may be safe for schools to seat students 3 feet apart half of the previous recommended distance could offer a way to return more of the nation s children to classrooms with limited space.
Even as more teachers receive vaccinations against COVID-19, social distancing guidelines have remained a major hurdle for districts across the U.S. Debate around the issue flared last week when a study suggested that masked students can be seated as close as 3 feet apart with no increased risk to them or teachers.
Published in the journal Clinical Infectious Diseases, the research looked at schools in Massachusetts, which has backed the 3-foot guideline for months. Illinois and Indiana are also allowing 3 feet of distance, and other states such as Oregon are considering doing the same.
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Source: AP Photo/Rick Bowmer
This is a family-friendly website, so I have to be careful about how I manifest my contempt for selfish adults who continue to stand in the way of children returning to classrooms, where they belong. All across the country, millions of students have been safely attending in-person classes for months on end. The science overwhelmingly shows that open schools do not pose a public health risk to communities. Public health experts who have performed the research on this matter are not only begging political leaders to get schools fully open immediately, they are repeatedly sounding the alarm about the awful toll that failed virtual learning and social isolation are exacting on America s kids. This isn t a close call.
Schools consider letting students sit closer together, cutting 6-foot rule in half pennlive.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from pennlive.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.