Gov says ‘it’s time’
But teachers union prez says that’s ‘callous’
State want kids back in classrooms full-time by spring
The state’s top teachers union blasted Gov. Charlie Baker and state education officials for announcing “it’s time” to phase out virtual and hybrid learning and return students to classrooms full-time five days a week by the spring.
Massachusetts Teachers Association President Merrie Najimy called the marching orders “callous,” adding it “rides roughshod over the rights and interests of local communities.”
But Baker said during a press conference at the State House on Tuesday that “it’s time to set our sights on eliminating remote learning,” and that elementary school students should return on April 1.
Nearly a year into the pandemic, 20% of Massachusetts’ public school districts — about 400,000 students — remain fully remote, Baker said.
“Many districts have worked hard to create strong learning experiences for students, but I think we all agree: There’s no substitute for in-person learning, especially for kids in elementary school,” Baker said.
Commissioner Jeff Riley earlier on Tuesday told members of the Board of Elementary and Secondary Education the state needs to take hybrid and remote learning “off the table.”
Riley, who has long advocated to bring students back in-person, said he plans to ask the Board of Elementary and Secondary Education in March to give him the authority to phase out hybrid and remote school models and determine when they no longer count for learning hours.
Najimy pushed back in a statement Tuesday night.
“Governor Charlie Baker and Education Commissioner Jeffrey Riley should go back to the drawing board. This time they must actually talk to the educators, educators’ unions, parents, school committee members and other community leaders most impacted by their surprise and unwelcome announcement, which seems timed largely to distract public attention from the administration’s failed vaccine rollout,” she said.
As health metrics improve across the state and coronavirus case numbers fall, Riley said he wants to begin a “phased approach to returning students into the classrooms, working closely with state health officials and medical experts.”
Coronavirus numbers have started to trend in a positive direction as the state continues its vaccination efforts. So far about 1 million residents have received at least one vaccine dose and the Baker administration has launched an extensive pooled testing effort it says can help classrooms catch infections early.
Public schools across the state closed last March as the pandemic took hold, with most reopening on a hybrid basis where students split their time learning inperson and remotely.
Jessica Tang, president of the Boston Teachers Union, said she was surprised and disappointed that the directive didn’t come with an announcement to vaccinate teachers.
“I think the frustration has been that it’s fine to have guidance and recommendations and aspirations, but how specifically is the state helping to actually help to ensure the conditions are met,” Tang said.