LYNN — A day after Superintendent Dr. Patrick Tutwiler announced the school year will start remotely for the majority of students this fall, district families had a chance to weigh in with their questions and concerns.
The plan includes in-person learning for certain groups of students, and allows for the potential of a shift to a hybrid learning model — a mix of in-person and remote instruction — later in the school year if health metrics improve.
Community members were given a chance to provide their feedback through a chat feature that was included in a virtual town hall that was streamed live on Tutwiler’s YouTube channel Thursday night.
The community town hall was initially scheduled to be focused on the health and safety aspects of reopening schools this fall, but with the Lynn Public Schools opting for a mostly remote learning model, Tutwiler said he was instead seeking feedback around why that plan was chosen.
Parents who participated were concerned about the difficulties a remote learning scenario would create for working families with young children and whether there would be enough time for students and parents to get familiar with the new online instruction system before the start of the school year.
“Our planning has been done with family needs front of mind, but I want to acknowledge this is the least family-friendly model, especially for those with young children,” said Tutwiler. “But I can also say nothing exceeds staff and student safety.”
Tutwiler said he “agonized” over his plan to start the school year remotely, but said it became clear to him that the state was trending in a concerning direction, in terms of the recent spike in coronavirus cases. Lynn has been hit particularly hard, Tutwiler said, noting that its positive test rate is among the highest in the state.
“I’m fully aware of the challenge of having young children at home and having to go to work,” said Tutwiler. “That’s part of what makes this proposal so hard. I needed to make a decision now based on what we know. This is the safest option. I know it’s an inconvenience and I apologize for that, but I don’t apologize for doing what’s safest for students and staff.”
Other community members raised concerns about what safety measures were being taken to accommodate special education students who cannot wear masks, as they are one of the groups who will be returning for in-person instruction in the fall under the district’s reopening plan.
Under Tutwiler’s plan, approved by the School Committee Wednesday night, certain groups, including special education students in self-contained classrooms, English Language Learners and students who attend Fecteau-Leary Junior/Senior High School, the district’s alternative school, will receive in-person instruction.
One participant questioned why the school district had not opted to do remote learning for all students, if the decision was made based on health and safety concerns.
Tutwiler said self-contained classrooms for special education students are typically smaller, in terms of class size, which allows for more physical distancing.
In addition, he said it is difficult for certain groups of students to learn remotely, citing data that showed special education students regressed the most from March to June, when school districts were forced to shift to remote learning.
Offering in-person instruction to those groups of students is a matter of equity, Tutwiler said, as remote learning does not work for them. However, if parents don’t feel safe sending their child back to school, they can choose the remote learning option, he said.
In terms of getting students and parents familiar with the district’s new learning management system, which will be used for online instruction, Tutwiler said he has recommended an in-person orientation period for students before the start of the school year.
A limited number of students would be invited to take part each day of the 5-day orientation period, which Tutwiler said would be no more than 20 percent of each school’s enrollment.
“We’re envisioning a robust, onboarding (period),” said Tutwiler.
Tutwiler plans to hold similar community sessions each week, with another one scheduled for Monday at 6 p.m., which will be focused on teaching and learning. One of the upcoming sessions will be dedicated to families with special education students.
