LYNNFIELD — The Lynnfield Public School district is recommending a hybrid learning model with a remote option when schools reopen this fall.
School Superintendent Kristen Vogel presented a detailed plan to the School Committee last week, recommending the model after determining the district could not meet physical distancing requirements with full in-person learning.
“The plan to me is a strong plan given the circumstances and my perspective as a committee member and a parent,” said School Committee Chairman Jamie Hayman. “To me, the strength is not what happens when you are at school, it’s what happens when you are not. And having all of our students having access to a Lynnfield teacher in a Lynnfield classroom at all times is huge for us.”
The plan splits students into four groups. Cohort A includes students in specialized programming (meaning substantially or partially separate special education students) will attend school four days a week with remote learning taking place on Wednesday.
“These are the students that DESE has specifically asked us to prioritize for four days of school and will give these students priority in our cohort of students who attend school in-person and face-to-face,” said Superintendent Kristen Vogel.
Cohorts B and C will have in-school learning two days a week and remote learning three days. Cohort B will be in school Mondays and Tuesdays, while Cohort C will be in school Thursdays and Fridays.
Cohort D will have remote learning five days a week for families who opt out of in-school learning.
All students will have at-home learning on Wednesdays.
Vogel said her office has received numerous questions from parents about the remote component in the hybrid plan.
“We think it’s best for our students to still be a part of our school community even if they have chosen the remote plan,” said Vogel. “They would for example, would be on a teacher’s roster as being a part of the class. We hope they will engage synchronously from home into the classroom so they can see the teacher, listen to instruction and be able to asynchronously work with other students both in class and remote.”
The results of a survey sent to families and faculty members indicated both groups said their top choice in a hybrid model would be half days five days a week and their second choice was three days at school and two at home.
The two surveys differed significantly on the issue of whether schools should reopen in the fall. Seventy-five percent of families said yes, while only 52.4 percent of faculty said yes. Nineteen faculty members (8.2 percent) and 19 families (1 percent) said they preferred not to return to school.
Vogel said the district is implementing several new safety measures at all schools, including signage on walls, floors and sidewalks indicating six-foot social distancing spaces. Additional nurses and a school liaison to the Emergency Management team will be hired. All HVAC systems will be inspected before the first day of school (Sept. 16). Additional custodians to clean high-touch surfaces and other areas will be hired. All cleaning supplies will be EPA approved. Canopies have been secured through the Lynnfield Community Schools summer program and will be used for teachers to conduct outside classes as much as possible. Indoor classes will take place in spaces with windows that open.
Hayman said Hayman said the district’s primary interest is doing what is best for Lynnfield families.
“I don’t care what the rest of the country is doing, because when things exploded here, things were fine in Nebraska and Florida,” he said. “I only care about what the other districts are doing because our teachers have kids in those districts. I want everyone to drake a deep breath and step away and see what is best for our kids. We have a .999 percent rate over the past two weeks, that’s just four positives out of 401.
“We are never going to be 100 percent safe in life, but it’s pretty darn safe based on our data.”
Hayman said the big wild card in the whole process is the teachers’ union.
“At the end of the day they do have to approve it.”
Anne Marie Tobin can be reached at [email protected].
