BOSC approves plan to have most students start school year remotely

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Annotation 2020 08 11 010842
The beginning of Goldhardt’s presentation on Monday.

MANCHESTER, N.H. – The majority of Manchester’s public-school students will attend school remotely for at least the first few weeks following the Manchester Board of School Committee’s decision on Monday night.

Students from Grades 2 to 12 will begin the 2020-’21 school year remotely, with a tentative reassessment to take place on Nov. 12 based on COVID-19 pandemic metrics to be compiled by Manchester School District Superintendent Dr. John Goldhardt.

Goldhardt’s plan recommended bringing back students in Grade 2 to 12 remotely. Students in preschool, kindergarten and first grade would receive half-day in-person instruction, providing remote literacy instruction for first graders during the other half of the day, and in-person instruction would be provided for students with Individualized Education Plans (IEP), students with a native language other than English and Career and Technical Education (CTE) students at the Manchester School of Technology.

In the proposal, parents of students from Grades 2 to 12 could then theoretically choose whether to keep their children in remote learning or let them enter a hybrid system, with children with last names starting from A to K attending school in-person on Mondays and Tuesdays and attending remotely on Thursdays and Fridays. Students with last names starting L to Z would have the opposite weekly schedule and Wednesdays would be kept for one-on-one work.

Goldhardt said that the last name policy was made in attempt to be equitable to all students and added that his support of remote learning to begin the year rather than going straight to a hybrid system came after hearing from a wide variety of voices since the initial draft plan was presented several weeks ago.

The request for metrics came after a request from Committeewoman Dr. Nicole Leapley (Ward 11) after sharing such benchmarks from other states on tying infection rates to whether schooling should be done remotely, in-person or through a hybrid of the two for certain age groups.

Committeman Arthur Beaudry (Ward 9) felt Goldhardt’s plan did not go far enough, stating that all schooling should be remote until March 17, with all fall and winter sports cancelled. However, he was unable to get a second for this motion.

Goldhardt’s plan did face some other opposition, with Committeeman James O’Connell (At-Large) indicating that there was not enough data to make a decision yet and Committeeman Joseph Lachance (At-Large) feeling that all schools should return to in-person education immediately.

Other members of the board had minor concerns, but supported the concept overall, such as Committeeman James Dobson (Ward 5).

Dobson felt that the plan shared the caution and responsibility that the Granite State has generally shown as a whole compared to some other parts of the country. He also added that the board should come together around this plan even though it wasn’t perfect.

“We do have to start somewhere, and we do have to slowly continue to get back to normalcy, so I am willing to concede in a few places to make this work,” he said.

A motion to maintain students in Grade 2 to 12 from Sept. 9 until the end of the first quarter of school (Nov. 12) passed 13-2, with Lachance and Mayor Joyce Craig voting in opposition. However, several times during the nearly four and a half hours it took to get to that point, the board discussed having the option to move up the Nov. 12 date if it so chooses based on changes in pandemic data.

Another portion of Goldhardt’s plan that was changed was to allow Grade 2 to 12 teachers to teach remotely from their homes if they wanted for the first quarter, although the district would not reimburse them for internet, electricity or other home office costs. Teachers who wish to teach from their classrooms can still do so, and Goldhardt’s initial request was to make require teachers to teach from the schools barring extenuating circumstances.

This motion passed 12-3, with Dobson, O’Connell and Lachance voting in opposition.

The motion regarding Pre/K and First Grade passed 9-6 with an amendment for the hybrid style approach. James Porter (Ward 1), Kathleen Kelley Arnold (Ward 2), Karen Soule (Ward 3), Dan Bergeron (Ward 6), William Shea (Ward 7), Jean Beaulieu (Ward 10), Leapley and the Mayor voted in favor. Leslie Want (Ward 4), Dobson, Beaudry, Leslie Thomas (Ward 12), Lachance and O’Connell voted against.

Another vote allowing the non-native English learners, IEP students and CTE students to return for in-person instruction as needed passed 12-3, with Beaudry, O’Connell and Lachance opposing.

“I’d like to thank the Board of School Committee for supporting the principles that we have laid out for a responsible reopening of Manchester schools,” said Goldhardt on the votes. “While a full in-person reopening may work for other communities, it was simply not feasible or responsible for our district to do so. In choosing to slowly bring students back in person – starting with specialized programming and our youngest students – I believe we are striking the right balance for our students, families and staff.”

An informational session will be held on the district’s Facebook page on Wednesday at 6 p.m.

A request by O’Connell to meet weekly until September as well as a request by Lachance to meet in person back at city hall were deemed out of order due to the fact that Monday’s meeting was a special meeting, which meant no items not already on the agenda could be considered.

Following the vote Goldhardt issued the following statement:

“I’d like to thank the Board of School Committee for supporting the principles that we have laid out for a responsible reopening of Manchester schools. While a full in-person reopening may work for other communities, it was simply not feasible or responsible for our district to do so. In choosing to slowly bring students back in person – starting with specialized programming and our youngest students – I believe we are striking the right balance for our students, families and staff.”

“We want students, families and staff to feel safe, secure and confident. We have spent many months preparing for this, and we will continue to assess and adjust as we go forward. This school year will be unlike any other, but it’s important that our families know that whether we are in person or remote, we are here for them.”

“In the coming days we will distribute a guide to our reopening, and on Wednesday night at 6 we will host an informational session on Facebook and YouTube to explain key details. I urge our families to tune in.”

And Mayor Craig issued the following statement Tuesday morning:

The Manchester community has been eager for answers about the upcoming school year. With a decision made, our families and educators can now plan accordingly.

Last night, the Board of School Committee voted in favor of a fully remote learning model for grades 2-12 for the first quarter of the school year. During this time, the school administration, along with stakeholders, including the Manchester Health Department and the City Facilities Division will assess whether a blended model can be implemented by the end of November.

I didn’t support this proposal, and instead was in favor of Dr. Goldhardt’s recommendation that if data showed it was safe, a blended model could be implemented earlier than November 12, for families who chose that option.

Last month, the Board of School Committee provided clarity regarding public health prevention measures, voting in favor of mandatory face coverings and requiring 6-foot social distancing between desks when students return to in-person learning.

There are still many unknowns related to COVID-19, and plans must be fluid. As the mother of a Manchester Central High School Student, I understand how students want to go back into the classroom, and parents are concerned about what the year will bring.

There’s no doubt the 2020-2021 school year will be unique. But, I want our community to know the decisions being made are data-driven, and we’re always keeping the health and safety of our students, educators, staff and their families at the forefront of our minds.”

CORRECTION – 3:04 p.m. 8/11 – The P/K/1st plan passed with a hybrid approach rather than half-days.

 

About this Author

Andrew Sylvia

Assistant EditorManchester Ink Link

Born and raised in the Granite State, Andrew Sylvia has written approximately 10,000 pieces over his career for outlets across Massachusetts, New Hampshire and Vermont. On top of that, he's a licensed notary and licensed to sell property, casualty and life insurance, he's been a USSF trained youth soccer and futsal referee for the past six years and he can name over 60 national flags in under 60 seconds according to that flag game app he has on his phone, which makes sense because he also has a bachelor's degree in geography (like Michael Jordan). He can also type over 100 words a minute on a good day.