Melrose's Return Plan Has An Equity Problem, Parents Say

MELROSE, MA — Parents weighing the health risks of sending their children to school in a pandemic against what they fear will be a lesser education if they keep them home are asking the district to improve the remote learning option unveiled just weeks before school will begin.

The anxiety is largely due to what parents say is an unfair balance for students who would alternate weeks learning in school and at home — known as the hybrid model — and those who would learn exclusively from home for the entire school year.

At the heart of the issue is the disparity between synchronous and asynchronous learning.

Synchronous learning means students learn with real-time teaching and engagement. Asynchronous learning can be via recorded lessons and is more independent, often requiring more attention and self-discipline by the student. Some parents said their children aren't able to grasp the asynchronous approach, pointing to students "checking out" during the spring attempt.

The district's reopening plan currently offers three options:

Group A is the hybrid option. Students in this group will be broken up into two cohorts, with one cohort attending in-person class for a week while the other learns at home before they swap the following week. The students at home will primarily learn asynchronously with some synchronous instruction as staffing allows.

Group B is the fully remote option. Students in this group will not learn in a classroom. Their instruction will be asynchronous, with opportunities for synchronous instruction as staffing allows. These students will also be able to take part in virtual school community events.

Group C is for students deemed high priority. Those students may learn exclusively in-class.

Many of the more than 50 people who spoke during a two-hour public comment at Tuesday night's School Committee meeting were asking for a more robust remote system, particularly as it pertains to synchronous instruction.

"We ask you to consider that the next version of this plan should include a more robust remote only option that guarantee synchronous teaching with a dedicated teacher," Molly Baab, who has a daughter going into fourth grade at Roosevelt, said. "This would allow other families who would have to choose that ... to get a more fair education."

Superintendent Julie Kukenberger said Tuesday the district would like to provide as many synchronous learning opportunities as possible, but there are too many unknowns right now, even this close to the school year starting.

Among the variables are how many teachers will be back and in what capacity — a recent staff survey indicated a third of the 385 respondents don't feel comfortable returning to the classroom this fall — and how many families will choose the hybrid option over the remote one.

But as School Committee member Jen McAndrew put it, "it is a bit of a chicken and egg challenge."

"On the one hand, parents need to know more," she told Patch Wednesday. "And at the same time, the District will struggle to guarantee synchronous learning until we know how many families want to pursue it."

The state education department made it clear the remote options might not be as impactful as in-person learning.

"Even if a student is prioritized for in-person learning, parents/caregivers have the option to choose a district’s remote learning program for their child’s instruction if they prefer – with the understanding that the remote learning program may not provide as robust offerings as, or replace the full benefits of, learning in person," the Department for Elementary and Secondary Education said in its remote learning guidance.

Still, DESE requires remote learning to provide students with "regular, consistent opportunities to access live, synchronous instruction, student-to-student interaction, collaborative assignments/projects, teacher feedback, and other needed supports (e.g., semi-weekly office hours, individual check-ins with students bi-weekly, etc.)"

Some believe it's just a matter of time before a COVID-19 spike forces the district to go fully remote. In that case, the district's contingency would be to emphasize synchronous learning, though working asynchronously on assignments would be expected.

Parents want to see that level of investment in the remote option before a potential districtwide closures would take place.

"We know that when cases go up, we will need to be remote," Maureen Strode said during public comment. "So we should focus on making that remote experience the finest experience we can offer our children."

Kukenberger responded to questions about why classes can't be live-streamed by saying the technology isn't there and student privacy remains an issue.

Families are already being asked to put in their preliminary preference — nothing binding, but to give the district an idea at the potential numbers for each option.

When families make their official choice in August, they will be expected to stay with it for the whole school year, according to the draft plan. That expectation of permanence in a such a state of flux is scary for some.

Moving from remote to in-person would theoretically be more difficult due to space and resource reasons. But those who spoke Tuesday night were concerned about why children learning in class couldn't move to remote if they felt uncomfortable.

The state says a district allows for "a reasonable transition period, ideally no more than three to four weeks, to plan for the transition of a student from remote to in-person learning. During this time period, teaching and learning must continue uninterrupted for that student."

A second draft of the return plan will be sent to parents by next Friday.