Danvers Teachers Want Remote Start To School Year

DANVERS, MA — The union representing teachers in Danvers joined more than 30 other teachers' unions in greater Boston that signed a letter advocating for remote learning across the state to begin the school year.

"The safe return to learning in September must be guided by science — not by a school calendar," the Danvers Teachers Association and the other unions said. "We are calling upon all public schools to begin the school year with a comprehensive distance-learning plan that has the potential to graduate to a hybrid learning model."

In June, the state Department of Elementary and Secondary Education charged school districts across the state with developing three plans for reopening in the fall: one that would involve full-time, in-person learning, one that would involve full-time, remote learning, and a third, hybrid model combining remote and in-person learning.

The Danvers school committee plans to decide on a reopening model when it meets Thursday.

The decision to sign the letter was made by "the memberships and leaderships of the signatories." The letter calls on the state Department of Elementary and Secondary Education to make the decision for the local school boards, at least at the outset of the school year.

"The graduation from the distance learning phase to a hybrid phase must be defined within each local district using public health benchmarks, a thorough evaluation of the buildings to ensure they are safe places for learning, and investment to make necessary improvements," the groups said. "As educators, we are advocating for a return to in-person learning that is guided by science, educational best practice, and the health and safety of our students and educators."

Read the complete letter.

Dave Copeland covers the North Shore for Patch. He can be reached at dave.copeland@patch.com or by calling 617-433-7851. Follow him on Twitter (@CopeWrites) and Facebook (/copewrites).