Swampscott Will Start School Year With Distance Learning

SWAMPSCOTT, MA — Swampscott students will begin the school year with remote learning on Sept. 16 and move to a model that combines remote and limited in-person learning on Oct. 26 if health data supports the switch under a plan recommended by Superintendent Pamela Angelakis and approved by the school committee Wednesday.

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.

School systems have until Monday to submit the plan they will use to start the school year to DESE. Teachers' unions, including the one that represents Swampscott teachers, have opposed hybrid and in-person plans because of the risk of contracting the coronavirus. But school districts struggled after they switched to a distance-learning model in March for the end of the school year.

Dave Copeland covers Swampscott and other North Shore communities 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).