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A message from the
Massachusetts Department of
Elementary and Secondary Education

August 3, 2020
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News from Commissioner Jeffrey C. Riley and the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education

Contents:

  1. Additional Guidance and Recommendations for School Reopening
  2. Picture of the Week: Massachusetts History Teacher of the Year
  3. Partnership with LearnLaunch
  4. Principal Information Session on My Career and Academic Plan (MyCAP)
  5. Barr Foundation’s Massachusetts Ready Fund
  6. Assessments of School Building Facilities, HVAC Systems, and More
  7. Additional CARES Act Funds to Benefit Education

1. Additional Guidance and Recommendations for School Reopening:


The Department continues to issue additional guidance and recommendations related to the start of school in the fall. As always, DESE may revise guidance in light of new information. The following items were recently posted online:
 
Adult and Community Learning Services (download): This document provides guidance on areas that adult education programs will need adjust, links to resources provided by the SABES Program Support PD Center, and information on submitting reopening plans to Adult and Community Learning Services at DESE by Monday, August 31.
 
Social emotional learning guidelines and recommendations (download): Even in the midst of a pandemic, educators can create a safe and healthy learning environment that is joyful, engaging, and equitable for every child. As districts implement reopening guidance related to the physical, logistical, and technical aspects of the three teaching and learning models, learning communities need to engage in a parallel assessment of the social emotional implications of each scenario. This document, which includes a series of recommendations and sample resources, is designed to help districts and schools prioritize and support the social emotional well-being of students, staff, and families as they prepare for the new school year.
 
Supplemental information for science courses and laboratory work (download): As a supplement to DESE’s Guidance for Courses Requiring Additional Safety Considerations (download), this document provides additional recommendations for science and laboratory work, in both in-person and remote settings.
 
Updated FAQ: The Department is updating the Fall Reopening Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) document to reflect additional information, and the update will be posted to this page http://www.doe.mass.edu/covid19/faq/. This new edition will include some new questions/answers, as well as updates to the FAQ issued on July 10, 2020. Questions and answers that are unchanged, revised, or new will be noted in each response. District- and school-based personnel who have additional questions can email reopeningk12@mass.gov. Parents or caregivers who have additional questions can email COVID19K12ParentInfo@mass.gov.
 
Career/Vocational Technical Education Reopening Guidelines (download): On Wednesday, July 29, DESE issued guidance to support the safe reopening of vocational technical schools and comprehensive schools offering vocational technical programs. The guidance includes appropriate measures to promote the safety of students, teachers, and staff and may also be used as a reference for other related programs, such as Innovation Pathways and Connecting Activities.
 
Student Learning Time Waiver Process: On Thursday, July 30, Commissioner Riley sent superintendents with details of the process for requesting a waiver from student learning time requirements.
Woman standing.

Picture of the Week: Massachusetts History Teacher of the Year

Congratulations to N’Dia Riegler, a teacher at the Eliot K-8 Innovation School in Boston who recently became the 2020 Massachusetts History Teacher of the Year! The Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History presents the award annually and will select a National History Teacher of the Year this fall from the pool of state winners. Ms. Riegler received her bachelor’s degree from Barnard College and her master’s degree in education from the University of Massachusetts Boston and the Boston Teacher Residency program. At the Eliot, she developed a project-based learning class using local resources and digital archives to explore the essential question “How has the experience of various groups in the United States of America differed throughout our history?” Congratulations, Ms. Riegler! 

3. Partnership with LearnLaunch:


To support districts with preparing for remote learning needs in the fall, DESE is partnering with LearnLaunch to give district and school leaders access to a free and state-aligned planning framework: The Building Blocks of Equitable Remote Learning. LearnLaunch is hosting a series of virtual workshops over the course of the summer and throughout the school year on topics such as:
  • Engaging learners,
  • Setting priorities for learning,
  • Preparing educators, and
  • Including social emotional learning.
These workshops and others are highly interactive and designed to help district and school leaders learn and solve problems throughout the planning and implementation of their remote learning programs. Workshops feature content experts and are fully aligned with DESE’s principles, priorities, standards, and fall reopening guidance.
 
This opportunity is targeted for assistant superintendents, school leaders, and other instructional leaders as they set guiding principles for teaching and learning for the 2020-2021 school year. Learn more and register for workshops by clicking here, or reach out to Jackie Gantzer, director of remote learning, at Jacqulyn.m.gantzer@mass.gov.

4. Principal Information Session on My Career and Academic Plan (MyCAP):


My Career and Academic Plan (MyCAP) is a student-centered, multi-year planning process and tool designed to provide students with ongoing opportunities to plan for their academic, personal/social and career success. Using an online platform such as MEFA Pathways or Naviance, students can access the tool anywhere, anytime, thus completing activities independently, in-school or online from home. MyCAP ensures each post-secondary plan is reflective of the individual student’s strengths, interests, and skills. Secondary school principals are invited to an information session at 9:00 a.m., Wednesday, August 12 to learn more about MyCAP and DESE’s free online training this fall. Please contact lisa.m.harney@mass.gov for more information.

5. Barr Foundation’s Massachusetts Ready Fund:


Recognizing that many administrators would value expert guidance as they plan for re-opening, the Barr Foundation is partnering with Catalyst:Ed to launch the Massachusetts Ready Fund. This new fund will link eligible public schools in Massachusetts with timely, expert support (at no cost to them) from a national network of vetted school support providers. 
 
Funds can be applied across areas including academics, student support, social and emotional learning, student and family experience, talent, information technology and operations, finance, equity-centered leadership, and more.
 
Districts seeking funds complete a brief online questionnaire, then work with Catalyst:Ed to clarify priority needs, scope a project, and select a provider. Catalyst:Ed will then handle all contracting and payments. To learn more and apply, visit the Massachusetts Ready Fund page.

6. Assessments of School Building Facilities, HVAC Systems, and More:

The Department, in partnership with other state agencies, has developed a list of pre-qualified vendors who can provide assessments of school building facilities. These firms can provide a wide range of technical assistance and training, thereby maximizing safety in school facilities, supplemental facilities, and grounds to help enable full-time, in-person schooling. Assessments of physical space (including design and use of classrooms) and HVAC systems (including internal air quality assessment, commissioning and recommissioning of systems, etc.) can provide districts with a host of strategies for finding the best mix of both short-term and long-term solutions for a healthy school environment.
 
The following vendors are on the pre-qualified state contract. Districts can access them by reaching out directly through email.

7. Additional CARES Act Funds to Benefit Education:


The Baker-Polito Administration recently announced that it will allocate more than $50 million in federal CARES Act funds to benefit education in elementary and secondary schools, as well as colleges and universities. The funding from the federal Governor’s Emergency Education Relief (GEER) Fund will improve early literacy, expand remote learning opportunities, and cover costs associated with reopening certain schools and colleges, as well as boost financial aid for college students in greater need of financial assistance.
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