May-June Advisor 2021 web

IMPROVING

MAY – JUNE 2021 CEA ADVISOR 7

STATE SAYS DISTRICTS NOT REQUIRED TO PROVIDE REMOTE LEARNING NEXT SCHOOL YEAR

At this time, DPH and CSDE do not anticipate the need to mandate, due to public health necessity, that all school districts provide an option for students and their families to opt in to a voluntary remote option after this school year. The document goes on to state that although there is no requirement that remote learning be provided to any student whose family requests it,

The Connecticut State Department of Education has released interim guidance for remote learning for the 2021-2022 school year that raises concerns CEA has flagged about dual instruction, stresses that in-person education is best for students, and ends the mandate to provide a voluntary remote learning option for all students. CEA leaders, who had urged the SDE to provide this clarity to districts as they make plans for next school year, offered input on the document and say it moves our state in the right direction. Educators teaching remotely this year have experienced numerous issues with technology, difficulty keeping students engaged, and, in many cases, the impossibility of balancing the needs of in-person and remote learners. The Ellington Board of Education, among others, has already voted not to offer a remote learning option for the 2021-2022 school year. (See story below.) “This guidance is a good first step,” says CEA President Jeff Leake, adding that Connecticut also needs to put an end to dual instruction. The SDE guidance states, in part: There is no current requirement under Connecticut or federal law that after the period of emergency this school year, school districts are mandated to provide all students voluntary daily access to remote learning at the unilateral request of the student/family.

the concerns CEA members have raised repeatedly this year regarding dual instruction. The document states, “Conversations with stakeholders also include discussion about limitations on the use of remote learning, such as consideration of concerns raised about requiring educators to provide instruction simultaneously to in- person and remote student groups.”

districts are permitted to use remote learning judiciously, going forward. Some of the possible uses for remote learning listed include to offer specialized classes not available in a student’s home district, support learning acceleration, provide for the potential need for a classroom to quarantine, or during emergency building-related issues. The SDE guidance also addresses

DPH and CSDE do not anticipate the need to mandate, due to public health necessity, that all school districts provide an option for students and their families to opt in to a voluntary remote option after this school year.

DISTRICTS AROUND THE STATE ANNOUNCE NO REMOTE LEARNING NEXT SCHOOL YEAR

A growing number of school districts have announced that they will not offer remote learning starting next school year, while a few weigh the possibility of allowing remote-only classes (as opposed to dual teaching) for some students. The Ellington Board of Education has passed a resolution indicating that in an effort to prioritize the social and emotional well-being of students and staff, Ellington schools will not

offer a remote learning option next year. The district has discussed the possibility of narrow circumstances in which virtual learning experiences might be accommodated— potentially for students who are medically fragile or have severe anxiety. The decision came after a discussion in early April with teachers and parents, where feedback overwhelmingly underscored the benefits of in-person learning for students’ academic and social and emotional health. Although Ellington offered a remote learning option during the 2020-2021 school year, as did many districts, local and national data have reinforced what CEA members have articulated—that as long as schools are safe, an in-person environment is instructionally more effective as well as most beneficial for students’ social and emotional well-being. “I think all the teachers in Ellington were very grateful to see that our Board of Ed members and our administration took our concerns seriously about remote learning and

the challenges we’ve all faced in implementing it this year,” says Ellington Education Association President Mark Mahler. “It’s one thing to offer this type of instruction during a global emergency, but after more than a year of this experiment, I think we’ve all proven that the best place for students is in the classroom, where they can get the education they deserve rather than a stopgap measure delivered at a distance.” He adds, “If anything good comes from this pandemic, perhaps it’s a reminder that schools are more than mere academics. They are communities where children learn, grow, play, make friends, make memories, and, hopefully, thrive. You can’t do any of those things well through a computer screen.” For the same reasons, Shelton, Stratford, Bridgeport, and other districts have also decided to suspend remote learning starting in the fall. On average, about 60 percent of Bridgeport students are currently attending school in

person; the numbers are higher at the elementary level but start to plummet in the upper grades. “There is no substitute for in- person learning,” says Bridgeport Education Association President Ana Batista. “It’s the best way to provide not only the academic support our students need but

Urge your district to follow the lead set by Bridgeport and Ellington and articulated in State Department of Education guidance for the fall: no more dual teaching.

also the relationships and emotional connections.”

Bridgeport Education Association President Ana Batista says teachers support a return to full in-person learning.