>> AS SCHOOLS ARE CLOSED FOR THE REMAINDER OF THE ACADEMIC YEAR,
DISTRICTS ARE WORKING OUT HOW TO BEST SUPPORT AND EDUCATE THEIR
STUDENTS DURING THESE LAST WEEKS OF REMOTE LEARNING.
HOLYOKE PUBLIC SCHOOLS SUPERINTENDENT, DR. STEPHEN
ZRIKE SPOKE WITH ZYDALIS BAUER ABOUT THE EXPECTATIONS OF BOTH
STUDENTS AND TEACHERS, AND WHAT THE DISTRICT IS DOING TO PLAN
FOR THE FALL. >> IT WAS A DEVASTATING BLOW TO
ALL OF US. WHO LOVE THE WORK WE DID WITH
KIDS EVERY DAY. THE EDUCATORS IN THE HOLYOKE
SCHOOLS. FOR FAMILIES WHO WANT THEIR KIDS
TO GO BACK. OUR KIDS, WHO JOKINGLY MAY SAY
THEY DON'T LOVE SCHOOL BUT THEY'RE TELLING US NOW WE REALLY
MISS SCHOOL. TO KNOW THAT NOW IT WAS MORE
THAN JUST A FEW WEEKS FOR THE REST OF THE SCHOOL YEAR WAS
CHALLENGING. WE HAVE HAD TO SCRAMBLE AS ALL
DISTRICTS HAVE TO CONTINUE REMOTE LEARNING, TO CONTINUE
PROVIDING SPECIAL EDUCATION SERVICES, MENTAL HEALTH
SERVICES, FOOD SERVICES, TECHNOLOGY SUPPORT IN THIS
PERIOD OF LONG DISTANCE OR AT-HOME LEARNING.
>> FOLLOWING THE ANNOUNCEMENT FROM GOVERNOR BAKER, HOW HAS THE
DISTRICT HAD TO MAKE CHANGES TO THE REMOTE LEARNING GUIDELINES?
>> WHAT WE DID IS WE ASKED OUR TEACHERS TO GO A LITTLE FURTHER
AND DEEPER BASED ON THE GUIDANCE FROM THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
AROUND CRITICAL STANDARDS AND LEARNING THAT STUDENTS WOULD
NEED TO HAVE BEFORE GOING ON TO THE NEXT GRADE.
SO WE ASKED -- ALSO ASKED OUR TEACHERS TO HAVE MORE IN-PERSON
OR VIDEOED SESSIONS PROVIDE ASSIGNMENTS THAT WERE MORE
STRONGLY CONNECTED TO -- IN SOME CASES NEW MATERIAL THAT WOULD
BETTER PREPARE STUDENTS FOR THE UPCOMING SCHOOL YEAR.
THE OTHER THING WE ADDED WAS, SOME NOTATION OR RECORDING OF
STUDENTS' LEVEL OF ENGAGEMENT IN KINDERGARTEN THROUGH 8th GRADE
WHICH WOULD NOTE THE LEVEL, NOT SO MUCH PERFORMANCE ON THE
ASSIGNMENTS. BUT INFORMATION ABOUT THE LEVEL
OF PARTICIPATION. AT THE HIGH SCHOOL LEVEL, IT
IS -- WE'RE NOT GIVING CREDIT -- SORRY WE ARE GIVING CREDIT WE'RE
NOT GIVING GRADES THAT ARE PARTED OF GPA, THERE IS AN
EXPECTATION THAT STUDENTS ARE COMPLETING THE WORK IN ORDER TO
GET CREDIT FOR THE SEMESTER. AND IF THEY DON'T DO THE WORK
THEY DON'T GET CREDIT THEY HAVE TO MAKE IT UP.
SO THAT'S SOMETHING OF THE ADJUSTMENTS WE MADE KNOWING THAT
THIS WAS GOING TO GO WELL INTO THE FOURTH QUARTER UNTIL --
OBVIOUSLY UNTIL THE END OF THE SCHOOL YEAR.
>> THIS IS A NEW ADJUSTMENT FOR ALL OF US.
AND SOME PARENTS HAVE TO STILL WORK AND THEY HAVE NOW THAT
ADDED RESPONSIBILITY OF BEING THEIR CHILD'S HOME SCHOOL
SCHOOLTEACHER. SO WHAT HAPPENS IF A PARENT IS
UNABLE TO SUPPORT AND HELP THAT CHILD COMPLETE THE SCHOOL WORK.
>> OUR EDUCATORS HAVE BEEN WORKING CLOSELY WITH FAMILIES.
WE FEEL LIKE WE HAVE REALLY STRONG RELATIONSHIPS.
WE'VE ENCOURAGED FAMILIES TO REACH OUT IF THEY ARE CONFUSED,
IF THEY NEED INTERPRETATION, IF THEY NEED ADDITIONAL RESOURCES,
WE'VE BEEN BRINGING THOSE HOME IF THEY NEED WORK PACKETS, SOME
FAMILIES THE DIGITAL PLATFORM DOESN'T WORK FOR THEM.
THEY DON'T HAVE ACCESS OR THEY JUST IS NOT WORKING FOR THEIR
HOME ENVIRONMENT WE'VE BEEN SUPPORTING THEM IN THOSE WAYS.
WE HAVE VERY FLEXIBLE, NIMBLE EDUCATORS.
YOU HAVE TO BE WORKING IN THE HOLYOKE SCHOOLS WHERE WE HAVE A
LOT OF TRANSIENTS AND CHANGE. I THINK OUR EDUCATORS HAVE
STEPPED UP TO TRY TO HELP FAMILIES WORK POSSIBLY WITH
THIS. IT'S LESS THAN IDEAL.
ANYBODY WHO SAYS IT'S APPLICATION OF WHAT HAPPENS IN
SCHOOLS OR DAY-TO-DAY LEARNING, IT'S NOT.
WE WENT FROM -- AS MANY HAVE SAID THIS ISN'T REALLY REMOTE
LEARNING THIS IS CRISIS LEARNING, RIGHT.
OR CRISIS TEACHING AND LEARNING BECAUSE -- BUT IT IS SORT OF A
CHARGE AND WAKE-UP TO US AS THE INDUSTRY OF EDUCATION THAT WE
HAVE TO BE BETTER PREPARED FOR WHAT HAPPENS FOR WHATEVER
REASON. FOR A SCHOOL TO CLOSE OR
DISTRICT TO CLOSE TO BE ABLE TO PROVIDE LONG DISTANCE, QUALITY
LONG DISTANCE AND REMOTE LEARNING.
TEACHING AND LEARNING. >> YOU BRIEFLY TOUCHED ON ACCESS
TO TECHNOLOGY. I KNOW THAT IS A HURDLE THAT
MANY FAMILIES FACE. HOW IS HOLYOKE PUBLIC SCHOOLS
HELPING TO ADDRESS THOSE ISSUES OF ACCESS TO TECHNOLOGY AND EVEN
INTERNET. >> I FEEL LIKE THIS IS A PLACE
WE CAME OUT VERY EARLY AND AGGRESSIVELY TO TRY TO SUPPORT
FAMILIES WITH THE HELP OF THE MAYOR, THE MAYOR'S OFFICE, HIS
TEAM. WE WERE ABLE TO GET A
PARTNERSHIP WITH COMCAST THAT WOULD ALLOW FOR FREE INTERNET
SERVICE FOR SIX MONTHS FOR ANY FAMILY IN THE HOLYOKE SCHOOLS.
WHICH WOULD ALLOW THEM TO HAVE THAT RESOURCE AND EXTEND INTO
THE SUMMER. WE'VE HAD NUMBER OF FAMILIES
SIGN UP FOR THAT. NO QUESTIONS ASKED.
OTHER THAN THEY COULD NOT HAVE HAD SERVICE IN THE LAST 90 DAYS.
THEN WE HAVE BEEN VERY AGGRESSIVELY DISTRIBUTING OUR
CHROME BOOKS TO FAMILIES. WE'VE DONE THAT FOR ABOUT TWO
MONTHS NOW. AND WE ARE STILL GIVING THEM OUT
ON WEDNESDAYS, SO THE DEVICES THAT WE HAVE IN SCHOOLS WE
STARTED GIVING THEM ONE TO EVERY FAMILY.
THEN FAMILIES HAVE COME BACK FOR MORE BECAUSE THEY HAVE MULTIPLE
CHILDREN. SO I DON'T WANT TO SAY IT'S
PERFECT, BECAUSE WE KNOW THAT FAMILIES STILL HAVE BARRIERS AND
OBSTACLES TO GETTING ONLINE. WE'VE TRIED TO MITIGATE, BECAUSE
WE DON'T WANT TO BE REASON WHY A CHILD CAN'T BE READY FOR THE
NEXT GRADE. >> THE PLAN FOR REOPENING, ANY
PLANS THAT YOU HAVE TO ADDRESS ANY EDUCATIONAL DISPARITIES THAT
MAY EXIST GOING INTO THE NEXT SCHOOL YEAR?
>> IN THE LAST TWO WEEKS WE SET UP A RE-ENTRY OR REOPENING TEAM
THAT CONSISTS OF STAKEHOLDERS THROUGHOUT THE DISTRICT.
WE HAVE TEACHERS, PRINCIPALS, PARAPROFESSIONALS, SCHOOL
COMMITTEE MEMBER WHO IS PART OF IT AND WE'RE WAKING UP INTO
DIFFERENT AREAS ACADEMICS, SOCIAL-EMOTIONAL WELL BEING,
HEALTH AND WELLNESS, FACILITIES. OPERATIONS AT THE DISTRICT LEVEL
AND SCHOOL LEVEL. HUMAN RESOURCES, SPECIAL
EDUCATION AND THESE TEAMS ARE GOING TO REPORT BACK TO THE
LARGER LEADERSHIP TEAM. WE'RE CREATING PLANS.
REOPENING IS MULTI-FACETED. WE NEED TO START THINKING ABOUT
MULTIPLE SCENARIOS, BECAUSE AS MUCH AS WE WOULD LIKE TO KNOW
TODAY WHAT IT'S GOING TO BE LIKE IN AUGUST, AS YOU KNOW, THE
INFORMATION CHANGES EVERY DAY. SO WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO DO IS
BEGIN TO MAP OUT MULTIPLE SCENARIOS OF WHETHER IT'S GOING
TO BE ALL IN PERSON, ALL REMOTE OR SOME SORT OF A HYBRID MODEL.
AND WHAT WE PLEDGE THE COMMUNITY IS EVERY WEEK WE'RE PUTTING OUT
INFORMATION ABOUT WHAT'S ENTAILED IN THE -- WHAT WE'RE
DISCUSSING IN OUR MEETING SO THAT WE'RE KEEPING OUR FAMILIES
AND OUR STAFF UP TO DATE OF WHAT IS GOING ON.
AS FAR AS THE GAPS, OF COURSE TREMENDOUS CONCERN ABOUT GAPS.
WE ALREADY HAVE MANY STUDENTS THAT ARE BEHIND ACADEMICALLY.
AND AS I INDICATED BEFORE, NOTHING REPLACES IN-PERSON
TEACHING AND LEARNING. SO WE KNOW THAT THEY'RE GOING TO
BE MORE GAPS WHEN STUDENTS RETURN.
WE DO NOT BELIEVE THAT RETENTION IS THE RIGHT PATH FOR STUDENTS.
THERE'S A LOT OF RESEARCH THAT SUGGESTS THAT THAT IS NOT --
DOES NOT PROVIDE VALUE TO STUDENTS.
PARTICULARLY IN A CASE WHERE SO MANY -- THIS AFFECTS ALL OF OUR
STUDENTS, RIGHT? WE ARE PLANNING RIGHT NOW TO
RETHINK THE WAY OUR CURRICULUM IS LAID OUT AND MAPPED AND
PRESENTED TO KIDS IN THE BEGINNING OF THE YEAR.
WE'RE THINKING ABOUT HOW SUMMER SCHOOL, WE CAN LEVERAGE SUMMER
SCHOOL EVEN IF IT'S VIRTUAL HOW WE CAN IMPACT MORE STUDENTS SO
THAT WE CAN CLOSE THOSE GAPS. THEN WHEN THEY RETURN TO SCHOOL
THAT THE INSTRUCTION IS TAILORED, ACKNOWLEDGING THAT
MARCH TO JUNE STUDENTS MISSED OUT ON A LOT OF THEIR -- OF THE
INSTRUCTIONAL INFORMATION THEY NEEDED FOR THE UPCOMING GRADE.
>> NOW AS THIS SCHOOL YEAR WRAPS UP, THERE'S STILL A LOT OF
UNCERTAINTY GOING INTO THE NEXT SCHOOL YEAR.
WHAT MESSAGE DO YOU HAVE FOR STUDENTS DURING THE SUMMERTIME?
>> I THINK THE MESSAGE FOR STUDENTS IS, WE'RE GOING TO DO
EVERYTHING TO GET YOU BACK IN PERSON.
WE ARE INCREDIBLY APPRECIATIVE OF THE RESILIENCE OF OUR YOUNG
PEOPLE AND THEIR FAMILIES. WE'RE GOING TO WELCOME THEM WITH
OPEN ARMS, WITH CELEBRATION, WITH POMP AND CIRCUMSTANCE
BECAUSE WE HAVE MORE APPRECIATION, MORE THAN EVER OF
HOW VALUABLE THE SCHOOL EXPERIENCE IS.
SO WE CAN'T WAIT TO THROW A PARTY WHEN SCHOOL STARTS.