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60°
Saturday, jun 1
Schools
Covid-
19: Virus Outbreaks Recorded In 11 School Districts Last Week
This past week, 11 Massachusetts public schools experienced COVID-19 outbreaks of 9 or more students and staff coming down with the virus. The largest outbreak was recorded in Leominster. From March 4-10, 21 of the school district’s students (15) and staff (6) reported positive cases. The Massachusetts Department of Secondary and Elementary Education produces weekly reports on positive COVID-19 cases reported in each school district. The Thursday, March 11 report found about 140 school districts - out of more than 350 - had at least one student or staff member test positive for COVID-19. C…
Schools
Covid-
19: Social Distance Rules For Students Far Shorter Than For Adults
The guidelines for social distancing at public schools recommend far less space between people than the 6 feet standard encouraged throughout much of the pandemic. On Tuesday, Feb. 23, Massachusetts announced a plan to return all elementary school students to the classroom by April. When asked about COVID-19 safeguards for the schools, Commission of the MA Department of Elementary and Secondary Education Jeffrey Riley said that 3 feet of distance between students, staff, and faculty is the goal for public schools, though if they are able to distance further - up to 6 feet - all the better. …
Schools
Covid-
19: All Elementary School Students May Be Back In The Classroom By April
All public Massachusetts elementary school students may be back in class this April. On Tuesday, Feb. 23, the Massachusetts Commissioner of Elementary and Secondary Education Jeffrey Riley made the announcement during a morning meeting. In a week or two, Riley said he will seek to obtain the authority to remove remote and hybrid learning as options for Massachusetts public school districts, WesternMass News reported. Riley cited ongoing vaccinations and declining COVID-19 infections as reasons for having all students resume in-school education. Right now, Massachusetts school districts ar…
Schools
Covid-
19: CDC Releases New Guidance, Strategies For Reopening Schools
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is encouraging schools and school districts to reopen safely and has just released new guidance for doing just that. On Friday, Feb. 12, the CDC unveiled the new science-based plan. “It is critical for schools to open as safely and as soon as possible, and remain open, to achieve the benefits of in-person learning and key support services,” health officials said. “To enable schools to open safely and remain open, it is important to adopt and consistently implement actions to slow the spread of COVID in schools and in the community.” The…
Schools
Covid-
19: University Puts 13,000 Students On Lock-Down Following 'Massive' Frat Party
More than 13,000 students will be in self-sequester for the next two weeks following an outbreak of COVID-19 at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. As of Sunday, Feb. 7, the UMass Amherst campus had 398 active COVID-19 cases - nearly 300 of which were reported, Feb. 2-4. On Sunday, UMass Chancellor Kumble Subbaswamy sent a campus-wide email announcing the self-lockdown. He said that the flagship is now considered “high risk” for the spread of COVID-19 and that the rise in infections is likely due to undergrads. “Contract tracing indicates that transmission of the virus is especi…
Schools
Covid-
19: New CDC Director Gives Guidance On Schools Reopening
With President Joe Biden seeking to open all elementary and middle schools for in-person learning within his first 100 days in office, the CDC has provided new guidance on getting students back into the classroom. The CDC is now saying that it is possible to return to the classroom without fully vaccinating all educators beforehand. “There is increasing data to suggest that schools can safely reopen and that safe reopening does not suggest that teachers need to be vaccinated in order to reopen safely," CDC Director Rochelle Walensky said on Wednesday, Feb. 3. "Vaccination of teachers is not…
Schools
Covid-
19 Cases Spike In 2 School Districts; See District-By-District Incident Rates
Two local school districts experienced COVID-19 flare-ups over the last week, according to the most recent state data. On Thursday, Jan. 28, the Massachusetts Department of Public Health and Department of Elementary and Secondary Education released how many COVID-19 incidents were reported by students and staff from Jan. 21-27. Most of the Central and Western Massachusetts, as well as the Berkshires, had school districts where no COVID-19 incidents were reported that week. However, Shrewsbury and Hampden-Wilbraham school districts each reported 12-15 students and faculty that had become il…
Schools
Covid-
19: Schools Can Safely Reopen If Proper Precautions Are Taken, CDC Says, Citing Research
Children can safely return to classrooms in most communities throughout the nation if proper safety measures are taken amid the COVID-19 pandemic, the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC) announced, saying evidence indicates that in-person instruction can be held safely as long as social distancing and mask-wearing protocols are in place. At the same, local officials should limit indoor dining, bars, and poorly ventilated gyms in order to keep infection rates low in the community at large, the CDC researchers wrote in a report published on Tuesday, Jan. 26 in the journal JAMA. …
Schools
Covid-
19: 'Live' Teaching and Check-In Requirements Go Into Effect For MA Schools
A new set of rules that requires "live" teaching time and daily check-ins in hybrid and remote learning Massachusetts school districts went into effect Tuesday, Jan. 19. The requirements set by the Board of Elementary and Secondary Education are an update to rules meant to stop the spread of COVID-19 by keeping students in high-risk communities learning from home. The rules establish a minimum level for live and synchronous instruction. Any district that does not comply with the new regulations will be required to make up learning time missed due to non-compliance by the end of t…
Schools
HS Coach Accused Of Dating Student Requires Investigation, School Committee Says
Three School Committee members are calling for an investigation into the actions of a city softball coach who allegedly had a romantic relationship with a student as well as how the school district responded to the news. Alberto Hernandez Jr., 42, of Chicopee, was the Central High School softball coach in Springfield who was forced to resign after a student said that the two began a relationship while she was a sophomore, according to MassLive. Hernandez has not worked in the Springfield Public School system for about a month. The former softball coach was first hired in 2009. He was als…
Schools
Covid-
19: See How Many Students, Staff Have The Virus In Your School District
The school district with the most faculty and staff suffering from COVID-19 is Worcester, according to the most recent COVID-19 tracking data from the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education. Between Dec. 24 and Jan. 6, 12 Worcester School District employees, who had district building access, reported positive COVID-19 cases, said the state’s weekly school-based pandemic tracker. Among the top 10 school districts across Massachusetts with the most faculty and staff reporting COVID-19 infections are Ludlow and Holyoke. Both districts are each reporting 5 fa…
Schools
Covid-
19: Anger Roils Over Superintendent's Florida Trip As Students Do Remote-Learning
A school superintendent’s trip to Florida to see a football game has irked the school district community. During the week of Dec. 28, social media lit up when it was revealed that Paula Deacon, superintendent of Leominster schools had recently traveled to Tampa, Florida to see a Buccaneers game. Deacon didn’t violate any laws, but members of the community are calling her actions hypocritical, according to Boston10. While Leominster students attend school remotely, and the Massachusetts government continues to encourage people to stay home, by request as well as economic restrictions, Deac…
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