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Jeffrey Riley

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COVID-19: Masking Decision Now Up To School Districts As Massachusetts Mandate Expires COVID-19: Masking Decision Now Up To School Districts As Massachusetts Mandate Expires
Covid-19: Masking Decision Now Up To School Districts As Massachusetts Mandate Expires With the statewide mask mandate expiring for students in Massachusetts schools, the decision on whether to send children to class with a facial covering now falls on parents and local school districts. As of Monday, Feb. 28, the statewide COVID-19 mandate in schools ended, leaving the decision to individual schools, most of which are opting to ditch the masks. The mandate had been in effect since last August and has been extended three times as new variants of the virus caused several separate spikes of new infections. Related story - COVID-19: School District In Western Mass Rescind…

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by Zak Failla
Schools
COVID-19: Massachusetts School Mask Mandate Update Announced COVID-19: Massachusetts School Mask Mandate Update Announced
Covid-19: Massachusetts School Mask Mandate Update Announced Massachusetts Gov. Charlie announced that he's recommending the state school mask mandate be lifted, following the lead of neighboring states that have already announced similar measures. Beginning on Monday, Feb. 28, the requirement that students, teachers, and staff wear masks inside Massachusetts schools will be rescinded, the governor announced, touting the state’s improved COVID-19 data. "Our kids have had to put up with a lot of disruption, a lot of time alone, and has suffered a real learning loss over the past two years. There's no debating those points, no matter where you stand," …

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by Zak Failla
Schools
COVID-19: Massachusetts National Guard Activated To Test Students For Virus COVID-19: Massachusetts National Guard Activated To Test Students For Virus
Covid-19: Massachusetts National Guard Activated To Test Students For Virus Hundreds of members of the Massachusetts National Guard have been activated to help support the testing of Kindergarten through 12th-grade students across the Commonwealth. Gov. Charlie Baker issued an order on Tuesday, Oct. 12 enlisting up to 450 members of the state’s National Guard to help support two missions. The Governor’s orders activate up to 200 members of the Guard to support COVID-19 testing in K-12 schools throughout the Commonwealth and up to 250 members to offset potential staffing shortages at the Department of Correction (DOC). “We are grateful that the National Guard has …

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by Zak Failla
Schools
COVID-19: Social Distance Rules For Students Far Shorter Than For Adults COVID-19: Social Distance Rules For Students Far Shorter Than For Adults
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. …

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by Kristin Palpini
Schools
COVID-19: All Elementary School Students May Be Back In The Classroom By April COVID-19: All Elementary School Students May Be Back In The Classroom By April
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…

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by Kristin Palpini
Schools
COVID-19: First Details Of MCAS Test Changes For 2021 Surface COVID-19: First Details Of MCAS Test Changes For 2021 Surface
Covid-19: First Details Of Mcas Test Changes For 2021 Surface For many students, MCAS testing time will be shorter than usual due to COVID-19, said Massachusetts’ education commissioner, adding that for many students the pandemic likely led to a “learning loss.” On Tuesday, Jan. 5, Elementary and Secondary Education Commissioner Jeffrey Riley sent a memo to superintendents about what the MCAS testing process may be like during the pandemic. With considerations for things like interrupted classroom schedules and distance learning, MCAS will still be taken this spring, but Riley said he will recommend to the state board of education that the test be mod…

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by Kristin Palpini
News
COVID-19: State Gives Worcester 10 Days To Defend Special-Needs Education Plan COVID-19: State Gives Worcester 10 Days To Defend Special-Needs Education Plan
Covid-19: State Gives Worcester 10 Days To Defend Special-Needs Education Plan School officials in Worcester, Springfield, and Boston have just 10 days to defend distance-learning plans for special-needs students - or else state officials are going to step in. Concern that special needs students and those with disabilities are not learning what they need to through the more independent at-home learning style has led Massachusetts education administrators to evaluate what’s happening in the state’s biggest cities. There are no special-needs students receiving in-school education in Worcester or Springfield, and less than 200 in Boston, according to the Boston Globe. …

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by Kristin Palpini