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West Springfield Mayor Will Reichelt was one of 16 municipal leaders that received a letter from the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education on Sept. 18. The letter gave the school districts - all of which are “low risk” for the spread of COVID-19 - 10 days to defend their fully-remote back-to-school plans.
In his response to the state, Tuesday, Sept. 29, Reichelt said that he was taken aback that the department of education didn’t reach out to the city before sending the letter. He said it is curious that the state announced the back-to-school deadline to the schools and the press at about the same time.
“It is difficult to feel supported when DESE made the decision to publicize and politicize this particular issue,” Reichelt said in his response to the state.
“I am hopeful that we are able to work cooperatively towards the common goal of providing access to high-quality education for all students in a safe environment,” he said.
Fall back-to-school plans have been upended by the virus forcing education districts around the country to decide how and when students should return to classrooms.
The Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) issued guidance throughout the summer, but some of that advice didn’t come in until mid-August. The reopening was pushed back by up to 14 days for many schools. Municipalities were told it was up to them to decide the safest and best way to return students to school.
In West Springfield, the plan is to start remotely (done) and then have high-need students receive in-school education (which is happening now). School officials will often evaluate whether it is time to return more students to in-class education. The city has plans to reassess the school reopening plan on Oct. 26.
Reichelt said that despite the low risk of infection in his city, there are good reasons why West Springfield started off remotely and continues to offer mostly remote education.
One factor is the inability to schedule adequate language instruction for non-native English speakers.
“We have a rich tradition of welcoming new Americans to the city, which has resulted in a school community which speaks approximately 49 different languages and dialects,” Reichelt said in his letter to the state. “This presents unique challenges for in-person learning for which we needed additional time to adapt.”
Reichelt said he felt West Springfield was singled out for criticism. A neighboring city has a near-identical plan and risk level and that city did not receive a letter calling for an explanation, he said.
West Springfield is holding a virtual open forum on the city’s back to school plans Tuesday, Sept. 29, at 5:30 p.m. If you want to go call, (425) 436-6277 and sign in with the participant code 789994.
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