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March 9, 2021 by Carol Britton Meyer
A petition signed by some 600 supporters of a return to in-person learning at the secondary level as soon as possible was submitted to school officials recently.
After acknowledging the petition at last night's remote School Committee meeting, Supt. of Schools Paul Austin requested that an additional meeting be called for next Monday, March 15, at which time he would present a proposal to return high school and middle school students to in-person learning in the near future. The committee honored his request. The meeting will begin at 7 p.m., and a large crowd is expected to participate.
Negotiating team member Liza O'Reilly shared an update from an executive session that was held prior to the regular School Committee meeting regarding a Memorandum of Agreement with the Hingham Education Association Unit A (the teachers' union) regarding the reopening of schools and the 2020-2021 school year that was ratified by the HEA and supported unanimously by the committee during their regular meeting Monday night.
"We had a very collaborative discussion regarding working conditions for the next in-person learning phase at the elementary level and the return to in-person learning for middle school students on Wednesdays beginning March 17," O'Reilly reported.
The MOA includes Austin's recommendation for all non-remote grade 1-5 students to return to in-person learning five days a week on March 15 and for middle school students to attend in-person classes on alternating Wednesdays starting next week -- all with three to six feet of physical distancing in place. Teachers may continue to maintain a six-foot distance from students in most cases.
Remote-only teachers will be hired who are familiar with the Hingham Public Schools staff and program to support remote learners. They will work in collaboration with classroom teachers, who will maintain relationships with their students by making time available for morning meetings and other socialization opportunities.
HEA President June Gustafson thanked the School Committee, Austin, and school administrators on behalf of the association for listening to their concerns. "We're very excited about the reopening and look forward to continued communication as the next steps for the remainder of the school year are developed."
Committee Chair Kerry Ni thanked all those involved for "the incredible amount of work on everyone's part" and expressed appreciation for the "collaborative nature of the process so far. It's hasn't been an easy year," she said.
Prior to Austin's request for a meeting next Monday, parent Julie Donovan expressed concern about the negative impacts of "this lackluster hybrid [learning] model," calling the current situation "a mental health crisis" for students. Donovan requested a full return to school for middle and high school students no later than April 26, the day after Spring break.
"These students have been sitting in their bedrooms by themselves for a year now [while learning remotely]," she said. "This is irresponsible. High school students have given up. . . . I'm praying for the right thing to be done . . . for our children."
Following remarks by Donovan and other parents during the public comment period at the beginning of the meeting, Austin acknowledged that many people "are anxious about the high school and middle school levels [with respect to returning to full in-person learning]."
Austin then said he will have ready for School Committee review at next week's meeting "proposals to increase in-person learning for secondary students within weeks, not months -- as people have been asking for -- and maybe sooner. I'll have specific dates on Monday, along with the [details] of the program" he will propose at that time].
Austin went on to say that his intent is to bring middle and high school students "back five days a week" -- for how many hours is unclear at this point.
A survey has been sent to families asking them to commit to in-person or remote learning to limit enrollment/classroom changes between in-person and remote learning students.
Ni and fellow committee member Michelle Ayer were planning to meet with high school students Tuesday to hear their thoughts about returning to in-person learning and related concerns, comments, and questions.
In other business at the meeting, HPS director of social studies Andy Hoey talked about a new collaborative classroom-based effort between the state and local school districts to enhance civic engagement among students.
Eighth-graders from across the state will participate, including Hingham High School students. In part, Hoey said, they will "learn to disagree respectfully as well as how to build consensus" and to also do extensive research.
Austin announced that the Fiscal 2022 school budget has been reduced by $1.12 million due to likely one-time Student Opportunity Act Plan funds; a change in the full-day kindergarten assumptions -- from 225 to 275 students, resulting in $175,000 in additional revenue; the extension of several leaves of absence; and other factors.
The proposed increase is now 8.16 rather than 9.79 percent over last year's budget for a total figure of $61.36 million rather than the preliminary $62.48 million. There could be further reductions as the budget season progresses, HPS Director of Business & Support Services John Ferris said.
A couple of parents asked why that budget savings couldn't be put toward teacher positions, such as a fine arts director and a director of equity and inclusion.
"We're looking to help close the [$4.5 million overall town and school] budget gap before adding anything back in," O'Reilly said.
Rebecca Silva, a mother of four children attending Plymouth River School, the middle school, and the high school, shared her own view. "We didn't ask for everything we needed for our kids in the [Fiscal 2022 school] budget," she said. "It's time for the town to put the schools above the minimum requirement to get by. I don't expect anything to change, but I felt this needed to be said."
Ayer acknowledged that she recognizes the need for those two positions and others. "This is where the strategic plan [for the schools] will come in -- so [in part] we can move ahead with some of those positions."