Revere Public School Superintendent Dianne Kelly said this week that RPS is committed to ensuring that all students, including students with special needs, have access to remote learning opportunities throughout the school closure.
“All teachers and related service providers will post resources on the RPS COVID-19 External Learning Opportunities website http://www.reverek12.org/Content2/21338,” said Kelly. “Please do not hesitate to reach out to your child’s teacher, assistant principal or principal if you need assistance accessing materials.”
Kelly said state Education Commissioner Jeffrey Riley and the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education released new guidance to schools to ensure remote learning is a success for all of Revere’s students.
Kelly said students should be working each day on school assignments for a learning period that is roughly half of the number of hours they would have been in school, roughly 3 hours.
“School work might include everything from online video chats, connections between school staff, students, and parents via email, phone, or video chat, assignments that do not require technology to be completed like reading for a certain amount of time, writing essays, exploring the natural environment near home, etc,” said Kelly. “All of these activities would be part of the learning period.”
Plans should include assignments that include physical activity and/or art and music instruction.
“Schools should develop a plan for allowing “credit or no credit” to students for the work they complete,” said Kelly. “Schools need to ensure plans include accommodation and services for students with Individual Educational Plans, English Learners, and Social and Emotional wellbeing. With this guidance in mind, we are working with teachers and administrators to develop a set of plans by grade, which we hope will help make expectations clear to students, staff, and caregivers. We will be seeking input from the School Committee, high school students, and parents before we finalize these plans.”
Kelly said RPS knows that families and staff have different levels of expertise in the use of technology so RPS’s goal is to build a system that meets the needs of all and can be customized, to some degree, for individuals.
“If at any time you feel the curriculum website or assignments are not working for your child, please reach out to your child’s teacher, service provider, or principal so we can work together to solve the problems,” she said. “We also request that you support your child’s teachers and counselors as they navigate this entirely different instructional process. They are all working very hard to keep your children engaged and progressing.”
Kelly added that additional service teachers and therapists will be providing ongoing support and resources for families to access these materials.
“If you need additional support or assistance accessing these materials please contact your child’s classroom teacher, English learner teachers, special education liaison, or related service provider (OT, PT, Speech or Counseling),” said Kelly. “Based on what is reasonably appropriate, Revere Public Schools will be providing additional learning opportunities and/or related services to students with special needs and English learners during the school closure. Although we understand that the frequency and duration of student services may not be able to match the IEP service delivery exactly, what is reasonably appropriate will be determined on a case by case basis.”
Special education teachers, English learner teachers, and therapists will be in touch with families to determine which services and supports are able to be delivered remotely.
“If you have any questions regarding services for your child, please contact your child’s school, the English learner office through the Parent Information Center at (781-485-8453) or the special education office (781-286-8240),” she said.
