Revere Teachers Will Head Back to Classrooms

Two weeks ago, after Revere residents testing positive for COVID-19 rose to nearly seven percent and became a ‘red zone’ in the state, the Revere School Committee voted unanimously during an emergency meeting to begin the 2020/2021 school year remotely.

The vote by school board members meant Revere Public Schools (RPS) would bypass the ‘hybrid’ learning model where groups of students would alternate for in-person learning.

However, even with remote learning as the safest way to start the school year, Revere Teachers Association (RTA) members still have many concerns.

“The Mayor announced that RPS would be starting the school year remotely and the School Committee “signed off” on it,” said RTA Vice President Charlene Logue. “However, the RPS continues to present that teachers–who come from 99 different cities and towns–will go into the buildings and teach remotely from their classrooms. They also plan to bring in “high risk groups” for “in person full time” and their teachers who teach them while the majority of students will be learning remotely from home. Three buildings that house five schools have not passed the HVAC expectations. The classrooms do not have the technology like webcams, microphones, and the bandwidth to support a virtual learning model. The list of concerns goes on and on.”

RTA members aired their concerns during a standout Monday in front of City Hall on Broadway.

The standout pressed Mayor Brian Arrigo and RPS Superintendent Diane Kelly to respond to some of RTA member’s criticisms.

Arrigo and Kelly confirmed that despite kicking off the school year with remote learning until COVID numbers in Revere come down, teachers will be back in classrooms to teach remotely.

Arrigo and Kelly said this move will allow teachers to draw from the resources that are only available to them when they are in a school building.

“This includes access to their entire classrooms (chalkboards, libraries, supplemental instructional tools, etc.), technical support, their peers, and other support staff,” said Arrigo and Kelly in the joint statement. “We do not believe we will find success if our teachers are asked to attempt remote instruction from 99 different cities and towns without central support. Beginning September 1, in-person support for our faculty will include curriculum planning sessions, training on new safety protocols, and guidance for referring students for additional support as needed.”

As far as the school buildings not being up to par for reopening, Arrigo and Kelly said the city and RPS are ensuring that the buildings are clean and safe for teachers, administrators and students.

“This work to-date has included securing enough personal protective equipment to meet the needs of all our teachers, staff and students,” continued the statement. “We have also evaluated all school HVAC systems and will complete the necessary upgrades and repairs this week. Increased deep cleaning protocols at all schools buildings will continue. Administrative teams, secretaries, and custodial staff have been working safely in our buildings since June, and we have ample space for our teachers and small groups of students to safely return as well.”

Arrigo and Kelly added that reopening strategy is focused on safety first.

“It is guided by health care professionals and data. It is targeted to critical need students in a phased approach. And it is responsive to the support and training we know our faculty and staff need and deserve,” said the statement. “This is based on the ongoing guidance of medical professionals, including Dr. Nathalee Kong of Mass General and Dr. Douglas Golenbock of UMass Medical, and the input of our families, teachers and administrators. We are grateful to the incredible team at the School Department for the tremendous amount of care and work they continue to dedicate to our schools’ reopening.”

Another component of a safe, remote opening is making best efforts to meet the unique needs of all our students.

“Research indicates that in-person learning, even in this new environment, is the only effective strategy for some students who have special learning needs and are English language learners,” said Arrigo and Kelly. “We hope to bring students in these groups whose caregivers prefer an in-person model back to school buildings sooner. Several teachers and social workers have indicated that they need to be in-person with students in order to help them. Smaller gatherings that allow for appropriate social distancing, combined with safety precautions like mask wearing and frequent hand washing, have been deemed safe by trusted medical professionals and organizations.”

While Arrigo and Kelly agreed there are obstacles that the city will need to overcome to be successful they remain focused on solutions.

“If we work together, we can do what is best for our community and students,” they said. “We look forward to sharing more details with you in the coming days and weeks. And we thank you for your patience and understanding as we navigate these unprecedented times while prioritizing the well-being and safety of our students, families and teachers.”

The 2020-2021 School year is expected to begin on Wednesday, September 16, provided there is dramatic increase in COVID-19 cases.

A Message to RPS Families and Students from Mayor Arrigo and Supt. of Schools Dr. Dianne Kelly 

Dear students and families,   

The Revere School Committee and Revere School Department are committed to bringing our students back into classrooms as soon as it is safe to do so. Based on Revere-specific COVID-19 data available to us — a positive test rate greater than 5% and an average case rate of approximately 13 new cases per day — we know we cannot safely begin school in person for all our students in September. 

We do, however, believe that there are many steps we can take to improve the learning and teaching experience that will begin in September, safely. This is based on the ongoing guidance of medical professionals, including Dr. Nathalee Kong of Mass General and Dr. Douglas Golenbock of UMass Medical, and the input of our families, teachers and administrators. We are grateful to the incredible team at the School Department for the tremendous amount of care and work they continue to dedicate to our schools’ reopening.

These steps include: 

1. Bringing all of our teachers back into their classrooms for remote instruction so they can draw from the resources that are only available to them when they are in a school building. This includes access to their entire classrooms (chalkboards, libraries, supplemental instructional tools, etc.), technical support, their peers, and other support staff.  We do not believe we will find success if our teachers are asked to attempt remote instruction from 99 different cities and towns without central support. Beginning September 1, in-person support for our faculty will include curriculum planning sessions, training on new safety protocols, and guidance for referring students for additional support as needed.

2. Making our best effort to meet the unique needs of all our students. Research indicates that in-person learning, even in this new environment, is the ONLY effective strategy for some students who have special learning needs and are English language learners. We hope to bring students in these groups whose caregivers prefer an in-person model back to school buildings sooner. Several teachers and social workers have indicated that they need to be in-person with students in order to help them. Smaller gatherings that allow for appropriate social distancing, combined with safety precautions like mask wearing and frequent hand washing, have been deemed safe by trusted medical professionals and organizations.

3. Ensuring our buildings are clean and safe for teachers, administrators and students to confidently return. This work to-date has included securing enough personal protective equipment to meet the needs of all our teachers, staff and students. We have also evaluated all school HVAC systems and will complete the necessary upgrades and repairs this week. Increased deep cleaning protocols at all schools buildings will continue. Administrative teams, secretaries, and custodial staff have been working safely in our buildings since June, and we have ample space for our teachers and small groups of students to safely return as well. 

Our reopening strategy is focused on safety first. It is guided by health care professionals and data. It is targeted to critical need students in a phased approach. And it is responsive to the support and training we know our faculty and staff need and deserve.

  We have all heard about the obstacles that we’ll need to overcome to be successful, but we must remain focused on solutions. If we work together, we can do what is best for our community and students. 

We look forward to sharing more details with you in the coming days and weeks. And we thank you for your patience and understanding as we navigate these unprecedented times while prioritizing the well-being and safety of our students, families and teachers.