The Cohasset School Committee held a virtual forum and answered more than 75 questions from residents on the school re-entry plan.
School Superintendent Pat Sullivan says they plan on using a hybrid model, with a combination of in-person and remote learning. The emphasis is on in-person learning to keep as normal a learning experience as possible.
The School Committee said based on feedback from parents, that was the preferred model.
“All of these things that we know make it really important for our students to come in, from a social perspective as well as an academic perspective,” said Sullivan. “The students need to interact with other students and need to be in our buildings. I say this with respect to folks who may determine that it’s not the path for their kid – I get that, I’m not trying to disparage that.”
Social distance precautions will be in place, and all students will learn remotely on Wednesdays to ensure thorough cleaning of buildings.
Parents expressed concern over the full-remote option, which requires a semester commitment. They wanted to see the School Committee add an option to opt-out, which could prove difficult.
Some felt that students would lose the personal connection with teachers as the town opted to use the TEC Connections Academy to provide services.
School Committee Chair Craig MacLellan says the program has been vetted, and with limited resources, it was determined to be the best option.
“We would love to have our remote students just be part of the school… but we don’t have the resources to do it. We can’t offer both a hybrid and a fully-remote model,” said MacLellan. “The voice of the community as we stated in our missive that went out last night has been decidedly clear is that as much in-person, in-school time as possible is what the community is looking for.”
The Cohasset School Committee will vote on a final re-entry plan during a special meeting on August 26th.
More information can be found on the Cohasset Schools website.
