MANCHESTER — Students in grades 2-12 will begin the school year learning remotely but might be able to move to an optional hybrid model after the first quarter, under a proposal school administrators will present next week.
Under the proposal, if conditions allow the district to return to a hybrid model with in-person instruction two days a week, students will have the option of returning to school or continuing remote learning.
Manchester parents would choose between the remote model and the so-called blended model of remote learning followed by part-time school attendance if that becomes possible. The choice would apply to at least the first semester, and students would be required to stay in their chosen model at least a full quarter.
Superintendent John Goldhardt will submit his recommendations for reopening Manchester schools to the Board of School Committee for approval at a remote meeting Monday at 6 p.m.
Under the proposal, a copy of which was obtained by the Union Leader, Manchester schools will participate in athletics.
The proposal recommends that teachers instruct students remotely from their classrooms “to provide a more conducive teaching, planning, and learning environment, as well as filtered Internet, use of school phones instead of private phones, access to copies, paper, etc.”
The recommendations stress that exceptions will be made for educators who meet the criteria outlined in the Families First Coronavirus Response Act or the Americans with Disabilities Act. All adults and students in Manchester school buildings will be required to wear face coverings and maintain six-foot social distancing.
“As I’ve said all along, our plan for re-entry to schools will need to be fluid,” Goldhardt said. “We have spent months working with stakeholders to build the infrastructure for safely reopening schools, and that is what this draft proposal is built on. While the optimal situation would be for us to open schools for all who choose to be in person on Sept. 9, in my opinion, we simply are not ready to do that yet.”
Goldhardt said administrators will re-evaluate the situation on Oct. 9.
Under Goldhardt’s proposal, students in pre-K, kindergarten and first grade will begin the year in the blended model, attending school in person for part of the week unless they prefer the all-remote option. Specialized programming also would be in person as much as possible to begin the year.
Goldhardt said families will be asked to choose which model they’re most comfortable with, and with that information, administrators will be able to firm up plans. Parents will be notified of their options by Aug. 17 and will have until Aug. 24 to make their selection.
“I cannot stress enough that this proposal, and the decision the Board of School Committee makes on Monday, are starting points,” Goldhardt said. “I understand that will be frustrating to some, but we must remain flexible.”
The head of the city’s teacher union called Goldhardt’s proposal “solid.”
“We have discussed the remote piece and are pleased that the district administration agrees with us regarding safety for all involved,” said Sue Hannan, president of the Manchester Education Association. “MEA stands firm that all educators should be teaching remotely. We certainly understand the needs of students at all ages, but the needs of all educators is not being addressed.
“We do have faith that the district can work with us to develop flexibility that allows for the educators who need to teach remotely can do that, especially those in early childhood education.”
Hannan said union representatives met briefly with Goldhardt on Thursday and plan to meet with him again three times over the next week.
Under the proposal, Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday will be designated as regular remote learning days to begin the year, and Wednesdays will be set aside for independent learning, as well as interventions, academic coaching, tutoring, small group re-teaching of material, and other things that require particular attention.
Students will be able to participate in school activities but will meet online when group size or social distancing are concerns.
Athletic teams will follow guidelines issued by the New Hampshire Interscholastic Athletic Association.
On Oct. 9, Goldhardt and other administrators plan to work with the Manchester Health Department to evaluate the remote learning model, current COVID-19 numbers in the community and safety precautions. At that point, they will recommend whether to stay in remote learning the rest of the semester or move to the hybrid model in the second quarter.
In the hybrid model proposed by Goldhardt, students will attend school in-person two days each week will learn remotely two other days.
Students whose last names begin with A through K will go to school Monday and Tuesday and work from home on Thursdays and Fridays. Students with last names L-Z will work from home the first two days of the week and attend class in-person the last two days.
Everyone will do school work from home on Wednesdays.
Among other proposed changes, students will use backpacks rather than lockers, middle school students will stay in the same classroom as much as possible and high school class times will be staggered to limit hallway congestion.
Manchester school plan
According to a summary of the district’s remote learning plan:
• Teachers will use District-adopted and/or approved curriculum;
• Students will enroll at their brick-and-mortar schools; remote learning will be taught by the teacher they would return to in a traditional schedule;
• Students will attend school online during regular school hours and follow a standard school schedule;
• Teachers will teach “live” with students using video conferencing technology (such as Zoom and Google Meet);
• There will be a greater emphasis on relationship-building than academics during the first three weeks of school;
• Students will participate in synchronous and asynchronous learning. Synchronous learning means all students will learn online at the same time;
• Each week, students will interact with their teachers in a face-to-face (Zoom, Google Meet, etc.) environment;
• Assessments will be given to students remotely if appropriate and feasible;
• Students will continue to have access to support services (such as counseling services, speech, etc.) at school or remotely as appropriate;
• School-based staff will serve as community outreach liaisons to engage students and families and help achieve success in remote learning;
• Electronic devices will be available for check-out at the school site for students who need them;
• Students with disabilities and English Learners will receive in-person, small-group, targeted instruction as much as possible;
• Teachers will be expected to have consistent online office hours, which will be communicated to students, parents and the principal;
• Principals will continue to provide feedback to teachers during remote learning through both informal “virtual walk-throughs” and formal evaluations;
• Feedback and grading will be recorded and updated a minimum of once per week.
