Wicked Local
Data from the Massachusetts Department of Education and Somerville Public Schools shows racial inequities in which students are learning remote versus attending full-time in-person education.
As of April 14, Assistant Superintendent Chad Mazza said 500 students had elected to continue fully remote, representing 15% of elementary school students. Survey data from mid-March shows that 85% of district families wanted a hybrid model, with the percentage varying slightly by school.
For example, 77% of Capuano School families and 88% of East Somerville Community School families wanted a hybrid model.
The survey assessing interest in a hybrid model was sent out before DESE mandated an April return to all full-time in-person education, so the district sent out an updated survey to gauge interest in the full-time option. Survey results were similar, though response rates dropped, which Mazza said was likely due to families receiving two surveys in a week.