Committee to mull options for reopening Greenfield schools
PROIETTI
Published: 2/11/2021 6:31:19 PM
GREENFIELD After receiving a petition signed by more than 500 people, the School Committee announced at its regular meeting Wednesday that it will begin looking at options for reopening schools to all students.
The committee received the petition earlier this week, which included signatures from parents, educators and others who want to see children return to in-person learning by April 26.
“I appreciate the folks who are asking for us to move to an in-person model by late April,” School Committee Chair Amy Proietti said. “It’s very important to get students back into school.”
Greenfield School Committee signs resolution against holding MCAS testing this year
Published: 2/11/2021 4:46:34 PM
GREENFIELD At the recommendation of the Greenfield Education Association and those who spoke during its meeting Wednesday, the School Committee voted unanimously to sign a resolution asking the state to forgo MCAS testing this year.
During the public comment portion of the meeting, some speakers asked how anyone could expect students to concentrate and study during a pandemic, while also participating in high-stakes testing. Furthermore, many said they believe this is not the year to expect the results to be reliable, “valid or useful.”
Greenfield resident Doug Selwyn, author of “All Children Are All Our Children,” argued the MCAS (Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System) tests are “worthless and annoying.” He said they make students feel like failures, especially those whose first language is not English.
Greenfield’s schools back to fully remote learning until at least Jan. 11
Modified: 12/18/2020 4:42:06 PM
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GREENFIELD The Greenfield School Committee voted during a special meeting Thursday night to return to fully remote learning until at least Jan. 11, when it will reassess COVID-19 metrics to decide whether to bring high-risk students back to in-person learning.
Superintendent Jordana Harper temporarily suspended in-person learning earlier this week after she saw case numbers rising and asked for a recommendation from the city’s Board of Health. High-risk learners, like those in special education and learning English as a second language, had returned to in-person learning almost two weeks ago.
Greenfield School Committee has emergency meeting after super opts for fully remote instruction for 3 days
HARPER
Published: 12/15/2020 4:58:00 PM
GREENFIELD The Greenfield School Committee called an emergency meeting Tuesday morning after Superintendent Jordana Harper decided Monday afternoon without its approval to return schools to fully remote instruction for at least three days due to rising numbers of positive COVID-19 cases throughout the city.
All seven members of the committee met in an online meeting to discuss not only how to take back its authority and preserve the integrity of the committee, but also to discuss whether to overturn Harper’s decision. Harper did not attend the meeting.