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Commissioner Riley's Meeting with State Board of Education Friday
Published on Mar 7, 2021 09:41
March 7, 2021
Dear Millis Parents, Caregivers, and Guardians,
On Friday, the Commissioner of Elementary and Secondary Education, Jeffrey Riley, met with the Board of the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) to seek approval for the authority to mandate the full return of students to schools. The board voted 8-3 in favor of giving Commissioner Riley the authority to do so. The commissioner’s memo to the board and proposed changes to the student learning time regulations are attached to this email.
At some point this week, it is expected that Commissioner Riley will outline the details of his plan. Although not specifically voted on by the Board of Education, earlier statements by the commissioner point to a return of elementary students by April 5 and middle and high school students to follow later in the spring. Parents may still opt to have their students learn in a fully remote model. Again, we do not have the plan or regulations just yet, but hopefully we will be finding out soon. As I mentioned last week, we will continue with our own plans for greater in-person learning as we wait for the DESE plan. Members of the Millis Public Schools administration and the Millis Teachers Association are meeting this week to address any Memorandum of Agreement issues that could arise as the state’s plan is implemented.
Also on Friday, the DESE announced that MCAS testing would be pushed back until later in the spring. The testing window for grades 3, 4, and 5 is now May 10-June 11, while the testing window for grades 6, 7, and 8 has yet to be determined. The testing window for grades 9 and 10 has not changed. According to the commissioner, grade 3-8 MCAS tests will be shorter in duration and results will be used for individual diagnostic purposes rather than an indication of student or school performance. We are still waiting for more information on the high school MCAS tests.
Again, I’d like to thank families for their patience, flexibility, and support as we move towards greater in-person learning. As new information about the DESE guidance and regulations becomes available, I will share it with you as well as the specific plans in our schools to meet those requirements. We are looking forward to having more in-person learning time for our students!
Sincerely,
Bob Mullaney
Superintendent
Commissioner's Memo
Regulatory Changes
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