It’s been a busy summer! There’s been so much information about what this fall will look like for our students, but it’s been difficult to sift through everything and find the essential information. Here’s what parents, guardians, and advocates for students with disabilities in Massachusetts need to know:
On July 24, 2020 the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) issued its Final Fall Reopening Guidance, updating the June 25, 2020 Initial Fall Reopening Guidance. The clearly stated goal for back to school 2020 was to “safely bring back as many students as possible to in-person school settings, to maximize learning and address our students’ holistic needs.” Districts were told to prioritize in-person instruction for special education students and other vulnerable populations.
On July 9, 2020, DESE published its Comprehensive Special Education Guidance. It reaffirmed that all special education rights, including the right to Free Appropriate Public Education (FAPE) continued, despite the pandemic. The Department urged schools and districts to prioritize in-person instruction for two particular groups of students with disabilities: preschool-aged students, and students with significant and complex needs, explaining that remote learning is often more challenging for these students.
On August 25, 2020, DESE published a spreadsheet listing District Back to School Plans . As of that date, the majority of districts (224) were hybrid. 114 districts were fully-remote and only 15 were in person.
On August 26, 2020 DESE updated its Fall Reopening Frequency Asked Questions. DESE continued to advocate for safe, in-person instruction.
On August 31, 2020, the Coalition to Safely Reopen Schools (a group of school teachers, nurses, and other employees), issued a position statement concluding, "we don't believe our State is ready to pursue in person learning safely." That same day, many Andover teachers refused to enter the school building over concerns about the safety of the district’s hybrid model.
So where do we go from here? At Wong & Boscarine we will continue to advocate for our clients to be educated in the setting that allows them to make effective progress. At the same time, we remain ready to creatively advocate for students if that setting is not available. Please feel free to reach out to us if you have concerns about your child’s education rights this fall.