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Commissioner Jeffrey Riley with the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education has created a proposal. It would be for elementary school students across the city of The Bay State. Moreover, to have them going back to school five days a week during April.

Commissioner Jeffrey Riley Wants to Reverse the Education System Changes

Riley told the Board of Elementary and Secondary Education that he wants to ask for the authority to begin the process or reverse education system changes. These were put into place in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

“I want you to authorize me to decide how to best come out of the COVID-19 pandemic and back to the traditional school model. Moreover, I will be going before the board in the next week or two to ask,” he said.

For the COVID-19 briefing focusing on the education plan, Riley was joined by Governor Charlie Baker in Boston.

Commissioner Jeffrey Riley Wants to Get Rid of Remote Learning

“By April, starting with elementary school, its time to set our sights on eliminating remote learning,” Baker said. “Because COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations continue to decline and with vaccines well underway.”

Riley has pointed to the declining rate of COVID-19 cases in Massachusetts in support of his plans. There is an availability of pool testing school districts, the ongoing vaccine rollout and the approaching spring weather.

Health Metrics Get Better

As the health metrics continue to improve, at some point, we will have to take remote and hybrid learning models off the table,” Riley told the board.

During March, Riley said he will seek out the authority to decide when hybrid or remote learning hours are not counting toward the mandating education time for schools.

“Moreover, this authority would be part of a wider plan to return more students to in-person learning this Spring. However, it assumes our state’s health metrics will improve,” he said.

Phased Approach to Bring Children Back to School Full Time

Therefore, starting with elementary students in April, Riley said he plans to put into place a phasing approach to bringing children back to school full time. In fact, Riley has come up with an option for parents to pick remote learning through the end of the year. Moreover, Riley has suggested that districts could also apply for waivers. Therefore, that is if they need to take a “more incremental approach.”