Copy and past this link from Pegasus to watch the 4/26 School Committee Meeting where we heard the first consideration of virtual schools in the fall: https://videoplayer.telvue.com/player/994DtmGEsi0VDYK3jJI2BJ72GfgNIpU2/media/637251?autostart=false&showtabssearch=true
See all of the Pegasus Videos from Committees here.
Cues to the Video are listed below:
1:11:42 - 1:25 Introduction from Dr. Nolin of a DESE memo on Single District Virtual Schools and her observations about the application:
1) We don't know what the fall is going to look like.
2) What is the criteria for who is allowed to be remote based on medical need? Does this put our families in a bind, for example, if the child is in a home with someone who has a compromised immune system? Will that child be allowed to attend a virtual school based on a family member?
Committee Questions begin at (1:25)
3) If we don't run a remote learning academy AND we need to bring everyone back with 3ft. of distancing we will need more personnel and need to rent space. (1:28:25) DESE has commented that they expect the Governor to lift the emergency orders by the fall.
4) (1:30) Is there an appetite from families and teachers for an integrated model where remote students are able to participate in our current school system via live streaming? We would still need to submit this application.
5) (1:34) We were able to offer families the options that we were able to run this year because of the emergency orders. If they are lifted, all of it goes back to state standards. There are provisions within the law to do things for students with medical needs. From a committee member: Should we explore documenting more of the needs for students?
6) (1:47) What is the threshold (the number of students who would desire this option) when we would put our resources towards a virtual school? The initial hope was that we would do this to be a cost savings - perhaps in a collaborative fashion with other districts or to eventually to allow for school choice (students allowed to attend Natick schools who live outside our district and who's district would pay $5K per student to attend.) DESE is not allowing collaboratives or school choice at this point for this virtual option.
7) (1:50:25) What has happened in the past if you were a child living with someone who was immune compromised? Students in the past would attend a state virtual school or be homeschooled. Tecca Collaborative - something Natick has participated in for a long time - is able to accept even up to 300 students at this point but DESE will not allow that kind of program to count as a full time option for the fall.
8) (1:55) Could we have applied to be a virtual school district at anytime? It has always been an option but no one has ever done this single district virtual option before. There are two state wide virtual schools (1:58) In the past we have allowed students to take some classes part time virtually when there schedules demanded it (figure skater and child actor as examples) and then graduate from Natick. DESE is not allowing students to use those mechanisms on a full time basis. Administration noted a deep frustration that we cannot use the mechanisms that we already have in place for something people might need in the fall.
9) (2:00) Are we taking about a one year program for next year or long term? DESE answer - you are creating a new school that could run into the future until the School Committee decided to close the virtual school.
The administration will be meeting with DESE to understand more about the application, process and the committee will revisit a virtual option at future meetings.