Schools closed til May 4: Notes from Commissioner Riley

Governor Baker has announced that schools will remain closed through at least May 4; "this is not an extended vacation"

Commissioner Riley, taking questions as I quickly get a tab open to take notes:

Riley: focus...is on the needs of our students, esp most vulnerable
safety
almost 1200 sites to feed our kids
further allows to keep kids safe
building in additional planning time
additional guidance tomorrow morning, speaking with and planning with
"current remote learning plans"
implementing revised plans by early plans
all in together

our advice "we recognize that this is a traumatic time for our kids, then we want to get them in a routine"
"going to offer some structure"
"keeping them in a routine"
reading a book, cooking recipes, starting a garden
supply some resources in addition

MCAS?
respectful of federal and state laws and lawmakers
have applied for federal waiver
then see what state leg does if he'll be allowed to make such decisions

letter to families regarding "this very issue"
not all families have access to computers and broadbands
many districts are doing paper and pencil
districts should do whatever they can to get out to kids "but want to be sure we don't penalize kids who don't have access to the internet"

hearing some have gone in a direction of online learning
remote learning "is learning from home" which could be many things
trying to support them
"as well as pull people together to see what additional supports we can get out to people in the field"

"this could be an amazing opportunity to think about how we educate our kids"
"we won't know, but it's certainly something we're looking at"

EDITED TO ADD that the state's guidance can be found online here.