►
Description
As the new school year begins, Boston Public Schools families are faced with a unique difficult decision: hybrid learning or all-remote learning? On this episode of Commissioners Corner, Host, Lois Leonard and BPS Superintendent Dr. Brenda Cassellius break down how hybrid learning is going to work and how BPS teachers are going to serve families who choose to go all-remote. For more information on school reopening, visit: http://www.bostonpublicschools.org
A
Welcome
to
commissioner's
corner
I'm
your
host
lois
leonard,
and
thank
you
for
joining
us
today.
Boston
is
the
birthplace
of
education
and
is
full
of
young
people
with
great
potential,
but
as
the
new
school
year
begins
they're
faced
with
challenges,
unlike
any
before
in
recent
history,
it's
our
duty,
the
community
relatives
and
professionals,
to
rise
to
the
challenge
and
give
them
every
opportunity
possible
so
with
us
today
is
boston
school
superintendent,
dr
brenda
caselius,
to
discuss
the
needs,
changes
and
expectations
of
this
unprecedented
year.
Doctor.
Thank
you
so
much
for
joining
us.
A
A
B
Well,
this
was
a
really
hard
decision
to
make,
but
it
was
really
a
family
choice
and
really
trying
to
honor
our
families
and
what
was
going
to
work
for
their
circumstance
and
then
also
students
with
high
needs
and
being
able
to
get
them
back
into
our
buildings
as
soon
as
possible.
And
the
the
third
is
really
around
the
science
and
the
numbers
of
positivity
rate
within
boston
in
the
area.
A
Let's
go
over
for
everyone,
remote
learning
hybrid:
where
do
we
start?
How
is
it,
how
is
it
going
to
be
executed?
Well,.
B
So
we
are
going
to
offer
in-person
learning
to
our
students
who
are
highest
need
october,
1st.
Everybody
will
start
on
the
21st
remotely
for
about
two
weeks
and
then
we'll
have
our
high
need
highest
need.
Students
come
october
1st
and
then
we'll
wait,
two
weeks
after
that
and
begin
to
bring
back
our
k0
k1
and
k2
students.
B
Those
are
our
three
four
and
five-year-olds
give
the
little
ones
a
little
bit
of
a
chance,
plus
the
science
says
that
they're
less
likely
to
spread
the
disease
and
then
take
another
two
weeks
to
really
look
into
how
students
are
doing
and
be
able
to
add
back
our
intermediate
grades
and
then
our
high
school
after
that,
so
that
all
students
will
be
back
prior
to
thanksgiving
break.
B
A
B
That's
correct
and
that
will
give
our
teachers
a
time
to
practice
to
ensure
that
every
student
is
had
their
tech
checkup,
meaning
that
they
have
their
computer.
They
have
their
wi-fi,
it
is
working
and
we
have
connected
with
every
single
family
so
that
they're
ready.
One
thing
we
learned
this
past
spring
was
that
one
teachers
needed
more
time
to
prep
and
be
prepared
for
remote
learning
and
what
that
will
look
like
in
the
design
of
their
lessons
so
that
they
students
stay
engaged
and
the
second
piece
was,
as
parents
become
a
student's
first
teacher.
B
Yeah,
they
can
finish
their
reading
lists,
which
is
good
and
their
summer
homework
that
they
had.
Second,
they
can
make
sure
that
they
have
a
chromebook
and
let
us
know-
and
let
their
teachers
know
if
they
don't
have
one
we'll
be
doing
the
tech
checkup
teachers
will
also
be
doing
a
virtual
home
visit.
Some
of
those
visits
may
also
be
in
person
if
the
family
requested
and
if
they
can
do
that
in
socially
distance
and
be
outside
and
visit
with
the
family.
A
So,
but
once
all
remote
ends,
they
do
have
a
choice
to
be
included
in
hybrid
learning.
Can
you
explain
how
that's
gonna,
what
that's
gonna
look
like
and
and
how
those
children
and
families
make
those
choices.
B
So
we
have
a
survey
out
now
asking
families
what
their
choice
is
and
we've
had
a
really
good
response
rate
for
families
choosing
whether
they
want
hybrid
or
whether
they
want
all
remote.
And
so
we
are
asking
our
families
to
let
us
know
as
soon
as
they
possibly
can
and
then
those
families
that
haven't
let
us
know.
Yet
we
are
calling
them
and
we're
asking
principals
and
teachers
to
help
us
connect
with
every
single
family
so
that
there's
no
stone
unturned
and
every
student
is
expressing
their
desire
for
remote.
B
Of
course,
families
always
have
the
option
to
be
all
remote,
so
they
there
are
families
that
will
go
all
school
year,
all
remote,
and
then
we
have
about
40
to
50
percent
of
our
families,
who
are
choosing
and
in
person
two
days
a
week
where
they
will
come
and
and
then
three
days
a
week,
they
will
be
at
home
doing
their
remote
learning.
A
So
students
can
either
choose
to
be
a
part
of
the
group,
a
which
would
be
monday
and
tuesday
wednesday.
Of
course,
no
one
will
be
going
to
schools
as
you
clean
the
schools
and
then
on
thursday
and
friday
group
b,
and
they
stay
in
those
groups
around
this
and
be
around
the
same
students
all
the
time
that
is
correct,
okay
and-
and
they
do
have
your
your
plan
seems
to
be
rather
flexible,
which
is
wonderful
for
everyone.
A
B
Yeah,
it's
always
easier
to
go
to
all
remote
than
it
is
to
come
back
and
hybrid.
So
if
families
are
wanting
to
be
in
hybrid,
they
think
at
some
point
they
should
choose
that
now
as
their
option.
But
you
know
they'll
probably
have
another
opportunity.
We
will
make
exceptions
for
those
students
who
are
high
need
who
did
choose
all
remote
and
want
to
go
back
to
hybrid,
but
for
other
families.
It's
likely
that
it
will
happen
at
the
end
of
the
grading
period.
A
So
for
those
students
who
are
going
to
be
again
have
the
option
to
begin
hybrid
learning
in
early
october
october
1.,
who
are
considered
our
most
vulnerable,
that
will
be
considered
for
that
early
opening.
B
Well,
we
have
several
therapeutic
day
schools,
where
students
who
are
medically
fragile
or
have
significant
learning
needs.
They
will
be
back
there's
also
a
group
of
students
who
are
placed
in
substantially
separate
classrooms
and
need
a
lot
of
support
from
multiple
staff
members
in
order
to
progress
and
meet
their
goals
and
those
students
will
be
coming
back.
A
Let's
talk
about
transportation
for
just
a
moment,
will
things
look
the
same
as
they
did
last
year
with
the
yellow
buses
and
the
mbta
transportation?
Well,.
B
Hopefully,
they
don't
look
the
same
because
last
year,
bus
didn't
get
there
on
time.
Okay,
that's
kind
of
been
a
yearly
concern
for
us
and
I
actually
hired
a
consultant
this
past
year
to
get
our
buses
running
on
time
this
year,
and
so
this
is
disappointing
that
we're
not
going
to
be
able
to
implement
a
lot
of
those
recommendations
because
of
the
phase
in
and
because
of
the
way
we're
doing
it.
B
However,
I
do
think
that
phasing
them
in
is
going
to
allow
for
us
to
run
our
buses
and
get
our
buses
running
more
efficiently,
because
we
have
to
also
account
for
less
students
on
the
bus
because
they
have
to
socially
distance
there's
only
one
student
allowed
per
bench,
and
so
it's
really
important
that
we
are
staying
up
on
those
guidelines,
cleaning
between
our
routes
and
making
sure
that
kids
get
to
school
safely
and
on
time.
B
Well,
that
is
dependent
upon
the
usda,
so,
of
course,
students
will
always
get
free
meals
when
they
come
to
school,
but
what's
complicating.
The
matter
is
that
we
have
a
summer
feeding
opportunity
through
the
usda,
where,
during
the
summers
we
are
able
to
feed
multiple
meals
to
students,
parents
can
come
up
and
pick
up
their
meals
for
students.
B
But
if
the
usda
does
not
give
us
this
flexibility
in
this
waiver
moving
forward,
meals
will
have
to
be
served
in
school
only
to
school
students
during
it's
called
congregate,
feeding
and
they'll
have
to
be
in
school
to
get
those
meals
and
we
won't
be
able
to
send
multiple
meals
home
to
children,
and
parents
won't
be
able
to
come
pick
up
those
meals
who
are
remote.
So
this
is
highly
problematic
that
the
usda
is
playing
around
with
food
security
for
our
poorest
children.
B
It's
very
disappointing
and
I'm
doing
everything
I
can
the
mayor's
written
a
letter.
We've
talked
to
our
state
delegation
about
it
as
well,
and
putting
pressure
on
the
usda
secretary
to
issue
this
waiver
now,
so
that
school
districts
can
serve
our
neediest
children
and
make
sure
that
they
have
food.
A
So,
for
updates
on
how
that
program
is
moving
forward,
you
we
can
log
on
to
your
website
and
get
updated
information.
A
B
Don't
have
updated
available
waiver
because
that's
kind
of
just
technical
back
of
the
napkin,
but
we
will
be
definitely
communicating
with
our
families,
as
will
the
city
of
boston
about
how
they
can
access
food
if
families
need
opportunities.
B
The
usda
has
not
guaranteed
that
those
will
also
be
available
going
forward,
and
this
is
also
problematic
to
the
food
security
of
our
families,
as
families
are
experiencing
unemployment
at
the
highest
rates
that
we've
seen
in
a
long
time.
This
is
not
the
time
for
the
federal
government
to
be
loosening
and
and
playing
politics
with
food
security
for
our
neediest
children
and
our
neediest
families.
A
Thank
you
thanks
for
that
information
very
important.
I
know
that
this
past
spring
it
was
discovered
that
and
a
certain
impediment
to
remote
learning
can
be
accessed.
How
are
those
without
laptops
or
internet
service?
How
will
they
be
helped?
This
semester.
B
Well,
the
wonderful
thing
is,
the
mayor
has
put
together
a
digital
equity
fund,
so
we
are
going
to
be
providing
hot
spots
to
our
families.
Comcast
internet
essentials
has
expanded
their
a
program
to
our
neediest
families
through
december
31st,
we're
hoping
that
will
continue
to
expand
as
we
go
through
the
school
year.
B
Also,
we
have
offered
opportunities
through
our
housing
department
to
be
able
to
work
with
them
and
their
connectivity
and
making
sure
that
the
wi-fi
is
available
there
and
our
homeless
students
making
sure
that
they
have
wi-fi
and
that's
the
biggest
issue
is
the
connectedness
we're
also
ramping
up
our
multilingual
support
to
families
so
that
they,
because
what
we
found
was
families,
could
access
the
modem
through
comcast
or
whatever.
But
then
they
didn't
know
how
to
turn
it
on.
B
A
C
We
will
continue
the
work
that
we
begin
before
covert
19
even
happens,
closing
the
opportunity
and
achievement
gaps,
giving
every
single
child
the
quality
education
that
they
deserve.
The
one
thing
I
think
I
can
say
safely
about
all
of
us
here.
Sometimes
we
might
have
have
different
ways
of
getting
to
a
goal,
but
we
all
believe
in
this.
We
all
believe
in
making
boston,
public
schools,
the
greatest
urban
district
in
the
country.
B
Just
feel
really
blessed
as
a
superintendent
to
have
so
much
support
from
the
mayor
and
really
the
city
council
and
the
entire
cabinet.
We
have
been
supported
through
this
culvert
19
crisis
immensely
by
the
mayor
and
by
the
cabinet
members,
especially
chief
martinez
and
others,
who
have
just
been
tremendously
supportive,
I'm
also
supportive
of
his
hundred
million
dollar
commitment
to
the
children
of
boston
public
schools
over
the
next
three
years.
A
Well,
the
challenges
that
we
are
faced
with,
obviously
due
to
covid
they're,
going
to
continue
they're,
not
we're
they're
a
reality,
we're
living
with
it
today
and
I'm
sure
it's
distracting
from
actual
learning.
How
are
you
and
your
teachers
going
to
rise
above
this
distraction.
B
Well,
the
hardest
thing
is
the
impact
on
students
and
teachers,
mental
health
and
anxiety
levels,
there's
a
lot
of
fear
out
there,
and
I
completely
understand
that
this
is
scary.
It's
also
a
really
uncertain
time
for
teachers,
because
you
know
they
weren't
trained
to
teach
in
these
kinds
of
conditions.
They
we
weren't
a
one-to-one
school
district,
meaning
we
didn't
have
one-to-one
technology
every
student
having
a
laptop
before.
B
So
we
didn't
integrate
technology
a
lot
in
our
lessons
here
in
boston,
public
schools,
so
they
are
learning
all
of
this
brand
new,
and
so
you
know
ramping
up
to
that.
New
way
to
do
business
is
really
hard
and
I
completely
understand
it.
They
also
have
personal
lives
that
are
impacted.
Some
of
them
are
compromised,
have
compromising
health
conditions
or
family
members
with
compromising
health
conditions
or
child
care
barriers,
and
so
I
understand
fully
the
anxieties
that
they
feel
with
returning
to
work,
as
well
as
the
students
in
their
own
mental
health.
B
B
All
of
this
is
just
really
disappointing
and
anxiety,
creating
so
what
we've
done
to
really
prepare
is
we've
added
social
workers.
We've
added
family
lay
asians
to
our
teams.
We've
put
in
place
a
student
support
team
process
so
that
kids,
who
are
experiencing
trauma
or
difficulty,
are
able
to
get
and
access
the
supports
that
they
need
for
their
mental
health.
This
past
spring,
we
did
14
000
sessions
with
students
around
their
mental
health
and
then
for
our
adults,
we're
working
on
adult
cell.
A
Our
teachers
there's
a
lot
of
concern
of
their.
You
know
on
the
on
the
on
the
battlefront.
How
do
you
think
their
morale
is
well.
B
B
You
know
it's
just
never
ending,
and
you
go
from
one
zoom
to
the
next
zoom
to
the
next
zoom
and
you're,
trying
to
to
learn
a
whole
new
craft
and
I'm
sure
that
one,
you
know
there
are
bright
spots
of
being
able
to
do
it,
but
two,
I
think
the
bigger
thing
is,
is
you're
trying
to
do
it
through
a
screen
rather
than
being
connected
and
we're
all
you
know.
B
And
so
that's
just
going
to
take
some
time
and
that's
why
it's
so
important
for
us
to
focus
on
our
adults
as
well
and
take
care
of
them.
When
so,
that's
why
I'm
anxious
to
get
them
back
into
the
school
buildings
and
start,
you
know
start
having
these
face-to-face
conversations
safely.
Of
course,
with
the
mask
with
social
distancing
and
outdoors
as
much
as
possible.
A
So
the
support
of
the
teachers
with
other
teachers
is
incredibly
important
as
they
join
together
through
this,
dr
many
of
our
young
people.
They
joined
in
the
protests
this
summer
that
were
fueled
by
the
death
of
george
floyd,
and
for
most
I
would
imagine
it
was
their
very
first
exposure
to
this
kind
of
high
emotion.
A
B
I
started
meeting
with
them
after
the
pandemic,
I
mean
I
was
meeting
with
them
regularly
through
the
school
year,
but
more
weekly
during
the
pandemic,
to
get
their
feedback
to
keep
a
pulse
on
the
student
population
and
see
how
they
were
doing.
There's
one
representative
from
every
high
school
on
the
student
advisory
council,
and
so
this
has
given
me
a
lot
of
ideas
and
solutions
for
how
to
keep
them
engaged.
One
was
through
the
youth
jobs.
This
summer
we
did
a
several
different
work.
B
Arounds,
as
I
kind
of
say
you
know,
to
have
them
work
remotely
to
have
them
be
engaged
in
small
groups.
Bps
also
had
positions
that
we
participated
with
the
city
on
and
their
youth
works
program
this
summer,
which
was
really
successful
to
keep
so
many
of
our
youth
engaged,
which
was
really
really
important.
B
And
so,
as
we
move
forward
into
the
school
year,
it's
going
to
be
even
more
important
that
we
stay
connected
to
our
youth
and
that
we
are
providing
the
mental
health
services
and
the
opportunities
for
connectedness
with
their
peers
and
with
their
teachers,
so
that
there's
a
strong
sense
of
community
and
a
strong
sense
of
connectedness
to
the
school
community.
A
Dr
mayor
has
put
a
lot
of
emphasis
this
year.
We've
all
put
a
lot
of
emphasis
this
year
on
inequities
that
are
occurring
in
our
in
our
city.
How
do
you
think
the
inequities,
and
perhaps
the
systemic
barriers
that
have
affected
the
success
of
our
of
the
boston
school
system
and
its
children
in
the
past?.
B
B
Adding
family
liaisons,
really
looking
how
we
partner
with
our
outside
non-profit
organizations,
to
support
families
and
to
support
our
students
in
in
their
learning
as
als
and
also
supporting
their
families,
because,
no
matter
how
you
cut
the
data,
these
inequities
across
the
city,
you
know
disproportionately
impact
our
black
and
brown
and
asian
families.
More
negatively
than
they
do
our
more
privileged
community
members.
A
B
I
was
told
that
you
know
we
just
don't
trust
the
district
and
so
really
focusing
on
that
at
the
central
office
and
at
the
school
level,
was
something
that
we've
really
tackled.
So
part
of
that
is
training
for
our
parent
councils,
and
then
we
instituted
over
this
past
spring
equity
roundtables
and
that's
a
way
that
we
can
begin
to
be
transparent
with
our
public
share
data
on
data
dashboards.
B
Make
sure
that
people
are
aware
of
our
decision
making
engage
them.
I
had
over
60
different
and
my
team
had
over
60
different
engagements
for
this
reopening
plan,
and
so
that
will
help
to
cultivate
the
trust.
B
You
know
the
adding
of
these
pathways
k-6
and
then
our
high
school
pathways
and
really
ramping
up
our
high
school
work
so
that
all
students
have
an
excellent
high
school
experience
in
the
future.
So
that's
part
of
the
the
plan
moving
forward
and,
of
course,
now
with
covid.
You
know
our
facilities
are
really
old.
The
mayor
had
his
huge
commitment
with
build
pps
several
years
ago
to
address
it.
We
have
addressed
it
now
this
past
year
and
our
capital
request
around
adding
in
water
over
the
next
three
years:
potable
water.
B
So
our
students
will
have
clean
water
in
every
school
building
over
the
next
three
years,
as
well
as
this
year.
We're
adding
7,
000
new
windows
to
our
schools,
so
that
work
is
now
going
on
with
with
a
new
urgency
and
then
upgrade
of
our
bathrooms,
toilets,
faucets
sinks
and
getting
the
venting
and
making
sure
that
those
are
adequate
and
clean.
B
A
I
I
thank
you
yeah.
Thank
you
enough,
I'm
thinking
of
this
very
first
year
that
you've
just
spent
with
the
boston
school
system
and
hoping
that
the
next
year
is
a
is
bright
and
welcome
to
boston,
maybe
a
year
late.
But
thank
you
so
much
for
joining
us.
We
really
appreciate
the
conversation
and
good
luck.
Good
luck
in
the
new
school
year!
Thank
you
for
having
me
appreciate.
You
see
you
next
time.
Thank
you
and
thank
you.
Our
viewers
for
watching.
A
We
all
have
the
same
hopes
and
wishes
for
our
young
people
and
their
success
is
a
reflection
on
us.
So,
let's
take
on
this
responsibility
both
at
home
and
by
supporting
their
teachers.
The
next
few
months
will
go
by
quickly.
Let's
make
the
most
of
them.
I'm
lois
leonard
and
we'll
see
you
next
time
on
commissioner's
corner.