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Remote learning poses hurdles for students across the state

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BOSTON — Ever since schools across the state shut down amid growing COVID-19 concerns, students have been continuing their classes from home - but what was meant to be just a couple of weeks away has now turned into months.

While teachers have been going above and beyond to provide online classes, engaging and customized lessons and set goals for their students, the only connection they have with students is through a computer screen. Moreover, parents are now having to sub in for teachers in lessons they were never prepared to teach.

Like many parents during times of crisis, Ann Stachowicz is trying her best to create a routine for her kids to continue learning remotely.

“In the morning they get up, they start school at 9:30 a.m., do academics for an hour then we go outside for an hour, they get exercise, we have lunch, after lunch there’s more academic time and then every day we have been watching a documentary,” said Stachowicz.

Stachowicz says her kids’ teachers send powerpoints and she does the rest.

As they adapt to shutdowns, some schools are turning to video conferencing to provide lessons and therapy sessions, while others are bringing small groups of students back for services or training parents to help.

“We’ve been told that [for] everything they’re doing, nothing is being graded, it’s all for enrichment so of course my high schooler took that as I don’t have to do anything then but now I actually saw and feel that he was looking for stuff to do,” said Stachowicz.

Many districts say it’s inevitable that families would have to help. Some are asking parents to guide students through daily lessons or administer tests measuring their children’s progress.

The Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) issued guidance this week that says, in part, a district’s remote learning plan should:

• Be about half a regular school day

• Maintain connections between students and multiple teachers

• Have creativity in remote learning and feedback

Rich DeCapua, the Vice President For Academic Affairs for the e-learning company OneClass, says his company is now offering 100 free hours of live streaming learning with a tutor that students parents and teachers could all benefit from.

“The biggest concern I’m hearing from other parents and other family members as we don’t want our children to be left behind,” said DeCapua. “I worked at colleges and universities in the Commonwealth for about 20 years, teaching online is very difficult so what I’m saying to high schools is what is the training for teachers, what does it look like? Just putting them in front of a computer is not going to be helpful in terms of them being able to deliver the education.”

At this point, it will be all hands on deck to make sure the learning continues equally among all students, especially the most vulnerable. Special education students are more at a disadvantage than neurotypical and able-bodied students when it comes to remote learning.

According to the state, districts aren’t required to provide alternative access to educational resources in the event that school is out due to a natural disaster or health emergency.

Across the U.S., schools and families face new challenges in maintaining instruction for students with disabilities. Teachers are exploring new ways to deliver customized lessons from afar. And while parents of all children have taken on schooling duties, those whose children have disabilities are adding therapy, hands-on lessons and behavioral management to the list.

Advocates say it’s crucial that students with disabilities continue to receive instruction during closures. Research has found that breaks in schooling — even for a day or two — can erode ground on skills students were starting to master. But keeping them engaged from afar will be a challenge, schools say, especially for those with severe disabilities.

A rescue package approved by Congress aims to help by providing $13.5 billion that schools could use to buy computers and technology for students with disabilities. But it also asks Education Secretary Betsy DeVos to consider whether the government should temporarily waive requirements around the instruction of students with disabilities, a move disability advocates strongly oppose.

Amid rapid change, some parents say they already feel left out.

Darlene Gildersleeve, of Hopkinton, New Hampshire, has a 14-year-old daughter whose education plan includes counseling, occupational therapy, speech therapy and specialized instruction. Her school is offering to arrange some of that by phone and Google Classroom, but Gildersleeve hasn’t heard anything about speech therapy or support for math, English and reading.

"I have no idea how to get on Google Classroom,” Gildersleeve said. “That’s a big concern of mine — will I be able to step in and help her?”

Some districts say it will be hard to avoid learning setbacks, especially in skills that are tougher to teach from afar. Honing social skills amid social distancing mandates, for example, has already proved challenging.

“I said to them the other day, ‘Guys I’m not a teacher, I didn’t sign up for this but we’re going to figure this out as we go,’" said Stachowicz.

The DESE didn’t give any guidance on the MCAS, but did encourage teachers to consider students equitable access to learning, keeping in mind the variety of technology, health, disability, and language challenges.

The Associated Press contributed to this report

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