The pressure from Gov Baker and DESE's Riley - getting pushback

From CommonWealth Magazine we share an article of interest for Franklin:

"GOV. CHARLIE BAKER on Thursday continued to push schools to bring students back in person while denying allegations by the state’s largest teachers union that his administration is “bullying” local districts.

“If you are a low-risk district, and you’ve been a low-risk district for eight weeks, and you have no plan to return to in-person learning when most people in education and public health and the pediatric communities all believe that in-person learning, especially for young kids, is a critical part of their educational and social development, we want to know what your plan is to get back,” Baker said. “I don’t think that’s bullying. I think it’s a perfectly appropriate question to ask on behalf of people in those communities and particularly the kids.”

In August, Baker released a color-coded map indicating levels of COVID-19 transmission in each community, and he has been pushing communities with low levels of transmission to open their schools. But teachers’ unions have pushed back, saying many schools are not prepared to safely reopen."

Continue reading the article online

https://commonwealthmagazine.org/education/baker-denies-bullying-school-districts/

 

** Meanwhile one of the organizations Gov Baker claims to have participated in crafting the schools' guidance is saying they did not and have been trying to reach him but without success.

 

 

Steph Solis at #IRE20 (@stephmsolis) tweeted at 0:53 PM on Thu, Sep 24, 2020:

Carlene Pavlos of @MAPublicHealth says they didn't endorse or weigh in on in-person learning, despite @MassGovernor's comments: "Since March we have repeatedly asked to meet with Governor Baker or a staff member from the Governor's office, but we have received no reply." 

Carlene Pavlos of @MAPublicHealth says they didn’t endorse or weigh in on in-person learning, despite @MassGovernor’s comments: “Since March we have repeatedly asked to meet with Governor Baker or a staff member from the Governor’s office, but we have received no reply.” pic.twitter.com/z6mPKXnMcZ

— Steph Solis at #IRE20 (@stephmsolis) September 24, 2020

https://t.co/z6mPKXnMcZ
(https://twitter.com/stephmsolis/status/1309174108047978498?s=03)

** Also from the Amesbury Mayor comes the notification back to DESE's Riley outlining their response to his most recent request.

Here’s Amesbury Mayor Kassandra Gove’s response to Commissioner Riley...well done, Mayor Gove. @TracyNovick @MASCSchoolComm pic.twitter.com/LwB7L7RvUS

— Mel (@MelWebster) September 24, 2020

 

Image from Commonwealth Magazine