"Invisible outbreaks sprang up everywhere. The United States ignored the warning signs. We analyzed travel patterns, hidden infections and genetic data to show how the epidemic spun out of control."
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| screen capture of NY Times article |
"COVID-19 doesn't care about your politics.Continue reading Tracy's summary
It doesn't care about the economy or small businesses or the GDP.
COVID-19 doesn't care about learning loss.
It doesn't care about language acquisition or student growth or meeting state standards.
COVID-19 doesn't care about socio-emotional learning.
It doesn't care about your mental health or your social connections or student support.
COVID doesn't care.
We can want, desperately, to have things back to normal, to have children back in classrooms, to have families back to work, to begin to repair what we've lost by schools being closed.
But COVID doesn't care."
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| the dogwood tree in my backyard, a pleasant sight this time of year |
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| Town Council Budget Hearing videos available |
"Many Franklin residents gathered at the Common on June 2nd, to peacefully show support for the Black Lives Matter movement and stand against police brutality.
At the protest, people knelt for nine minutes to honor George Floyd, a Black man who recently died at the hands of police in Minneapolis.
After the nine minutes of silence, several speakers came up to talk about Black Lives Matter. Two of these were FHS students Ndoumbe Ndoye and Kianna Thomas."Continue reading the article online at Pantherbook:
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| Kianna Thomas Speaks at the Common. Credit: Kianna Thomas |
"Throughout a challenging, confusing ending to their final year of high school, the class of 2020 showcased their resilience in many ways. Their effort to make the most of the year was visible in carefully crafted music videos, an Instagram account dedicated to the graduating class, and a parade and virtual graduation.
This graduation parade, which was put together with the hard work of the class officers and admin, was an amazing success. The Town Common was packed with family, friends, and community members. A fun environment of celebration was created with decorated cars, music from a radio station, and even the shooting of confetti.
When speaking with the graduates in the weeks after the parade, there was an overwhelmingly positive response. While this certainly wasn’t the expected ending to their senior year, many graduates looked on the bright side, and some even said the parade was better than a regular graduation ceremony. Graduate Megan Torrey said, “The parade was honestly one of the best experiences of my life. I’m so grateful for what the Town of Franklin has done for us to make our senior year so special.”
The Franklin community certainly showed up to help these graduates celebrate, and it was well deserved. Whereas tickets are very limited in a regular graduation ceremony, the parade was beneficial because the whole town could come out to cheer on the seniors. It also offered the seniors the chance to see and reconnect with their teachers from elementary, middle, and high school years."
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| "The Graduation Parade: Reflecting and Looking Forward" |
"Massachusetts released guidelines to superintendents Thursday with a goal of getting students back into classrooms this fall after the coronavirus pandemic forced districts to turn to remote learning in March.Continue reading the article online (subscription may be required)
Department of Elementary and Secondary Education Commissioner Jeffrey Riley released the guidelines after weeks of discussion with members of the state’s Return-to-School Working Group, infectious disease physicians and pediatricians.
“Districts and schools should begin planning for a fall return that includes multiple possibilities, with a focus first and foremost on getting our students back into school buildings,” Riley said.
The suggestions are “initial guidance for school reopening this fall that prioritizes getting our students back to school in person -- safely, following a comprehensive set of health and safety requirements.”
"Today, @MASchoolsK12 released initial guidance for school reopening this fall that prioritizes getting students safely back to school in person, following a comprehensive set of health and safety requirements.
Read more: https://bit.ly/3dBlFZ4"
"The superintendent at the center of the Holyoke Soldiers’ Home crisis is challenging an independent investigator’s conclusions about his qualifications for the job and hinted at potential legal action to fight his impending termination.
An attorney for Bennett Walsh, who has been on paid administrative leave since late March as COVID-related deaths in the facility mounted, said Walsh was not given an opportunity to rebut portions of the report by former prosecutor Mark Pearlstein before its publication.
Pearlstein’s report outlined management issues before the pandemic began and a series of “utterly baffling” decisions that led to the deaths of at least 76 veteran residents. The investigation concluded that Walsh was not “not qualified” to lead the facility.
Walsh’s attorney, former Hampden County District Attorney William Bennett, is “reviewing legal options” after Gov. Charlie Baker said while releasing the report that he would fire Walsh. Such a move, Bennett said, “violates the order of the Superior Court and denies Mr. Walsh the opportunity for a fair and public hearing.”
