Worcester parents voice concerns ahead of transition to hybrid-learning

WORCESTER, Mass. — In a virtual forum with the Worcester Public School Committee, parents of students in the District voiced questions and concerns Monday night about the city’s future learning plans.

In one month, the Worcester Public School District is set to shift to a hybrid learning model for high need students.

While some parents said fully remote learning was working out for their children, others shared serious frustrations.

“You have been elected to figure this out, and you need to figure out a way to get kids back in the classroom,” one parent told the committee.

Many parents expressed issues with some students returning to the classroom for only one day a week.

Others brought up technology problems, many of which included poor connection with video calls.

“What do kids do when they have a technical issue? ‘Oh I don’t know.’ That’s the answer I got,” said one frustrated father.

“I’ve actually had to swap out one of my kids Chrome Books because I thought it was too slow, and that didn’t quite solve the problem,” one mother said.

One parent asked how special education students and their teachers would be kept safe in the classroom, especially if the student could not wear a face mask. School committee members pointed toward adequate supplies of PPE and following DESE protocols.

Another mother asked what the threshold would be to shut down in-person learning all together, to which there was no clear answer.

“What exactly is the threshold to shut the school down?” she asked.

On November 16th, the Worcester Public School District is set to phase into a hybrid learning model, bringing students who need the most assistance back into the classroom first.

Meanwhile, the city remains in the red zone for the fifth week in a row, facing high COVID-19 case numbers.

“We’re going to be bringing group C in using the guidance from DESE and also for health protocols,” said Superintendent Maureen Binienda.

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