BOSTON (WBZ NewsRadio) — Commissioner of the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, Jeffrey Riley, announced Tuesday that the state is aiming for all students to be fully back in the classroom by April.
Riley said at the Department of Education meeting that he wants the Board to grant him authority to eventually remove the option for school districts to have remote and hybrid learning.
His plan is contingent on state COVID-19 metrics remaining in a safe range.
Read More: Fall High School Sports Are Back In Massachusetts
Currently, about 20% of districts are still fully remote, impacting about 400,000 students.
Riley stated in his plan that districts could take an incremental approach “for instance, to first move to a robust hybrid model” if the students have been fully remote.
Parents would have the option for their children to learn remotely through the end of the year.
During his Tuesday press conference, Gov. Charlie Baker said, “Our administration has been clear for months that the best place for kids is in the classroom."
Baker also stated, "Districts with in-person learning, regardless of how high COVID transmission is in their community, have seen few – if any – examples of in-school transmission.”
WBZ NewsRadios Karyn Regal (@KarynRegal) reports:
Follow WBZ NewsRadio: Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | iHeartmedia App
(Photo: Getty Images)