Boston Public Schools

Return, Recover, Reimagine:

Preparing for School Year 2021-2022

Superintendent Brenda Cassellius

8.24.2021
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Welcome and Introduction of
Interpreters
Agenda
Superintendent’s Opening Remarks

Presentation
● Health & Safety Protocols
● Facilities Readiness
● Academic Plans

Q&A

Closing Remarks
 Welcome Back!

BPS is excited to bring the Joy back to Learning!

Let’s Work Together to Keep Our Students, Staff, Families
& Community Safe
What to expect for your student
Reviewing the Public Health Landscape
Dr. Djenny Lobo Lopes
 Boston Public Schools
School Health Services
Boston Public Schools have full time school
nurses to support your child.
Need to Contact
a School Nurse?
BPS School Health Services, Central Office
443 Warren Street, Suite 2 BPS School Nurse
Contact Information
Dorchester
(617) 635-6788, phone
(617) 635-7937, efax
[email protected]

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 COVID-19 Delta Variant
COVID-19 is a new disease, caused by a What We Know About the Science
novel (or new) coronavirus that has not
previously been seen in humans.
● Delta variant is currently the
predominant strain of the COVID virus
COVID-19 Transmission
in the United States
● It has been recorded as a more
● Spread mainly through close contact contagious strand
from person to person ● Those infected with the Delta variant
● Can be spread by droplet transmission were more likely to be hospitalized
● Spreads less commonly through ○ Unvaccinated people remain the
contact with contaminated surfaces greatest concern
● Rarely spreads between people and
animals
 Covid-19 Symptoms Have symptoms
• Fever (100.0° Fahrenheit or higher), chills, or
shaking chills
• Difficulty breathing or shortness of breath
of concern?
• New loss of taste or smell
• Muscle aches or body aches
• Cough (not due to other known cause, such as
chronic cough)
STAY HOME!
• Sore throat, when in combination with other
symptoms
• Nausea, vomiting, or diarrhea when in
combination with other symptoms Find the Home Health Checklist at
• Headache when in combination with other
symptoms
bostonpublicschools.org/healthchecklist
• Fatigue, when in combination with other
symptoms
• Nasal congestion or runny nose (not due to other
known causes, such as allergies) when in
combination with other symptoms
Returning Strong to Our School Buildings
 CDC Core Mitigation Strategies
Get Your Vaccine

Wear Your Mask

Continue Testing

Hand Hygiene

Monitor Your Health Daily - Stay Home When Showing Symptoms

Physical Distancing When Possible

Avoid Crowds
11 ● Vaccination is currently the leading public health prevention strategy
to end the COVID-19 pandemic.
○ Vaccination can help schools safely return to in-person learning
as well as extracurricular activities and sports.
Mitigation Strategy:
COVID-19 Vaccine ● CDC recommends everyone 12 years and older should get a COVID-19
vaccination to help protect against COVID-19.

● COVID-19 vaccines are available to all who live, work, or study in

Massachusetts, regardless of immigration status

● COVID-19 vaccines can reduce the risk of people spreading COVID-19

● Vaccines in the US are safe and highly effective, including against the
Delta variant

Find where to get your vaccine:

www.boston.gov/departments/public-health-commission/covid-19-vaccine-
boston
12 FACT: Studies found that the two initial vaccines (Pfizer
and Moderna) are both about 95% effective and reported
no serious life-threatening side effects.

Vaccine Facts
FACT: None of the authorized and recommended
COVID-19 vaccines causes you to test positive.

FACT: The vaccine for COVID-19 cannot and will not

give you COVID-19. The COVID-19 vaccine does not
contain the SARS-Co-2 virus and the protein that helps
your immune system recognize and fight the virus does
not cause infection of any sort.

Myths and Facts about COVID-19 Vaccines

COVID-19 Vaccines: Myth Versus Fact
13
FACT: The COVID-19 vaccine will not affect
fertility. The COVID-19 vaccine encourages the
body to create copies of the spike protein found
Vaccine Facts on the coronavirus surface. This “teaches” the
body’s immune system to fight the virus that has
that specific spike protein on it.

FACT: Due to the severe health risks associated

with COVID-19 and the fact that re-infection with
COVID-19 is possible, people may be advised to
get a COVID-19 vaccine even if they have been
sick with COVID-19 before.

COVID-19 Vaccines: Myth Versus Fact

 Mask Use
All BPS staff and students are
expected to wear masks while
indoors
● Regardless of vaccination status
● In all BPS buildings
● On the school bus

Removing your mask

● Outdoors during recess
● On a mask break
● While eating
Image credit: CDC
 COVID-19 Screen Testing
Three new updated options are available for students and school
based-staff

All testing is free, confidential and managed by public health

officials

Pooled testing with follow-up testing:

● Shallow nasal samples are collected and kept separate

before being grouped at the lab.
● If a group tests positive, individual follow-up testing occurs at
the lab, without a second sample collection.
● Individual test results are reported to the Health Services.
 COVID-19 Screen Testing
Proposed Testing for students with symptoms
● Shallow nasal swab samples collected at school using
the “BinaxNOW rapid antigen test”

"Test and Stay" (close contact testing)

● Shallow nasal swab samples collected at school using
the “BinaxNOW rapid antigen test”
○ Tests are administered daily from the first day of
exposure for at least five (5) days by CIC Health staff
17 Vaccine Clinics
● Get vaccinated before school starts
How to prepare ● Look for a vaccine clinic at your student’s school this fall

your child for ● All BPS vaccine clinics are run by trained healthcare
professionals. Boston Medical Center is our largest clinical
school partner
COVID Testing
● Look for an email in the coming days with a link to sign
your student’s testing consent form
● Complete your student’s consent form for testing
Masks
● Ensure your student has a mask that fits tightly to their
face
● If your child forgets to bring their mask, one will be
available at your student’s school
● All students and staff regardless of vaccination status are
required to wear a mask in all BPS buildings
18 Employees

If a staff member’s illness is determined to be

Positive Case Reporting COVID-related, they will:
Students ● Report this information to their
If a student’s illness is determined to be supervisor- and -email
COVID-related the student must: [email protected]
- and -
● Report the confirmed positive case to your ● The BPS Office of Human Capital at
school [email protected] to
● Remain at home and isolate (If identified as receive information about COVID-related
having a positive result in school- the student leave policies. Information about the
will be placed in a medical waiting room or an Families First Coronavirus Response Act,
identified space- 6 feet apart until parent including whether you qualify, can be
pick-up) found here.
● Monitor symptoms ● Staff will follow the Protocols for
The school will notify BPS Health Services who Employees Impacted by Coronavirus and
will begin contact tracing and making calls communicate with their supervisor and
A letter will be sent to the community OHC as defined.
19
BPS Dashboard for
Positive Cases
Returning Strong to Our School Buildings
Facilities Updates
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Facilities
Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) Sensors
● Indoor Air quality sensors are in process of
being installed across the district. Work began
July 12th. These sensors will provide real time
reporting on the quality of the air in rooms

Air Purifiers Filter Replacement

● Filters are being replaced per the specifications
of being changed every six months. To date
3,242 purifiers have had filters replaced in 98
schools. The project is on track to be completed
prior to students return.

MERV-13 Filter Replacement

● Filters will be replaced as part of the regular
maintenance of the systems.
22

Facilities
Summer Cleaning
● BPS custodial crews are completing
sanitation of buildings and are on track
to be complete for students return.

Sanitation Stations
● Schools have sanitation stations in
hallways and classrooms with ample
supplies in stock for replacement.

PPE
● PPE will be delivered to schools in
August.
23 Boston Public Schools
Transportation
Routing and Bus Assignments:
● Buses are routed and assigned. Bus assignments have been
sent via email and will be sent via mail by Wed, Aug 25
● Drivers will complete practice runs before school starts
MBTA Passes:
MBTA passes for eligible students in grades 7-12 will be available for
pick up by students at their school on the first day.
Bus Monitors:
● Bus monitors will be provided to all students who require
them, in accordance with student IEPs.
● We continue to actively hire bus monitors. However, we are
currently short of our goal of 150 new hires this fall.
● Due to this shortage, we predict some fall staffing issues.
Transdev: Summer bus maintenance is ongoing and on-track for
reopening. With support from City Hall, we are in negotiations with
Drivers’ Union on fall school reopening and for a new CBA.
Bus Health and Safety Protocols: Students and staff will be
required to wear masks on buses this fall. Buses will be disinfected
once per day. Per DESE guidelines, every other window will be
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Technology
● Emergency Connectivity Fund - federal funding to
help close the digital divide
○ BPS is applying for additional Chromebooks for
take-home as well as teacher laptops

● Continued support for hotspots & Comcast vouchers

● Emergency Broadband Benefit Program provides $50

per month for home Broadband to all BPS families

● Continue support for many of the tools adopted

during COVID and as part of our ESSER investments:
Lexia, TalkingPoints, Nearpod, and SeeSaw
25 Back to School Food and Nutrition Services
Continuity in service for our students and families
Food & Nutrition ●
○ Return to cooking at all cafeterias (80 sites)
Services ○ Rollout of My Way Cafes (34 sites)
○ NEW - menu items feature vegan recipes, homemade
muffins, specialty sauces and more
○ Partnerships with local businesses and farms to provide
fresh produce, local pizza, grains and fish to our sites
○ Continued recipe development and testing to
incorporate student preferences and cultures
○ NEW - Chef in School program
○ Staff Training on safety protocols, menus and policies
and procedures
● Challenges
○ Staffing
■ Focus on recruiting / retention
■ High vacancy rates impacting operations
○ Procurement and access to grocery items
26

Athletics
Return to Normal Calendar Year
● Interscholastic Athletics (9-12)
○ Fall (Aug 20- Nov 25)
○ Winter (Nov 29-March 19)
○ Spring (March 21- June 19)
● Middle Level Athletics (6-8)
● Special Olympics/Unified Sports (K-12)
Summer Engagement/ Physical Activity
● Girls Volleyball Clinics (5 Sites/190
students)
● Outdoor Strength & Conditioning
Fall Athletics/ Health & Safety Guidance
● Masks required for all indoor activities
● Additional athletic guidance developing
● We will follow the most up-to-date State
MIAA guidelines
Recover: Leading Academic Success and Wellness to meet
the moment
28 Recover:

Immediate investments to best support students and

Academics families:
● Provide robust intervention supports for English Learners with
explicit focus on English Learners with disabilities
● Ensure high-quality compensatory services for our Students
with Disabilities
● Expand UPK opportunities and options
● Utilize digital literacy platforms most especially for ELs and
SWDs
● Assess EL students for ELD levels and create individual plans to
support acceleration
● Launch robust district-wide priority focused on PreK-12
equitable literacy
● Leverage 74 new family liaisons and 100 new social workers
● Offer high-quality professional learning for educators focused
on academic priorities and student recovery

Ongoing work to catapult our future Reimagine investments

and create conditions for a stronger, better BPS:
● Develop BPS Academic Framework
● Ensure Academic Framework drives facilities decisions
● Lead H.S. redesign efforts and implement MassCore
 Academic Priorities
Priority 1: Priority 2: Priority 3:
Implement equitable literacy Team structures to support Use CRIOP* (an equity-based
across the Pre-K-12 most implementation of equitable literacy observation and feedback tool)
especially for ELs and SWDs w/ sharp focus on ELs and SWDs to ensure equitable
support and services implementation of literacy
practices especially for ELs and
SWDs

How will central office support schools to implement priorities?

● Plan and execute the Return, Recover, Reimagine Summer Conference with focus on instructional priorities
● Offer and support central office learning sessions on equitable literacy instruction
● Launch equitable literacy pathway modules
● Deliver professional learning sessions on equitable literacy for paraprofessionals
● Develop and hold professional learning for transformation coaches
● Design equitable literacy sessions with families
*Culturally Responsive Instruction Observation Protocol
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Partners
● Partners who work directly with students full-time are
allowed in buildings
○ Includes before and after school programs, health
Our Partners: clinics and more
What to Expect ● Each partner must have a designated space
● School Leaders will determine which partners are going
to be in the school
● Partners must follow all health and safety requirements
○ Starting 10/18 partner staff will provide proof of
vaccination or provide weekly COVID test results
○ Each day partner staff will sign in and out at the
front office and keep their program attendance for
contact tracing
○ Report any confirmed positive case of COVID-19 to
the school and complete steps with public health
officials
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What to Expect Classroom learning w/ teachers

Field Trips
Arts & Music
Physical Education
*add photo
Access to technology for
learning
Final reminders

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33 Boston Public Schools
Visit for updates
www.bostonpublicschools.org/backtoschool
Resources
Welcome Centers are Open:
www.bostonpublicschools.org/welcomecenters

Additional events:
www.bostonpublicschools.org/calendar
 For more information
Contact your school
Call the Family Hotline: 617-635-8873
Email: [email protected]
Visit: www.bostonpublicschools.org/backtoschool