Select boards discuss school reopening, police reform legislation

School reopening and police reform legislation were the topics of a two-part webinar held by the Massachusetts Select Board Association today.

Elementary and Secondary Education Commissioner Jeff Riley and Senior Associate Commissioner Russell Johnston gave an update on school reopening across the state. Riley discussed guidance from the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education for different modes of learning this fall and the department’s shift to providing implementation support to school and district leaders going forward.

Johnston discussed DESE’s plans for deploying mobile rapid response testing units to school districts where there is evidence that COVID-19 transmission may have occurred within a classroom or school.

Riley and Johnston answered questions on a variety of topics, including guidance for switching between different modes of learning during the school year and support for parents who plan on using private learning pods.

The webinar continued with a discussion about police reform legislation in Massachusetts. MMA Executive Director Geoff Beckwith gave an overview of some of the key components of two bills on the issue (H. 4860 and S. 2820) making their way through the legislative process. Beckwith discussed the MMA’s position on the bills and answered questions about potential costs associated with the bills and civil service reform.

• Dept. of Elementary and Secondary Education Reopening Update presentation (1M PDF)