WESTFIELD – The Westfield Public Schools district June 12 sent out a survey to all students about their experience with remote learning and thoughts about the fall.
Superintendent Stefan Czaporowski also wrote a letter to parents about the importance of the survey and the status of back to school planning. A survey to parents will also be sent out mid-week.
In the letter, Czaporowski said that no decisions have been made yet on what the return to school will look like in Westfield.
“Westfield, like most school districts, is waiting for a fall guidance memo from Commissioner Riley. This guidance from the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education will be released the week of June 15 and will have additional information to support us on fall planning,” the superintendent wrote.
One of the questions on the survey asks which model students and parents would like to see in the fall; returning to school full time with health and safety requirements in a healthy and safe environment; continuing remote learning full time, or a hybrid model that would combine remote learning on some days and returning to school on other days.
The survey to parents also includes questions such as whether they plan to use the bus service, which will be helpful for planning.
Czaporowski said planning has already begun, and committees are being formed to prepare to reopen school in whichever form it will take. The committees are made up of administrators, nurses, members of the Westfield Health Department, teachers, union leadership, and PTO and School Council parents when possible, he said.
However, Czaporowski said that all stakeholders are going to be able to have a say in the critical planning process. He also stressed the importance of the surveys for input into the policies and procedures that are being decided.
“We are not only asking parents to fill out the parent survey, but we are asking you to encourage your children to take the student survey as well,” Czaporowski said. All surveys will be due by the closing date of school on June 23.
Czaporowski said they are hopeful to receive feedback from as many students, parents and eventually the staff so that they can better plan for what the fall will look like.
“When we initially had to start with remote learning, we didn’t have anything to go on. This data and the guidance from the state will help us to develop our plan,” Czaporowski said.
