AMHERST — Some students returned to classes Monday at Crocker Farm Elementary School for the first time since October.
And with Massachusetts officials, including Gov. Charlie Baker, pushing for in-person learning in schools across the state while suggesting remote and hybrid learning options may soon be disallowed, the Amherst Pelham Education Association released a statement Sunday announcing that it “has formed a committee of educators to proactively plan for safe, equitable and pedagogically sound in-person opportunities for all grade levels.”
Meeting for the first time Feb. 16, a week before the governor and state education commissioner made the announcement, the Proactive Planning Committee wrote to members of the union that it will “think creatively about how to build on the powerful classroom communities developed in remote learning and safely provide social-emotional and academic opportunities in person.”
Crocker Farm’s preschool program and four classrooms, both kindergarten and first grades, are back in person for a limited number of students, based on teachers, paraprofessionals and other staff agreeing to voluntarily return.
Superintendent Michael Morris shared photos of the school and praised teachers and Principal Derek Shea on his Twitter feed Monday. “Fantastic job by staff and Principal Shea,” he wrote.
The union is promising a collaborative, rather than top-down, approach to planning for more in-person learning, according to its statement. That will include forums for educators and families to discuss in-person plans with members of the School Committee and district leadership.
Scott Merzbach can be reached at smerzbach@gazettenet.com.
