Elementary and Secondary Education Commissioner Jeff Riley and the heads of the Massachusetts Teachers Union, American Federation of Teachers of Massachusetts and Boston Teachers’ Union on Monday afternoon signed a memorandum of understanding that will officially reduce the 180-day school year requirement to 170 days, to accommodate a 10-day period for districts to prepare to reopen school buildings that have been closed since March.
Riley said the memo states the departments and the unions “have a shared commitment to the safety and well-being of students, families, and staff; they are collaborating to support a successful start to the school year; and they recognize the need to provide additional time for educators and staff to prepare for the start of instruction.”
School districts must begin providing instruction to students by Sept. 16, but can apply for a waiver if they cannot meet that requirement.
Earlier Monday, MTA President Merrie Najimy told the News Service that educators need to “redesign an entire year of teaching under a pandemic.”
Rep. Tommy Vitolo reacted to the news on Twitter, pointing to Republicans in Washington, D.C., who he said could have provided schools with more funding.
“Our state’s children, who lost hundreds of hours of time with their teachers last school year, will lose at least another 65 this year,” Vitolo wrote. “I don’t blame @MASchoolsK12 for adding 10 days to prepare to reopen schools under COVID. I don’t want and would never expect civil servants, including teachers, to work unpaid. And neither the state, nor our cities & towns have the money to pay for an additional 10 days salary.”
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