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Gov. Charlie Baker speaks at COVID-19 update on Wednesday.

Massachusetts Schools to Remain Closed Through May 4

By Tammy DanielsiBerkshires Staff
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BOSTON — Public and private schools will remain closed through May 4, extending the emergency closure for COVID-19 another month. 
 
The emergency order was signed by Gov. Charlie Baker on Wednesday and announced at a press conference that afternoon. The order includes child-care centers not serving essential personnel.
 
"This will allow school districts to provide the best possible opportunities for remote learning to all students," the governor said. "This is not an extended school vacation. During this long-term closure, the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education will work with school districts to further develop educational programming students can use at home. This way schools can prepare for their students return in May."
 
The administration is working with WGBH public television to provide educational programming during the week. Educational resources will be posted on the department's website, and middle and high school students can access WGBH and WGBY educational programming on WGBH and WGBY on the WORLD channel from noon to 5 p.m.
 
"We at the department will be sending out additional guidance to districts tomorrow morning," said DESE Commissioner Jeffrey Riley. "This guidance was developed after speaking with and listening to many stakeholders in our educational community, and should be used by districts to build upon or harmonize with their current remote learning plans.
 
"Our expectation is that districts will be implementing these revised plans by early April."
 
The extension will allow time more time for teachers to ensure all students have access to resources and instruction that is customized to their particular needs such as students with special needs and English language learners. 
 
Riley said it was recognized that this is a traumatic time for children it was important to get them into a routine and learning and that the extended closure could offer experiences outside of the classroom. 
 
"This is an amazing opportunity to think about project-based learning, to think about reading a book, and think about cooking recipes and how that works. To think about starting a garden," he said. "We have a real opportunity here to do different things with our children, and we're going to try to supply the resources in addition to what the district is offering." 
 
He could not yet speak to how the Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System testing would be addressed because the state was waiting on a federal waiver for applied testing and the legislation to give him authority to make a decision had been delivered to Beacon Hill on Tuesday. 
 
"You should expect that once those hurdles are clear that I will make decisions in short order about the MCAS," Riley said. 
 
Families will be sent letters about public television offerings since there are children without access to the internet. He said remote learning may refer to online learning but not necessarily. 
 
"We think that districts should use whatever they have at their availability to get out to kids but we want to make sure we don't penalize kids who don't have access to the internet," Riley said, adding, "this could be an amazing opportunity to think differently about how we educate our kids."

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Cost, Access to NBCTC High Among Concerns North Berkshire Residents

By Tammy DanielsiBerkshires Staff

Adams Select Chair Christine Hoyt, NBCTC Executive Director David Fabiano and William Solomon, the attorney representing the four communities, talk after the session. 
NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — Public access channels should be supported and made more available to the public — and not be subject to a charge.
 
More than three dozen community members in-person and online attended the public hearing  Wednesday on public access and service from Spectrum/Charter Communications. The session at City Hall was held for residents in Adams, Cheshire, Clarksburg and North Adams to express their concerns to Spectrum ahead of another 10-year contract that starts in October.
 
Listening via Zoom but not speaking was Jennifer Young, director state government affairs at Charter.
 
One speaker after another conveyed how critical local access television is to the community and emphasized the need for affordable and reliable services, particularly for vulnerable populations like the elderly. 
 
"I don't know if everybody else feels the same way but they have a monopoly," said Clarksburg resident David Emery. "They control everything we do because there's nobody else to go to. You're stuck with with them."
 
Public access television, like the 30-year-old Northern Berkshire Community Television, is funded by cable television companies through franchise fees, member fees, grants and contributions.
 
Spectrum is the only cable provider in the region and while residents can shift to satellite providers or streaming, Northern Berkshire Community Television is not available on those alternatives and they may not be easy for some to navigate. For instance, the Spectrum app is available on smart televisions but it doesn't include PEG, the public, educational and governmental channels provided by NBCTC. 
 
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