Democratic lawmakers took Gov. Charlie Baker's top education aides to task Tuesday for what they called a confusing plan to reopen elementary schools for in-person learning next month.
Sen. Anne Gobi told Baker's education secretary and elementary school commissioner that ordering all kindergarten through fifth grade students and teachers back into classrooms with little more than one month's notice has disturbed plans they already had in place to return more slowly.
"It has really just been horrendous for many of the school districts, especially the ones that have been planning for months and have been doing the right thing," Gobi said at a budget hearing covering the state's education spending for the coming fiscal year.
Education Secretary James Peyser said the order to return to classrooms by April 5th is the right one for students and parents, and has the support of pediatricians and the public health community.
"Our children, especially those in traditionally underserved communities and other high need students, are suffering the most, creating real learning and developmental losses and exacerbating achievement and opportunity gaps," Peyser said.
