CENTRAL SERVICES

Timothy G. Piwowar
Superintendent

(978) 528-7908 tpiwowar@billericak12.com

To: Billerica School Committee

From: Tim Piwowar, Superintendent of Schools
Date: November 18, 2020
Re: Use of Remote Learning on Inclement Weather Days

In the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education’s (DESE’s) Commissioner’s Weekly Update to
districts on October 19, 2020, the following was shared under the heading of “Snow Days”:

The Department has received inquiries from school districts about possible snow days this school
year. Districts have asked whether it is permissible to schedule students for a remote learning
day in the event that schools are closed because of inclement weather or other emergency,
instead of closing school and making up time later in the school year.

For the 2020-2021 school year, because of the pandemic, each district has created a plan that
includes a remote learning model. As set out in DESE’s regulations (603 CMR 27.00), remote
learning may include synchronous or asynchronous components, provided that students have
regular opportunity to interact with teachers, such as through feedback, office hours, and other
regularly scheduled individual student interactions. Remote learning models must include the
following components:

1. Procedures for all students to participate in remote learning, including a system for tracking
attendance and participation;
2. Remote academic work shall be aligned to state standards;
3. A policy for issuing grades for students’ remote academic work ; and
4. Teachers and administrators shall regularly communicate with students and their parents
and guardians, including providing interpretation and translation services to limited English
proficient parents and guardians.

The Commissioner has determined that for this school year only (2020-2021), if there are days
when schools must close because of inclement weather or other emergency, districts may choose
whether to treat those days as “snow days” to be made up later or provide all students with
remote learning on those days in a manner that is consistent with the regulatory requirements
listed above. This decision will be made at the local level.

While this was written as a procedure that could be enacted at the local level for snow days, as a district we
made the decision to adopt this provision on an emergency basis for November 12 and 13 when we had to
physically close Billerica Memorial High School for BMHS and Project Support students. On those days,
students and staff followed the structure of their scheduled in-person days with a mixture of synchronous
Google meets and asynchronous work as appropriate for the content area and the age level of the students.
(For example, it is not developmentally appropriate for a three-year old preschool student to have six
consecutive hours of screen time.)

365 Boston Road  Billerica  Massachusetts 01821  (978) 528-8500  (978) 528-7909 www.billericak12.com
Given that there is consensus that continuity of students’ learning is important, and that school days in the
winter months have more educational value than days in late June, it is my recommendation that we adopt
this same model of using remote learning if there is a need to close schools due to inclement weather.
Students at all levels would follow the same schedule as they would for their in-person learning days, including
the schedule of special subject areas at the elementary grade levels.

Additional considerations:

 Two-hour delayed openings would not be used for inclement weather this school year; instead, if
weather conditions would typically call for a delayed opening, we would convert to a remote learning
day instead in order to maximize instructional time for students.
o This does not impact other two-hour delayed openings that have already been scheduled as
part of the School Committee’s approved academic calendar.
 Given that in-person learning is always preferable to remote learning, the threshold for calling a “snow
day” would remain the same as in previous years – when the impact of a weather event significantly
impacts the ability for students and staff to travel safely to and from school.
 If there are significant power outages in the community, we would not convert to a remote learning
day as power is necessary for students to access their remote learning. A power outage day would be
made up at the end of the school year.
 Communication to families and staff about conversion to a remote learning day due to inclement
weather would occur using our traditional formats of phone, email, social media, and local television.
 With the exception of custodial staff, other staff would be asked to not come to school and work
remotely on snow days in order to keep parking lots clear for snow removal efforts.

DESE guidance on this topic is silent on whether or not the use of remote learning days for inclement weather
needs to be formally approved by the School Committee, it is my recommendation that the Committee take a
formal vote on this matter as an area of local policy. As such, I ask for your approval of the following motion at
our meeting on November 23:

Move that the Billerica Public Schools adopt the local option to convert inclement weather days to remote
learning days, as presented at this meeting.

Thank you for your consideration, and I will be happy to answer any of your questions at the meeting on
November 23.