April 24, 2020
Good Afternoon,
I hope this letter finds you and your family well. As you are aware, Governor Baker has extended school closures for the remainder of the 2019-2020 school year. As a result, the Medway Public Schools will continue with remote learning for the remainder of this school year. While this news is not surprising, we recognize that the decision comes with a great deal of emotions. Medway Public Schools has continued to follow the evolving guidance for remote learning in these unprecedented times. To date we have put into place resources for students with disabilities on the Medway Public School website (MPS School Closure Site), and have begun providing families with bimonthly, individualized remote learning plans. If you are having difficulty accessing the MPS School Closure Site, a short video, developed by Erin Fraclose/ETS to support parent efforts, may be found here.
In addition to remote resources and student-specific learning plan instruction, we are offering:
Virtual IEP Annual Reviews
These optional meetings will occur prior to the end of the school year, and will be held virtually through the Zoom platform during this school closure period. We understand and respect that some caregivers will want to delay meetings until the opportunity for in-person Team meetings occur when schools are back in session. These meetings will not affect a student’s IEP status in any way, as the state has indicated that all IEPs, whose end date has passed, will be continued until such a time that the Team may convene.
Behavioral Supports for Caregivers
We have contracted with the Applied Behavior Institute (ABI) to provide online, live streaming for parents on Tuesdays, Thursdays at 4:00 p.m. and Fridays by appointment. We are aware that some students will struggle with the disruption in routine caused by the extended school closure in ways that can be intense, different and unexpected from their prior behaviors. When the student’s behavior can be shaped through applied behavioral principles, families are referred to this service.
New! Virtual Transition Meetings for Students With Disabilities and Their Families
Transition meetings for students in grades 1, 4, and 8 are a critical component to a student’s successful integration into the next big step in their educational journey. In addition to the building principals’ yearly welcome and informational meetings, students with disabilities in grades 1,4 and 8 will have meetings with special education staff and administration to address school-specific practices and transitions. These optional meetings will be held in small groups (clustered by need), and individually as needed. The principals will be reaching out to alert you to the dates of these meetings (the Zoom link for the 4/29, 7:00 p.m. Medway Middle School meeting for incoming 5th grade students and their families may be found here).
New! Virtual 504 Annual Reviews and Initial Eligibility Meetings
These optional meetings will occur prior to the end of the school year, and will be held virtually through the Zoom platform during this school closure period. As with virtual annual reviews for IEPs, we understand and respect that some caregivers will want to delay meetings until the opportunity for in-person 504 meetings occurs when schools are back in session. Your school’s 504 Coordinator (Anne Jacobs/McGovern, Amanda Grinberg/Burke-Memorial, or Maura McCormack/MS and HS) will be in touch to provide further information.
New! Virtual IEP Reevaluation Reviews
We will be offering virtual eligibility/re evaluation meetings for students who had been referred for IEP eligibility determination or had a signed evaluation consent form, and whose testing was complete, prior to the March 13 school closure. We acknowledge that some parents and caregivers are wondering if we can meet reevaluation testing is incomplete. In the event that reevaluation testing is incomplete, at the parent’s request, we are offering to hold an annual review and reschedule the re evaluation to next year. Please contact your Evaluation Team Supervisor (Erin Fraclose/McGovern and Burke-Memorial, Vicky Fanelli/Middle School, and Carol Cohen/High School) if you would like to exercise this option.
DESE: Family Letter and Resource Toolbox
The Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) has asked that districts send out a Family Letter and Resource Toolbox to all families of students who receive special education services in public schools, including students in out-of-district placements. That letter may be found here, and the Resource Toolbox may be found here.
Finally, I’ve received many questions about Extended Year Services (EYS) for students. Unfortunately, we do not know if we will need to continue a remote learning environment for EYS, or if we will be allowed back into the buildings this summer. We are proceeding with planning for a virtual learning environment, while we continue to wait for clarity from the state. We thank you for your patience and absolutely understand that the lack of clarity and surety about summer impacts your family in ways we can’t imagine. Please know that we are working hard to bring you the most up to date information, and to use that information in a way that is both timely and sensitive to your needs.
If you have questions about your child’s IEP or 504 status or concerns about remote learning, please reach out to the appropriate Evaluation Team Supervisor or me:
Be well,
Kathleen M. Bernklow
Director of Student Services
Medway Public Schools
45 Holliston St.
Medway, MA 02053
Kbernklow@medwayschools.org