West Hartford Superintendent of Schools Tom Moore provided an update to members of the school community on Friday afternoon, as the month of May begins and remote learning continues. An announcement by the governor regarding schools reopening is expected next week. The text of the letter can be found below.
Dear West Hartford Community,
As the calendar turns to May, we have lived through a very long April full of nervous and sleepless nights, mourning the loss of loved ones, and trying to maintain a balance of work/home/school that has never been more difficult. I am also deeply aware and thankful for the many acts of kindness, camaraderie, and deep sacrifice made by so many to help keep us safe, and to care for those who are suffering. The isolation is difficult, and we all hope that, with each passing day, we come closer to a time somewhere in the future that will allow us to gather as a community in a way that is safe for all.
There is some good news. Connecticut, it appears at this point, has begun to flatten the curve, and it seems like the measures that we enacted have allowed us to keep our hospitals from being overwhelmed in a way that we saw in Italy. Some have written to me with the opinion that this has not been that bad, or that the disease is “paranoia”, or has been overblown, and schools should not have closed. I will speak directly to you not out of malice, but from experience; you are wrong. I have written condolences pretty much daily to staff members and families in town that have lost parents and grandparents, and those are just the ones I know about. If you or your family and friends have not been touched by this disease, consider yourself very, very fortunate.
I will be writing to all of you next week about when schools will reopen, as this is in the purview of the governor, and he will be announcing soon. As always, no matter the date given, West Hartford will operate in a manner that does all that we can to keep our children safe. The fact is, at some point we will reopen, and schools will need to be in session in order for our families to get back to work. The economic crisis is also real, and I feel for all of you that have suffered financially during this time, and are worried about your future, and that of your children. I promise that our school community will be here for you, as partners, and we understand the urgency and the need to take care of each other now more than ever. I hesitate to even mention that nationally, and in Connecticut, there have been reports about harassment both online and in person towards people of Asian descent. It saddens and enrages me that at a time when we need to come together, there are some that still seek division and blame. I am thankful that I have not had any cases of this reported to me here in West Hartford, and it is important to share with our children that we ALL stand together in this time of struggle.
I cannot tell you exactly what school will look like yet- we are examining every possibility, and planning and preparation has begun in earnest for creative ways to keep our students, and our staff, safe. Every option that we can consider is on the table for the eventual reopening, and we know the massive challenge ahead of us. I will continue to communicate our plans with you when we have them, and I hope that we will continue to earn your trust. I am attaching at the end of this a request from the state to gather your thoughts about the eventual reopening plans. Please take part, and share your opinions.
Be Well,
Tom
The Commissioner of Education has enlisted the help of the six Regional Education Service Centers (RESC) to form teams of Connecticut education stakeholders for the purpose of gathering, analyzing, and sharing the issues, concerns, and ideas related to the process of reopening schools. An online tool will be used to make the gathering of feedback more efficient and to reflect all the different regions and constituent groups across the state. The tool, “ThoughtExchange,” is entirely confidential and anonymous to use. Your participation and feedback are essential to the process and necessary for our State leaders to consider as decisions are made about reopening our schools. I encourage everyone to use the link below to share your thoughts and help evaluate the critical issues.
Thought Exchange Link: https://my.
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