How Was The First Day Back At School? Depends On Who You Ask

EAST HAVEN, CT — School superintendent Erica Forti said the first day back after six months away from the classroom was “amazing” and a “success.”

Some parents begged to differ on social media, in emails, and on the stage at East Haven High School before the Board of Education Tuesday night.

East Haven opted to reopen with a full in person model. Around 75 to 80 percent of families chose that course with around 20 to 25 percent choosing remote learning. Forti said that she visited every school and found happy kids and educators.

But there were parents who said the first day was a debacle, some of whom addressed the board of education directly, and some who called and/or emailed.

“There’s already people clearly asking for your resignation,” parent Shannon Criscuolo said after airing a litany of grievances including what she said is a failed remote learning program.

“This is a joke. It’s the exact same model from six months ago. You had six months of planning for the exact same garbage from six months ago,” she said.

And Criscuolo said she was told students in the high school were responsible for cleaning their own workstations when they come into class, something that is not their responsibility, she noted. She said there was a lack of social distancing and mask-wearing as evidenced by, she said, pictures as proof.

“This is not going to get better,” she said, “What message is that sending on the first day of school?”

But her biggest issue was with the district’s failure to communicate: “Emails are ignored. Phone calls re not answered. All we want to know is what is happening. There’s already people clearly asking for your resignation. Things need to change.”

Assistant Superintendent of Curriculum and Instruction Jennifer Murrihy said that there were some initial technical difficulties with the remote leaning program but that the kinks would be ironed out and the district is trying to help families navigate and make work remote learning.

But a few other parents spoke to the board with similar complaints focused mostly claims that the remote schooling program is a failure, and lack of mask-wearing and social distancing they say was seen at the high school.

In a question Patch posted on its Facebook page, many of the same complaints.

“Not good. My daughter is distance learning. She had one hour with her teacher today. ONE HOUR. Smh.”

Others spoke to the lack of distancing at the high school.

“These look like the usual spacing of desks at EHHS,” one wrote with photos of kids sitting in desks that appear to be right next to each other. “Not happy this is considered social distancing at the high school and kids are cleaning desks!”

East Shore health public health educator Barbara Naclerio told Patch that she toured schools and saw mask-wearing compliance.

"They did very well," she said, but noted that younger students may have done better job than older students in a nod to some who said high school students were seen not social distancing and in some cases, not wearing masks.

"Overall in the schools I visited I saw (students and educators) doing a good job."

And despite those who shared their complaints about the first day back, there were also parents who said it was a great first day, and that kids were happy to be back in school.

Based on the pictures posted by Momauguin Elementary on Twitter, there appeared to be plenty of smiling faces, under the masks, at a distance.

“My daughter is in 3rd grade at Momauguin school! She said she had a great day!! Drop off and pick up ran smoothly for the most part!”

With one of the very few social media accounts in the district, Momauguin shared dozens of photos of kids in classrooms, and outside on mask breaks.