Burlington Schools Set To Test Distance Learning For Snow Days

BURLINGTON, MA — Burlington Public Schools will test a distance learning program Thursday which, if implemented, could help the district avoid extending school years deep into June when snow forces closures. In distance learning, students receive structured assignments that can be done at home and still meet learning requirements set by the state. The school committee would vote on whether to accept the program during the 2019-20 school year.

"We understand that the last week in June is not a most productive time for learning to take place," the district said on its Website. "The Distance Learning program also allows students to develop their foundational skills needed to plan and accomplish learning in different environments. A byproduct of this program is that students will experience learning in different environments and it promotes independence. The ability to navigate Distance Learning programs has also become a critical skill for our students as they advance beyond Burlington Public Schools."

Assignments would be delivered through Google Classroom or Seesaw, the online learning management systems Burlington uses. Under the program, students would have a two-week window to complete assignments. The assignments would also take less time than a full school day, meaning kids would still have a chance to play in the snow.

Estimated assignment completion times would range in length from 60 minutes for lower-grade students to 30 minutes per subject for high school students. Students who do not complete the assignment in the two-week window and do not notify school officials would be marked absent for the school day.

For more information on the program, see the Burlington Public Schools Website.

Dave Copeland can be reached at dave.copeland@patch.com or by calling 617-433-7851. Follow him on Twitter (@CopeWrites) and Facebook (/copewrites).