Gov. Baker Champions Salem's Classroom Learning Example

SALEM, MA — Gov. Charlie Baker's push to get more students back in school more often across the state took him to Salem on Thursday.

On the day Salem High School welcomed back a cohort of students in grades 10 through 12 to the classroom for the first time since March 12, Baker used the Bentley Innovation Academy as an example in his news conference of how schools can successfully operate in person.

"Bentley (Innovation Academy) in Salem has had certain classes operating in person since September," he said. "They are using a testing program that they've put in place to get more kids back."

Salem brought some specialized classroom students back in September before adding those in kindergarten through second grade, as well as sixth-graders, ninth-graders and career/technical students, in November.

All students who wanted to be in the classroom in kindergarten through ninth grade were brought back to the classroom on Jan. 11 following an extensive district-wide testing program for staff, students and their families.

Salem High was the final group allowed back starting Thursday.

"In Salem right now, they are basically saying to families and to kids in Salem if you want to go remote, go remote," Baker said. "But if you want to go in person, we’ll figure out how to make it happen."

Baker credited the district with getting "creative" in teaching remote and in-classroom students simultaneously.

"We were actually in a classroom where a teacher — I'm going to guess this was maybe third, fourth grade — was teaching to what she was describing as the "Zoomers" — kids who were coming in remotely and the "Roomers" — kids were actually in the classroom. And she was teaching both at the same time.

"The thing I took away from our visit there is that if you really want to make this happen, and you are willing to try and be creative and take advantage of the guidance and the resources that are available out there, you can get a lot done."

This happened! Look at our amazing student ambassadors sharing what makes Bentley special with @MassGovernor ! https://t.co/6dHnNqIx56
— Bentley Academy Innovation School (@bentley_school) February 4, 2021

He also said Salem's aggressive COVID-19 testing — the district tested 1,850 staff, students and families prior to the Jan. 11 return with one staff member and 11 students testing positive — was also a good example of showing how relatively safe in-person learning can be.

"All the data and research that's been done has made it pretty clear that with precautions schools are not spreaders," he said.

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(Scott Souza is a Patch field editor covering Beverly, Danvers, Marblehead, Peabody, Salem and Swampscott. He can be reached at Scott.Souza@Patch.com. Twitter: @Scott_Souza.)

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