State Education Commissioner of Elementary and Secondary Education Jeffrey Riley said the state will not accept all remote learning days as official days that Curley K-8 School will take while facing a COVID-19 outbreak. It’s fair to say that the Curley School community and the general public is incensed by Riley and Boston Public School leaders.
Curley School parent Jocelyn Stanton created a change.org petition to honor all of the remote learning days.
The Twittersphere has been packed with opinions about Riley, BPS leadership, Curley School teachers, science, math, and more.
People are really not happy with Riley.
Jeff Riley — incompetent bureaucrat and stubborn wannabe tyrant — has botched every #MAEdu Covid response since Feb 2020 because he spends his time throwing immature hissy fits instead of coming up with thoughtful policy that protects MA’s children and families. #mapoli #bospoli
— Heshan de Silva-Weeramuni — Bluesky: @heshan🗳️ (@wheresmyporsche) November 13, 2021
https://twitter.com/YourAuntieSusan/status/1459207502667603974
What is the purpose of making the argument that a school with 5% positivity rate should be open?
— Lea Benson (@bledwine) November 12, 2021
https://twitter.com/_jmnoonan/status/1459289848905408513
Former BPS Director of ELL & Alternative Programs, BPS principal, and Curley School parent Sung-Joon Pai shared the letter that his wife wrote to the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education and Riley.
Our educators have deeply paid the price for the twists and turns of this pandemic, the idea that their hard and creative work not only goes unnoticed by DESE, but isn’t good enough to “count” is beyond demoralizing.
10/x
— Sunny Pai (배성준) (@SungJoonPai) November 13, 2021
Some people are not happy with the leaders of the Boston Public Schools.
Even if you are just pretending that safety matters and just being performative in your COVID safety theater, the optics of this (on the day we received notification of 4 positive cases, and day after Curley is closed) couldn't be worse 🤬 #bospoli https://t.co/irVYQNf76u
— Mr. V (@themrvalenzuela) November 11, 2021
Others gave props to BPS and Superintendent Brenda Cassellius for sticking to the decision of switching to remote learning for 10 days and not buckling to Riley’s pressure.
Props to Superintendent Brenda Cassellius for standing up for the health and safety of our @BostonSchools students at the Curley School. Our children's health means more than the arbitrary decision by State DOE. Thank you for leading and not following. #bospoli #mapoli https://t.co/0c7eFJK7r6
— Tito Jackson (@titojackson) November 14, 2021
Our community also recognizes the importance of science and math, and the Curley School teachers.
This will be very burdensome to Curley parents. But worse would be the ongoing waves of infection if kids ride buses, go to afterschool programs, etc. Covid then spreads to more schools, AND to more Curley kids. Better to starve the virus of hosts for a few days, than feed it. 3/
— Jen Mason Stott (she/her) (@jmasonstott) November 13, 2021
My child goes to the Curley school, which is closing for 10 days due to a COVID outbreak. There is already a lot of criticism going around, but I just want to say that the teachers there are incredible. Since COVID began, they’ve been working wonders every day. #bospoli
— Brendan Little (@blittle86) November 10, 2021
And why don’t we have ample tests available for everyone?
@JeffreyCRiley prefers kids get sick or possibly die rather than trust teachers to deliver instruction remotely for a week.
They were trying to give FIVE HUNDRED rapid tests a day with insufficient support. 56 people are already infected. #mapoli #bospoli https://t.co/bfMoD6O0Hl— Krista (@kristamm) November 12, 2021
Oh my god. I am so sorry for every Curley family and staff and hoping everyone stays healthy.
Now my yelling to @potus @HHSGov @US_FDA about rapid testing being FREE or at least EASIER for states, schools to get so they could rapid test every morning doesn’t seem so stupid. https://t.co/6j2zu2e5Qp
— Sarah 🌊 (she/her) (@SARWINTERS) November 9, 2021
