Carrabec school board to survey teachers about remote learning

At the School Administrative District 74 board of directors meeting Wednesday, Superintendent Mike Tracy said a survey will be sent this week to teachers and staff members to ask their opinions on how remote and in-person learning are going. In photograph above, students at the Carrabec Community School in North Anson head out for the weekend in May 2019. Michael G. Seamans/Morning Sentinel file

NORTH ANSON — Regional School Unit 74 Superintendent Mike Tracy told board members Wednesday night the district will be seeking feedback from teachers about how local schools are doing.

The RSU 74 board of directors convened at Carrabec Community School to provide district updates and discuss operations.

Early last month, Tracy withdrew his recommendation to shift to the third phase of reopening, citing the recent increase in COVID-19 deaths in Maine and the need for more time to hear from families and staff members.

No action was taken at Wednesday night’s meeting.

Tracy said teachers throughout the district, which serves Anson, Embden, New Portland, North Anson and Solon, will be sent a survey by the end of the week to provide feedback and ideas on what is and is not working for them related to remote and in-person learning.

Board members have expressed concern about a variety of issues, including the quality of education students are receiving and the stress being placed on teachers and staff members. A workshop has been scheduled for Jan. 20.

“I have maintained and continue to maintain that we’d like to get more students in here more of the time,” said Tracy, adding one of the most-pressing concerns his office is handling is staffing school buses because there are no substitutes at this time.

Carrabec schools are operating under the second phase of their reopening plan. Under this plan, students in kindergarten through fifth grade are in their classrooms Tuesday through Friday, and dismissed at 12:30 p.m.

On Mondays, teachers prepare lessons, connect with remote students and clean their classrooms.

In grades six through eight, one cohort meets Tuesday and Thursday and the other Wednesday and Friday, with 50% of students under a hybrid model. Students are dismissed at 2:30 p.m.

Grades nine through 12 attend school five days a week and are dismissed at 2:30 p.m.

Tracy said Wednesday one student is being monitored for COVID-19 at Carrabec High School and three students districtwide have self-quarantined following travels during the holidays.

“I am pleased to say that families are taking my requests about traveling seriously,” Tracy said. “I think that it’s the responsible thing to do, and I’m grateful to those parents.”

Also on Wednesday night, Tracy said he had changed two half-days for students — scheduled for Jan. 27 and March 10 — to full days.