#MAEdu, I have, let's say, many personal thoughts on this, but the first is:

And? https://twitter.com/TracyNovick/status/1319230200618561537

A few more:
This is predicated on fear being the motivation: even using the word "audit" (not a word that DESE usually uses in their looks at districts; they have "reviews" and such) is intended to stoke fear.

This is implicitly acknowledging the degree to which districts have heard what the state says and then proceeded as they felt was right, regardless.

In March, districts were told to close for cleaning, and then reopen. By mid-March, all had simply closed.

In August, districts were told not to release and vote plans for the fall prior to DESE review. Many, many released and voted (and deliberated and discussed) prior to DESE review.

Currently, districts are told:
--to use the state's map for several weeks as their metric to determine if students are in classrooms; that widely is not what is the sole determinant.

--not to close schools or districts unless contagion is significant within the schools. That is not what districts are doing.

And now this.

As Elaine notes, there is reason for concern after Thanksgiving for districts that currently are open, even beyond the fairly universal acknowledgement that the next two or three months are going to be much worse. https://twitter.com/ElaineFromStow/status/1319239595893075968

And, as Elaine also notes (again, as this has been something many, many of us have said right along): There is an actual useful role for the state in all of this, and threats of district audits are not, at all, it.

District leadership also has wisely noted throughout this that students and families and staff NEED AS MUCH NOTICE AS POSSIBLE.

Thus the March calls. Thus the August votes.

Thus why a superintendent might recommend and a committee vote in ADVANCE of Thanksgiving, with their eyes on rising rates across the state, headlines warning that it is only getting worse, and families possibly travelling out of state with no enforcement of quarantine.

That is an entirely reasonable decision, which--and this is key, because this is one of the pieces I really see this leadership missing--acknowledges that schools are part of communities, and those communities have needs, too.

I am encouraged by how often local leadership--weary though they be--have stepped up to really consider what will educate kids within the network of their communities during this pandemic.
I assume they will continue to do so.

I just wish that were supported.
#MAEdu