Cambridge Coalition for Public Education

Who We Are

Families, caregivers, educators, and community members in Cambridge who support in-person learning in the Cambridge Public Schools, from JK to high school.

Our Mission

Re-open Cambridge Public Schools in a safe, equitable, and inclusive manner so that all students and families who desire it have access to in-person education while also supporting the needs of teachers and remote learners and their families.

Immediate Goals

The City of Cambridge, including the City Council, the Mayor, the School Committee, and the City Manager, must prioritize in-person education, using all possible means and powers: The city must adopt a policy that the Cambridge Public Schools will be the first to open and the last to close when making decisions regarding services, quarantines, and additional funding.
Re-open all grades for in-person education by March 1, 2021 for all students and families who request it: Ensure that the appropriate safety protocols are followed by school staff, students, and families, so that schools are safe for all and learning continues uninterrupted. Continue monitoring and sharing in-school COVID-19 transmission for transparency.
Expand in-person learning by April 2, 2021: The City of Cambridge and the School Committee must publish a detailed reopening plan for an early April expansion of in-person learning and continue with expansion plans so all students can return full-time and in person by September 2021. The plan must include a timeline, daily community updates on progress, achievements and outstanding items.
Urge the School Committee to publish a plan on how schools will address the education gaps that have accumulated since March 2020.
Parents and caregivers must have fair representation and a platform equal to other invitees at all School Committee, subcommittee, and working group meetings.

Goals achieved

On Jan 26, the Superintendent and CRLS Principal agreed to accommodate not only CRLS students in Tiers 2-3, but also CRLS students in Tier 1 by choosing the model we have advocated for that includes all students who chose in person schooling would attend in person school on alternate weeks starting on March 1st, 2021.
On Jan 19, 2021, the School Committee approved the re-opening plan for 4-12 graders for in-person education on March 1, 2021. The proposal passed 6-1, with member Ayesha Wilson voting against. The vote to prevent reconsideration or further debate at future meetings about this decision was 4-3, with Mayor Siddiqui, Vice-Chair Bowman, and members Fantini and Rojas voting for reopening on March 1st without further delays.
On Jan 5, 2021, the School Committee adopted the expert guidance from Dr. Danielle Allen’s Path to Zero report* for keeping schools open to prioritize in-person education. This includes: (a) Strictly implement strategies of infection control and minimize in-school transmission so that schools can be open, even at higher levels of community spread; (b) Using community spread data as a reference, not as an on/off decision-making metric; (c) Using school-specific testing and transmission data to make case-by-case decisions about when to close and open classrooms. The adoption of Dr. Danielle Allen’s Path to Zero resulted in school re-opening for JK-3 grades on Jan 11, 2021
On Dec 22, 2020, the School Committee reduced 6 feet distancing in Elementary Schools (grades JK-5) to 3 feet, consistent with the recommendation in Dr. Allen’s report (with 6 feet distancing being in place during lunch), as well as quarantine rules (10 days);

If you share these objectives, please join our coalition by signing up here.