DiLullo: Continuing distance learning a 'good decision'

By JACOB MARROCCO

Superintendent of Johnston Schools Bernard DiLullo applauded Gov. Gina Raimondo’s decision to continue distance learning for the rest of the school year during an interview with the Sun Rise on Tuesday morning.

DiLullo took part in a conference call with Raimondo and other superintendents across the state two weeks ago to address the rest of the academic calendar, at which point Raimondo had said she wasn’t ready to make a definitive call. Ultimately, though, her decision to hold the rest of the year virtually was a good one, DiLullo said.

“Let’s say we had our kids come back to school,” the superintendent told the Sun Rise. “Our problem was going to be having a cafeteria of 200 kids sitting together and eating together. You have kids passing in the halls, in pretty close proximity, so that was going to be a real challenge for schools. I’m thinking that, when they come back in September, we’re going to have to have a plan in place to address all of those vulnerable areas.”

DiLullo said the governor lauded the state’s performance thus far, and he echoed that at the district level. He said teachers have been “very successful” to this point, but it doesn’t come as a surprise. He said instructional technology experts have been helping teachers adapt to the 1-to-1 computer program for the past three or four years, which has been “really helpful in terms of us making this transition.”

While the results have been overwhelmingly positive across the board, DiLullo said he is concerned whether students’ stamina can last over the next six to seven weeks.

“Sometimes kids are not checking in,” DiLullo said. “It seems to be happening more with our specialist classes at the elementary level – like art class, like music class – so I did send out a reminder last week about those classes being as important as the academics. So sometimes it’s just about reminding the kids that all of those classes are to be attended to.”

DiLullo said there are a wide range of options for graduation, according to a guidance sheet distributed by the Rhode Island Department of Education. Everything – from broadcasting online or using a public television station to holding ceremonies at a drive-in theater – is on the table. Conversations are ongoing about the best avenue for Johnston to take.

“Obviously everything is taped, but what could happen at a drive-in theater is families can meet there in their cars, stay in their cars but be able to watch it as a graduating class,” DiLullo said. “We’re thinking about what is the best option for our school. The administration has been meeting with the class advisors and some representatives from the class to determine what would be the best option.”

The superintendent has been pleased to see how the crisis has brought the community together as it remains physically apart. He said in the past week, middle and high school teachers created a video telling students how much they’ve missed them, and the middle schoolers turned around one of their own. They’ve even taken to doing some virtual good deeds.

“Then this [Tuesday] morning, I received an iMovie from the high school and it was a number of band members and one of the chorus members doing ‘It’s A Wonderful Life,’ and they’re going to send that video off to the local nursing homes, which I thought was a great idea,” DiLullo said. “Just to lift the spirits of people in the nursing homes.”

In other news, the School Committee held its April meeting virtually via Google Meet. DiLullo, during an earlier interview with the Sun Rise, said the entire agenda took up only about 10 minutes. The bulk of the discussion centered on layoffs of non-certified staff and establishing two dates – May 7 and 14 at 6 p.m. – for budget workshops.

“Our business manager is pulling it together at this point,” DiLullo said regarding progress on the new budget. “We have completed our meetings with department heads and principals, we’ve asked them to submit a budget that is the same as this year, so there are no increases being proposed. That’s what we’ll be proposing at the workshop and accepting feedback on.”