Dear School Commissioner...

Dear Massachusetts School Commissioner, 

I wanted to personally thank you for pretty much forcing high schools to go back to full in-person learning this spring. I just love it when the state takes away individual school power… it’s for the greater good, right? Forget the fact that all high schools are different sizes and have different needs - if one high school goes back, we all should! It’s only fair.

The mental health crisis is horrible right now, and we are all looking for ways to solve it. I’m glad you are making schools go back, it will definitely help struggling students. I mean, COVID has raised anxiety, worsened depression, and many have suffered incredible losses. I am positive that changing everyone’s schedules for a month left in school will solve all their problems.

I’m absolutely stoked to go back to school with everyone! Who doesn’t love a full classroom of smiling faces (though you can’t tell with the masks)?  Some small classrooms will be packed with 25+ students, to which I say: the more the merrier! I haven’t seen these kids in so long, and I can’t wait to socialize with them. I’m sure teachers will dedicate the whole class to let us talk to each other. 

To those of you who are afraid of COVID, I want to remind you that the virus is basically gone anyways, just think! Massachusetts has only been having about 1,000 new cases each day, and the age group most affected is 10-19. Plus, us students will make sure we don’t come within three feet of each other in school, not at all. I know the classrooms can be tiny, but if we shove desks against the walls I bet we can fit everyone. We just won’t move around -- it will be too crowded for that. But I love sitting for an hour and a half straight, it’s so refreshing to relax. 

I think my favorite part about going back to school is the lunch situation. Due to a lack of chairs, I hear some schools are ordering buckets for kids to sit on. Isn’t that wonderful! I’ve always wanted to eat sitting on buckets but haven’t had the chance. 

No, I lied. My favorite part is changing my entire schedule to go back to school. I love change! Sure, I’ve been doing well during the hybrid model and my whole schedule will be uprooted for only a month left in school. But this change will be super fun; it definitely won’t cause us mental and physical exhaustion. 

No, I lied again! My favorite part is going to be taking MCAS. Yes, thank you School Commissioner for giving us juniors a chance to take this super necessary standardized test since we couldn’t last year. It’s not like some AP teachers had to change when their students take the exams just to accommodate for MCAS. Even if they did, MCAS is clearly more important than any AP test.  

Thanks again for this very well-thought-out and logical plan. I can’t wait!

Sincerely,

Alex Goodale