State Superintendent Urges School Systems to Reevaluate Mode of Instruction at the End of the First Quarter Announces $10 Million to Help Systems Move Toward In-Person InstructionMaryland Department of Health Issues New Benchmarks to Guide School ReopeningsHealth and Safety Precautions Must Remain in Place, School Systems Should Work With Local Health Officials to Monitor Trends and Outbreaks
ANNAPOLIS, MD—As a result of improved COVID-19 health metrics across the state, Governor Larry Hogan today announced that every county school system in Maryland is now fully authorized to begin safely reopening.
The authority and decision making on safe openings continues to rest with county boards of education. Decisions should be based on a set of statewide metrics, guidelines, and benchmarks issued today by the Maryland Department of Health (MDH) in collaboration with the Maryland State Department of Education (MSDE). Read the guidance and benchmarks.
The governor was joined by Dr. Jinlene Chan, Acting Deputy Secretary for Public Health Services at MDH, and MSDE State Superintendent of Schools, Dr. Karen Salmon. Currently, 16 of the state’s local school systems have developed plans for returning children to schools for some form of in-person instruction this calendar year, including students with special needs.
Governor Hogan and Dr. Salmon will visit school sites across the state in the coming weeks to observe systems that are bringing small groups of students back into a safe and educationally effective environment.
“As a result of our improved health metrics, every single county school system in the State of Maryland is now fully authorized to begin safely reopening,” said Governor Hogan. “Nearly everyone agrees that there is no substitute for in-person instruction. It is essential that we all work together on flexible hybrid plans to safely get some of our kids back into classrooms and into healthy and supportive learning environments.”
Health Metrics:
- The statewide positivity rate is now down to 3.3%, a decline of more than 87% since it peaked on April 17 at 26.91%.
- Maryland’s positivity rate has now been under 5%, the benchmark recommended by the World Health Organization and the CDC, since June 25, and has been under 4% since August 8.
- Last week, for the first time, the COVID-19 positivity rate for all 24 jurisdictions in Maryland fell below the 5% milestone. Currently, 17 of the state’s jurisdictions have positivity rates below 3.5%.
- The positivity rate among Marylanders under the age of 35 has declined by 44% since July 23, and has now fallen below 4%, to 3.79%. The positivity rate among Marylanders 35 and older has dropped below 3%, and is now 2.97%.
Economic Recovery:
- The State of Maryland has now added 156,200 jobs in 90 days, and the state’s unemployment rate has dropped to 7.6%, which is more than 25% better than the national unemployment rate and the very best in the region.
- This week, Maryland saw its lowest number of unemployment claims since the first week of the pandemic in early March.
- More than 70% of Maryland’s economy remained open through the COVID-19 pandemic, and more than 98% of the state economy has been open since completing all Stage Two reopenings on June 19.
SCHOOLS UPDATE. Dr. Salmon announced that based on the state’s improving health metrics, she is urging local school systems to reevaluate their modes of instruction at the end of the first quarter. The state is making $10 million in grant funding available to help systems that are able to move toward in-person instruction.
“While adherence to these metrics for re-entry into classrooms are not considered requirements, I am strongly encouraging local school systems to utilize our improving numbers and the provided metrics as the driving force for the decision to return to school buildings,” said Dr. Salmon. “Health and safety precautions must remain in place once we begin to bring more students back into schools, and school systems should continue to work in conjunction with local health officials to monitor trends in the metrics and any outbreaks at area schools.”
HEALTH BENCHMARKS. Dr. Chan presented county-specific benchmarks for conversations among local officials regarding in-person instruction. These benchmarks are based on metrics that, taken together, reflect the levels of community transmission, including test positivity and case rates.
“I want to emphasize that this is guidance to aid in decision-making rather than being prescriptive, and there is flexibility that schools have to make decisions about how to best meet the educational needs of their students while taking into account the level of community spread and their capacity to implement the guidelines,” said Dr. Chan.
25 comments:
So we have virtually learning ready to begin in weeks and Hogan drops this con the school system? Can’t wait to move
All a hoax. Build the gallows.
Hogan is the reason why schools are not opening. He has made a mess of things. We even are releasing people from jail because it is dangerous but all of a sudden schools are ok? I guess they didn't think about this part of the agenda and endoctranation must continue on. Those covid numbers will do that exactly whatever they want them to do. I think staying viral until the election is smart. Let's see what happens with that. I hope many start to homeschool. There is so much out here and for very little money and kids will be better off to think for themselves. Trump 20/20.
Wonder if he would send his kids back. Like putting a gas can on their back and hoping nobody has a match.But you know he wants to be the prez.
Everyone except Wicomico. Blame your local WBOE buffoons
At least thousands of families have had to scramble to find childcare, now two weeks out (or less) they expect this mammoth ship to turn on a dime. Just more politicians who are completely out of touch.
The whole Event has been manufactured from the ground up. Hogan should be held accountable for this crime.
???Where was he 2 weeks ago. Funny how Townsend closed their dorms this week. Fatality rate under age 20. There has only been 1 in MD let them all go back
Great News! The virus is the flu...kids need to be in school because remote learning is not as effective.
I'm so glad I dont have kids right now..schools are a joke..no discipline no respect for teachers. curriculum is bias anti American.
Just can’t vote in them
Hey, a lot of teachers had already paid for vacations during this period. Will they get extra pay for now having to come to work?
Seems your the buffoon who doesn’t obviously know the plans in Wicomico! And if you would have actually read the article, all lower shore counties EXCEPT DORCHESTER has plans already in place for small groups of students to return..
If you want to be a teacher , apply on line at the leader of BLM .
WHICH ONE IS IT ? INTERNET LEARNING OR IN PERSON THIS IS BULLSHIT.
To anon
To anonymous who thinks it
Covid-19 is Far worse than Maryland even knows or admits !!!
Govt just wants everything back to Normal before it is even Possible !!!
Mostly just to get out of paying people Any money !!! They want you
paying Them $$$$$ as Normal !!! 1/2 of your $$$$$ !!!
Well there's always next year. MD 20/20 just continues to suck.
@7:59 - you do know that the kids are at more risk of dying from being struck by lightening, or driving to school, or the flu than they are of dying from the Wuhan/ COVID virus.
“ AnonymousAugust 28, 2020 at 7:59 AM
Wonder if he would send his kids back. Like putting a gas can on their back and hoping nobody has a match.But you know he wants to be the prez.”
@9:51 small groups my behind. They aren't even offering in person instruction to families without internet access. They can have whatever plan they want written, but Wicomico County is failing its students.
But the teachers are at higher risk. I do not understand why people are saying covid is like the flu. It isn't. My husband was sick for 2 weeks straight, Very sick. He is still struggling a month later. I do believe we should not shut down because of covid still, but it is not the flu. 24-48 hrs of the flu I will take any day over covid. And having 45 kids in school with one teacher in a day care setting is no good. It will be very bad. People send their kids to school sick daily. Also, alot of people are not being tested anymore. They do not want the 14 day quarantine. So many are sick and still going to work. If you do not build immunity and can get it again? It's a hot mess.
Dorchester has plans for small groups too??
It would be a joke if it were not so serious.
If the BOE truly believed in the seriousness of the COVID virus why would they be OK with having their staff working in some schools all summer with no disinfecting and no mask enforcement. They either believe in what they say or simply value some lives over others.
For example all this week numerous contractors worked at Wi Middle with NO masks and NO social distancing potentially putting many, that are not the young, potentially at risk. Yes, the science says the young have a greater chance of dying from getting hit by lightning, but not so for the staff and their families that may contract this disease.
Some schools require contractors to at least sign off on a series of health questions each time they enter a facility and others just let multiple people in with no sign-off and no mask enforcement.
The Central Office has been a ghost town since March but they required others to report to work daily in these conditions during this time without ensuring proper protocols were enforced consistently across the county.
Just blatant disregard for the staff that had to actually show up for work.
This is called leadership????
This all a waste of time and money. They is no learning that is going to occur with 25 kids on a google conference call.
Post a Comment