Any students who have not been registered by the deadline will be placed into the Virtual-Full Year model where the time schedule does not change from what is currently in operation.NOTE: It may take a few weeks following the Registration Deadline until families are notified of any adjustments that may need to be made to classroom student cohorts, teacher-classroom assignments, and transportation schedules and details. TAAAC is currently in negotiations on behalf of teachers with AACPS to obtain written assurances regarding health and safety. Anne Arundel County to Remain at Stage Two Reopening Rising COVID case rate and positivity rate cause concern about larger goal of opening schools Annapolis, Md (September 3, 2020) County Executive Steuart Pittman announced today that Anne Arundel County would continue at Stage Two on the Maryland Strong: Roadmap to Recovery. Parents scrambled to provide feedback on the plan within the short window for the submission of public comments in advance of the October 5 Board meeting. Teachers received no advance notice of the timeline or opportunity to provide input before it was announced at a Board meeting on October 5, despite numerous calls for transparency and inclusion in AACPS’s plans to address the pandemic. September 8. By: WMAR STAFF Posted at 5:17 PM, Jul 15, 2020 . She reached out to other parents with her concerns, including Caminiti. It makes me feel like I’m not valued, and it compounds over time. I Volunteered as an Election Canvasser; Here is How it’s going, All I Want For Christmas Is No Cell Tower at Shady Side Elementary, Navy’s Dog and Pony Show on Poison PFAS in Groundwater Falls Flat in St. Mary’s County, MD. Thank you. Board President and District 7 Member Michelle Corkadel stated, “I refer you to the various public updates the board received over the last several months and the American Pediatric Association and Governor and the State Superintendent recommendations.”  District 4 Board Member Melissa Ellis, who moved for approval of the hybrid plan, cited a duty to open schools “as soon as it is considered safe,”  pointing to students struggling with virtual learning and metrics developed by County Health Officer Nilesh Kalyanaraman, declaring, “A virus caused our schools to close, and only the virus should be the reason to keep them closed.”  Hummer, who did not vote for the plan, stated that she believed the timeline to be based upon health metrics and the amount of lead time it would take for families to make decisions about what option to select. As Anne Arundel County Public Schools inches toward a coronavirus reopening … While he could not provide specifics on other concessions that TAAAC is seeking given the ongoing nature of negotiations, he said that “it is a step in the right direction” that TAAAC is back at the table. At Large Board Member Julie Hummer, who was interviewed for this article, revealed that the numerous emails she has received from concerned constituents have focused largely on the timing of the plan. According to Leone, one key goal for teachers is to ensure that safety protocols are uniform and consistently enforceable in all school buildings. TSAs are not represented by a union and do not receive health benefits or leave, so have heightened concerns about what will happen if they contract Covid19 and need medical attention. E-mail - oct2020familyquestions@aacps.org, For a specific school phone #, please see the School List. 2020. Citing an uptick in COVID-19 metrics, the Board of Education in Anne Arundel County on Wednesday voted to delay a return to so-called “hybrid” education until February. At this time, we are not accepting changes to initial registrations. While AACPS has stated that it will attempt to keep students and teachers together, it cannot guarantee that it will be able to do so. Anne Arundel County Schools Superintendent Narrows Down Reopening Option Considerations For Fall – CBS Baltimore Anne Arundel County Schools Superintendent Narrows Down Reopening Option Considerations For Fall July 15, 2020 at 11:50 pm Anne Arundel County Public Schools has formed Fall 2020 Future Planning Committees (FPCs) composed of school district personnel, community leaders, students, teachers, families, employee bargaining unit members, and stakeholders from across the county to come together to plan for Fall 2020 schooling options. Chief among those concerns is safety for all of those people in school buildings, especially given that the CDC, which continues to recommend that workers work remotely, released updated guidance the day that the plan was presented to the Board acknowledging airborne transmission of the virus from distances further than 6 feet. “Teachers for years have heard things on the news before we’ve heard from employers. When plans for secondary school students to return to school are approved, a new registration process will be offered. The county’s current case numbers do not meet the metrics set forth by Dr. Kalyanaraman, causing more uncertainty for stakeholders. On July 20, the date when the announcement was made that learning would remain virtual through first semester, the county’s seven-day rolling average new case rate per 100,000 residents was 10.9. Anne Arundel County Public Schools Home The AACPS Board of Education and Dr. Arlotto recognize the many challenges families face as we continue to adapt to best meet the educational needs of our students during a pandemic. Oct 06, 2020 at 12:45 PM Anne Arundel County Executive Steuart Pittman, right, listens as Superintendent George Arlotto updates the Board of Education on the plan for reopening schools … If yes, please consider this 2 hour/day volunteer opportunity on two or four days each week. Our FPCs are focusing on the needs of Anne Arundel County students and families … How Anne Arundel County Schools decide re-opening/closings. It is unclear whether the plan will be implemented at all given that county case numbers continue to trend upwards. Since the Board approved the timeline on October 7, the County’s new case rate has not fallen below that threshold. We were told the virus would most likely pick up in the fall and now here we are. Annapolis, Md (September 3, 2020) County Executive Steuart Pittman announced today that Anne Arundel County would continue at Stage Two on the Maryland Strong: Roadmap to Recovery. Online Learning for the Remainder of the 2020-2021 School Year, Anne Arundel County Health Officer Presentation, Blackboard Web Community Manager Privacy Policy (Updated). We get texts from parents. UNCERTAINTY, DIVISION, AND CONCERNS ABOUT SAFETY AND IMPLEMENTATION PLAGUE PLANS TO REOPEN ANNE ARUNDEL COUNTY SCHOOLS. — Anne Arundel County Public Schools are continuing to explore options on how to resume classes this fall. Se connecter. Pages Businesses Education School Public School Anne Arundel County Public Schools (AACPS) Videos Reopening Report 9-30-20 It is unclear what action the Board must take to develop a revised timeline or delay implementation of the plan and timeline it approved. After Dr. Arlotto announced the decision to proceed virtually for first semester, the committee shifted to developing a virtual model and optimizing it. The Anne Arundel County Department of Health will continue to evaluate the safety of reopening the county based on the 12 measures below. Each learning model option is described in more detail on this site so that families with elementary students can make informed decisions now. Ellis wrote that she does not support reopening “in conditions that are outside the metrics developed by the health experts.”  Corkadel stated that “if the metrics advises to delay, then we delay.”  Hummer also supports delaying reopening if case numbers do not meet county health metrics, and expressed her hope that other Board members would follow suit. Corroborating that some reopening committees were kept out of the loop, Leone disclosed that while teachers served on some of the committees, they were unaware of the plan before its public announcement. TSA Shayla Pratt has been working remotely since schools closed and has maintained a heavy workload. First Semester, 2020. It is upsetting to feel that way and then be asked to put your health and safety on the line.”. January 29 2021. Parents wonder whether the benefits of limited in-person instruction outweigh the costs. Teacher concerns about the lack of advance notice also stem from their own need to address childcare since they are expected to report on November 2, health and safety, and the lack of clarity about how hybrid education will be conducted. Please take a moment to consider volunteering to support our midday block of time during the hybrid school day. “As the President, there are rare occasions a proposed board action is best supported by said decision maker’s neutrality. I refer to several sections of Robert’s Rules of Order as it pertains to abstention and president duties. AACPS’s first public statement about the plan and timeline appeared in an October 1 news release. The goal of the group is to prioritize students most in need of in-person instruction and to keep as many students as possible learning virtually to protect the health and safety of teachers and students. With the establishment of the virtual learning environment through the first marking period and distribution of Chromebooks to almost every student, AACPS is equipped to provide seamless instructional transitions between virtual learning to hybrid learning as the public health climate shifts. Adding to outrage about the process was that the Board did not approve motions to solicit public testimony and seek input from stakeholders, despite an outpouring of concern from members of the public. If you did not register your student by the October 19th deadline and still want your preference to be known, please log your preference below by clicking on the Family Registration button. Thank you. Aide à l’accessibilité. Maryland Local School System Reopening Plans Fall 2020 (As of August 24, 2020) 2020-2021 Public Schools Openings & Closings Dates Local School System Fall Opening Reopening Plans Links to Plans Allegany County September 8 Virtual: Reopening Plans Anne Arundel County September 8** Virtual Reopening Plans Baltimore City September 8 Virtual Reopening Plans Baltimore County September 8 … Some teachers were advised by an AACPS Division of Human Resources representative via email that “Responses to inquiries about COVID-related accommodations will be extremely limited.”. Less than a month before students are set to return to classrooms, Anne Arundel County Public Schools (AACPS) and its stakeholders remain divided over the hybrid education plan and timeline to reopen schools. Rising COVID-19 case rate, positivity rate cause concern about larger goal of opening schools, Pittman says Key stakeholders have complained that they had no input into a plan that will affect their health and safety and were unaware that a plan had been formulated before it was announced publicly. But getting reopening plans right is like trying to hit a moving target, as the COVID-19 pandemic is unpredictable. Hicks spearheaded the formation of the Parental Alliance for School Safety. Why virtual? Hulu’s New Lesbian Christmas Movie, Broken Down by Quality and Queerness: Intellectualizing to Inaction: The Well-Intentioned Failure of Rich White “Diversity.”, The Dangerous Extremism of County Executive Steve Schuh. NOTE:  Students who were not registered by the deadline are being placed in the virtual full-year learning model where they will continue to learn virtually on their current time schedule for the remainder of the 2020-2021 school year. Virtual Learning. Timing aside, teachers, parents, and staff continue to have serious concerns about the hybrid education plan and continue to undertake efforts to make their voices heard. Copyright © 2002-2020 Blackboard, Inc. All rights reserved. NOTE: Only parents/guardians of ECI and Elementary school students (preK-5) should fill out the Family Registration form at this time. Sections de cette page. Anne Arundel County Public Schools. See this post on our Facebook page. It did not participate in the development of the plan approved by the Board and did not learn about it until a meeting at 2:30 p.m. the day that the plan was presented to the Board. By: "Disco" Don Harrison. Members of the public, including parents, were not aware of the development of the plan. Another concern is that hybrid teachers will be required to simultaneously instruct in-person and virtual students, addressing technological issues, enforcing mask and social distancing requirements, and assisting and supervising students who are physically present. Within one day, the group gained 300 members, and within a span of approximately two weeks, it has amassed almost 3,000 members. Many have questioned the basis for the decision to reopen in November and what triggered it given the recent uptick in county Covid 19 case numbers. While teachers can request accommodations at any time, the approval process and response times are opaque, and the process has not run smoothly. RIVA, MD — As Anne Arundel County Public Schools inches toward a coronavirus reopening plan, the teachers union wants a more powerful seat at the table. Anne Arundel Co. Schools rule out three reopening proposals. “I get more information and details from browsing social media than I do from my employer,” said middle school teacher Robin Beers. Questions? S’inscrire. Teachers have numerous concerns about health and safety aspects of the plan that they are attempting to address through bargaining. In response to a question from the Patriot as to why she did not support the motions, Corkadel, who dismissed public concern about the plan as “orchestrated,” during the October 5 Board meeting where the motions were presented, explained that her duties as Board President required her to be neutral. A concern expressed vociferously by numerous parents is that children may be placed with different teachers midway through the school year, adding more upheaval and instability to a less than ideal situation. (Spanish version), 2 consecutive days per week of in-person instruction - and 3 days of virtual learning, Virtual Learning for the First Semester Through the End of January 2021, 5 days of virtual learning per week for fall semester with the option to move to Hybrid Learning Model beginning February 2021 (second semester), Online Learning for the Remainder of the 2020-2021 School Year5 days of virtual learning per week through fall and spring semesters of the 2020-21 academic year. There are three learning models provided to elementary school families at this time: Virtual-Plus (Hybrid), Virtual-Half Year, and Virtual-Full Year. Families of elementary-aged students must register on this website (see Family Registration Button), indicating their instructional preference for each of their elementary students (ECI, PreK, Kindergarten, and Grade 1 – 5 students) so that proper preparations for staffing classrooms can be made. Stage 2: “Limited in-person activities” Governor’s Executive Order and approval of the County Health Officer. A key benefit that those supporting in-person instruction tout is interaction and connection with other students and teachers. Aside from health and safety concerns, parents and teachers alike worry that hybrid instruction could negatively affect the quality of education all students receive. Since she is an hourly employee, she says that she cannot afford for her work hours to be reduced. Like school systems across the U.S., Anne Arundel County Public Schools in Maryland is developing options for students in the fall during the coronavirus pandemic. Anne Arundel County announced that it will delay its hybrid reopening plan (originally set to begin on Nov. 16) until the start of the second semester, and temporarily will pause in-person athletics. You may choose the same or different learning models for each of your students. Less than two weeks before the plan and timeline was approved, Russell Leone, President of the Teachers Association of Anne Arundel County (TAAAC), gave a press conference in which he highlighted that teachers are not provided with information or input on key developments related to the pandemic. How Anne Arundel County Schools decide re-opening/closings . Leah Frazier is an attorney and a hockey fan from Anne Arundel County. Have you been fingerprinted to and approved to serve as a school chaperone? Geo Piatt/Getty Images/500px Prime. Elevating all students...eliminating all gaps. The deadline was October 19, 2020 at 5pm, however, we want you to register and we will try to honor your learning model requests for your students. The county’s seven-day average new case rate is now at 21.3 per 100,000 cases. “People can’t make decisions for their own safety based on constantly changing information,” said Beers. Comments? For the last week the county’s rate has exceeded that number. 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