State Superintendent says school officials will make a plan for long term recovery.
Annapolis, Md. (KM). Maryland’s Superintendent of Schools has extended the closure of schools. During the Governor’s news conference Friday in Annapolis, Dr. Karen Salmon said schools will remain closed through May 15th. She said she made this decision following consultations with the State School Board and medical experts.
“With regards to the remainder of the school year and the summer, we will use this time to examine every option, and continue to develop a long term plan for recovery,” she said.
Schools in Maryland have been closed since March 16th to help slow the spread of the coronavirus.
During the closure, school systems around the state have developed a digital continuity of learning which students can access from their home while classroom buildings are closed.
Dr. Salmon says all school systems must submit these plans to the Maryland Department of Education for review. She says each plan must have, among other things, an overview of the program, a plan of accountability, and how each school system will address the needs of special education students, English learner, students with academic needs and homeless students. “We are helping school systems to obtain these resources such as additional devices, platforms for learning, and expanded broadband capabilities that they need to carry out their plan in equitable and meaningful ways,” Dr. Salmon said.
This closures designed to slow the spread of the coronavirus are coming as high school seniors get close to graduation, and Dr. Salmon says she understands that. “We want seniors and their families to have an opportunity to recognize their wonderful accomplishments from their time in high school and receive their diplomas,” she said. “I will let you know that local superintendents have been working on a number of creative alternatives to ensure our high school seniors receive the recognition they deserve.”
One of Governor Larry Hogan’s executive orders prohibits gatherings of more than ten people.
By Kevin McManus