BOE instructs Superintendent to meet with employee associations.
Frederick, Md (KM) During a special meeting on Thursday morning, the Frederick County Board of Education rescinded its previous decision to implement new social distancing protocols among students, and expanding the hybrid model to elementary schools. “This came about because our teachers association, our support association and our administrators association filed a grievance that the Board had violated our MOU which was in place,” says School Board Member Brad Young.
This Board of Ed’s decision last week would have allowed three feet of social distancing between elementary school students instead of six feet to help slow the spread of COVID-19. It also would have set up a hybrid model of instruction in elementary schools to let students take part in in-person classes four days a week.
Earlier this week, the Frederick County Administrative and Supervisory Association voted no confidence in the Board of Education. .
In its special meeting, the School Board also called on the Superintendent of Schools to hold discussions with the teachers, support and administrative employees’ associations about whether to revise the Memorandum of Understanding which was approved by the Board of Ed in February. “The Board felt that at this time, it’s better to go back and work with the associations to try to get as many kids back in school as possible,” Young says.
He also notes the School Board has called for a plan to get all schools fully opened by August, when the 2021–2022 academic year begins. The deadline for that plan to come before the Board is in June.
In the end, Young says the goal is to get all students back into the classrooms. “The Board’s intent from the whole beginning is getting kids back in school, getting as many back as possible,” he says. “And unfortunately if we were to proceed with the mandate that was passed, that probably would not happen. So the best course of action was to rescind and work with our associations and try and get more students back into the classrooms.”
By Kevin McManus