Prince George’s County Public Schools are virtual again until mid-January, Chief Executive Officer Monica Goldson announced on Friday, December 17. “In light of the stark rise in Covid-19 cases throughout our school system, all students will transition to virtual learning,” she wrote. Virtual learning will be in effect until Tuesday, January 18.
“Educators, administrators and support staff must be able to deliver in-person instruction and other activities in conditions that prioritize their own health, as well as the wellbeing of the school community. The increased positivity rates have significantly challenged the ability to do so, causing anxiety among many school communities and disruption to the school day,” she wrote. Goldson has access to individual schools’ positivity rates, even as Maryland Department of Health reporting of Covid-19 cases was curtailed by a network security incident.
Obviously, the change will disrupt the lives of families with school-age children who now need to be home again. It will also change the lives of teachers, who are required to go back to the buildings to teach even as the students are at home.
Emailing five teachers who live or teach in Greenbelt, the News Review heard that most have mixed feelings.
“Putting the safety of the students and their families first is unequivocally the correct thing to do,” wrote Melinda Brady, the fifth-grade science and social studies teacher at Berwyn Heights Elementary School. “I am, however, deeply concerned about how long we may be back online and what that will mean for my students. Virtual schooling doesn’t offer the same kind of support in-person school does. It’s not just the academics, although that’s bad enough. It’s the social-emotional cost to the kids as well. I have several students who have talked about how isolated they felt at home.”
Patrick Gleason, English teacher at Eleanor Roosevelt High School (ERHS), added, “I am quite sad about it. I want to be safe but am fearful for the mental health of teachers and students alike. The hundreds of mini-interactions with students throughout the day during in-person learning energizes me. I know the energy last year took from me and I can’t imagine doing an extended period of time this year.”
Nahl Ilyas-Gleason, who teaches seventh and eighth grade math to ESOL students at Charles Carroll Middle School, explained how startling the announcement was. “My students asked me on Thursday [December 16] to do a secret Santa with them and by Friday evening those plans were completely changed and cancelled. … I hope we are not online for too long but I understand that precautions need to be taken.”
Ian Gleason, a sixth-grade math teacher at Charles Carroll Middle School, said the transition will not be too hard on him. “I have had two hybrid sections of students all year so I have been using Zoom in a smaller capacity this year than last but I would much rather stay in-person,” he said. “I think it is important to take precautions and I am glad that we will be keeping students safe but I wish we didn’t have to go this route again because I know many students will struggle with virtual learning.”
Amie Littman, an English teacher at ERHS, added, “Overall, I think it was the right decision to have the schools go virtual so close to the holidays, especially with the uptick after Thanksgiving. I wish there had been more time to prepare and the opportunity to tell students in person what this would look like. I am hopeful that the community will take the appropriate precautions while we are out so we will be able to return in January as planned.”
