Prince George’s County Public Schools’ CEO says she hasn’t been thinking about a ‘maskless classroom’ anytime soon
The leader of a Maryland county school district indicated that students will be required to wear masks on school grounds and in classrooms until “COVID no longer exists.”
“I have not been thinking about a maskless classroom,” Prince George’s County Public Schools’ CEO Monica Goldson said in Capitol Heights, WTOP reported. “The only classroom I’ve been thinking about is one where teaching and learning takes places from the time the kids walk in until the time they leave.”
“The only off-ramp I want is the one where COVID no longer exists,” Goldson said. “I don’t think that that off-ramp will exist. I think this is how our life will be … and we’re showing that we’re adaptable and we can make whatever necessary changes so that we can keep our students learning and safe.”
Students in the county returned to the classroom for the first time this year on Jan. 18. The school district abruptly decided in December to return to virtual learning for the first two weeks of January due to the omicron variant.
Goldson made her position on masks clear, despite acknowledging successes in the school district’s testing initiative and increased vaccination rates among students.
Parents for the county’s some 110,000 students enrolled in in-person classes are asked to upload test results for their children every Sunday until at least the end of February. Last week was the first time that students were sent home with antigen rapid tests over the weekend with instructions for their parents to administer the tests Sunday, before sending kids back to school Monday morning. Testing is voluntary.
“Today was the first day where students and parents were back in schools after utilizing” their tests, Goldson said Monday. “We had over 85,000 tests uploaded into our database and just a few students who tested positive. So as far as I’m concerned, that’s positive, because I never want those sick kids around other students and continue to infect them.”
Another PG County official “thinking” unrealistically.
Not surprised. Hey official how bout thinking of a way to protect OUR eastern shore from PG Country TRASH every summer. Sandy Point park is there for a reason.