(10/1) No one would mistake our current FCPS operations for the halcyon pre-pandemic days, but we are dipping a toe back in the pool of normalcy. Fall sports are advancing through their seasons, homecoming dances will be occurring, and the County Band Competition will return on Monday, October 4 at Oakdale High School. Visiting schools you get the sense that the majority of students and staff are relieved to be back.
There is also a great deal of agreement that this is a period of adjustment. A 2nd grade teacher pointed out that her students are young enough that they do not have a strong recollection of what it was like to be physically present in a classroom. It’s as if they are just beginning their academic experiences, she related. School staff is taking all of this into account and addressing it in their instruction and how they schedule their time.
On the flip side, President Mason and I got to witness amazing discourse between high school students as we accompanied the Superintendent on her traditional first day school visits. Teachers are certainly happy to be able to focus on the students in front of them, either in-person or virtually, for those that chose that option, rather than having to divide their attention.
That brings up concurrent teaching.
The Board of Education and Frederick County Teachers Association (FCTA) have agreed to a work group to discuss and research best practices. The majority of teachers cringe when the topic is raised, and most parents would join them because they would immediately think it means their child would only be in school two days a week. But there are other instances where it may be utilized in a more advantageous manner. An example would be to allow students from various high schools to sign up for courses that might not be offered at their home school such as a world language or a higher-level math class, to name a few. We need to take the positives that have come out of the pandemic and keep moving forward to provide the best 21st Century education for all of our students.
While we are on the topic of FCTA and FCPS working together, the teachers finally have a contract. It was signed by all of the parties at the September 22 Board meeting. Not having a contract was demoralizing for the teachers, which we heard from a number of them. No one ever wants negotiations to go on this long, but the two sides worked with a mutually selected mediator who helped bring us all together. One factor that affected the end result was stipulations from the Blueprint for Maryland’s Future, particularly in the area of improving teacher salaries. There will be much more to report on this landmark legislation in the coming months.
Of course, we are constantly reminded that COVID-19 is ever present. We still employ ventilation, hand hygiene, and masks to keep our students and staff as safe as possible. The only method not currently available is distancing, which is not possible if we are to have all of our students attend five days a week. Administrators are using creative means to allow students to space out as much as possible when eating lunch. We have heard from many parents on both sides of the mask-wearing issue. Around the country there have been too many examples of school board meetings making the news due to disruptive behavior. Our Board greatly appreciates the respectful conduct of those who have come to give public comment.
On July 28, Dr. Alban released a statement alerting the community that masks would be required when school began in August. Shortly after, the state board of education passed a resolution that would require masks in all twenty-four school districts. On September 14, the Administrative, Executive, and Legislative Review (AELR) board, made up of state senators and delegates from both parties, held a four-hour hearing on the matter, available for viewing on YouTube.
The new Maryland school superintendent, Mohammed Choudhury, and state board president Clarence Crawford spent the first hour and half answering questions from the legislators. The virtual hearing was then opened up for the thirty some speakers signed up to give comment. Interestingly, state organizations representing vulnerable groups of students such as The ARC and those with Down Syndrome, were very much in favor of masks due to the often increased fragility of these students’ health. They also appreciated the medical waiver for students who are unable to wear a mask. In the end, the members of the AELR board voted 10-7 to uphold the state boards’ directive. We understand that masks are not always popular, but the goal of our Board and Superintendent is to keep our students in school as much as possible and this is one of the tools in our toolkit.
FCPS will begin to offer screening testing for all staff sometime in October. Staff will be asked to provide proof of vaccination. Testing will be one more strategy to achieve our goal and is frequently sited by experts as a major way of curtailing the amount of quarantining necessary.
Conferences for elementary and middle school students will be held October 12-14. Parents/guardians will have the option to choose in-person or virtual. This was another positive innovation to come from the necessity of the virtual world. Please remember that you do not need to wait for conference time to meet with your child’s teacher.
Finally, the Sabillasville charter school received conditional approval from the school board at the 9/13 meeting. Their request to be a conversion charter is being researched by our Board. While there are still a number of steps that have to be accomplished before the school can open its doors in August 2022, the organizing committee is currently looking to complete the condition of enrolling 161 students by December. Any student in Frederick County is eligible to attend the planned environmental school. Please contact Sabillasville Elementary School if you would like more information.
