On Wednesday, July 15, Prince George’s County Schools CEO Monica Goldson announced that schools in the county will do full-time distance learning for the entire first semester of the 2020–2021 school year. This seems to line up with our polling at The Beltsville News where 77% of respondents to a poll about school opening options wanted to remain in distance learning.
The CEO explained in her letter to the community that, “When I was chosen to lead Prince George’s County Public Schools (PGCPS), I committed to putting our children first. Now, especially during these times, my focus on these core values remains the same.” She goes on to state that the decision was made in consultation with a number of stakeholders such as parents, teachers, administrators, and the PGCPS Reopening Task Force as well as community surveys.
She promises that as they will “work to enhance our distance learning model, we will provide more live instruction in addition to pre-recorded lessons. All students will be equipped with their own digital device to support our district-wide goal. We are also improving instructional supports for students, both individually and in small groups, in core subject areas and increasing access to social and emotional learning opportunities.”
Dr. Goldson writes: “I understand that there is no perfect solution. Our next steps will be guided by our goal of protecting and enriching the entire PGCPS community. Please visit the Reopen PGCPS website for the latest information.”