“A perfect solution does not exist. A safe one does.”

The Maryland Parent-Teacher Association (PTA), Baltimore Teachers Union (BTU), and the Maryland State Education Association (MSEA) issued a joint call for continued virtual learning as school resumes. The three organizations sent a letter this week to Gov. Larry Hogan and State School Superintendent Karen Salmon advocating for continued online learning as a protective measure against coronavirus risks.

From the letter:

"We must rise above politics and focus on the reality and complexities of safely reopening schools. If we open our schools too quickly and without adequate safety precautions, the result will be that some educators, students, and their family members will contract the coronavirus. Some will recover, some will face debilitating health consequences or healthcare bills that they cannot pay, and some will die. These are stubborn facts. And they are costs and consequences that we must refuse to accept. A perfect solution does not exist. A safe one does.

While the letter stops just short of asking for a mandate, the group does ask for decisiveness and uniformity:

“Making this decision now would give every district at least a full six weeks to plan and troubleshoot around one known and understood model of learning. Exceptions to this should be possible only in districts with the very lowest levels of infection and community spread, and with the strong educator and family support necessary in those jurisdictions."

The Proposed Plan

The Maryland PTA, BTU, and MSEA recognize that virtual learning is a difficult and an imperfect solution, but advocate for an all-online opening that transitions into a hybrid of online and in-person learning. The letter reads:

"[W]e are calling for the 2020-2021 school year to begin with virtual learning and instruction for at least the first semester. Protecting the safety of Maryland educators, students, and families requires this action. We believe it is the right approach and will allow time for further evaluation of health matrices, stakeholder input, and the educational needs of students on a district-by-district basis to allow for a transition to a hybrid learning model after the year begins and possibly a mostly in-person model later in the school year if and when it is safe."

What are your thoughts on schools reopening in the fall? What considerations should be taken?

Comment and join the discussion!