Description

December 2, 2020 Reopening Report

Hi again everybody, and welcome to the return of our Reopening Reports series. Each Wednesday I’ll bring you the latest developments on our work to reopen schools for students and staff.
Remember that updated information is posted to our website as soon as it becomes available. You can find it at www.aacps.org/fall2020.
I want to thank all of our students, teachers, staff, and families for everything they did in the first marking period. The virtual learning environment has been challenging, and all of us have made sacrifices to make it work as best as possible for all of our students. I am confident we will build on that in the second marking period, and I thank every one of you for your efforts.
Speaking of the first marking period, we’ve put together a graphical “First Quarter Report” that details a lot of the work that has been done on the road to reopening. You can find that report at www.aacps.org/quarterreport. Information on the rigor, recovery, and readiness aspects of our work is displayed in an easy-to-understand way. Take a look. I think you’ll be impressed at what we have accomplished together.
Our February 1 hybrid learning launch date will only be possible if the case rates come down from where they are now, so I’m asking each of you to do your part. Wear your mask. Wash your hands. And watch your distancing. They are the three key elements to getting this pandemic under control.
In order to get more input in our reopening discussions, we have added more people to our 14 reopening committees. Those committees are continuing to evaluate ways to make the plan even better, and I hope to be able to detail some of those important points in the near future.
I want to take a minute to talk about Chromebooks. As you know, it is our goal to provide a Chromebook for every student in order to fully engage in virtual learning. We had hoped to have one in the hands of every student by the end of the first marking period, but shipping delays have prevented that. We are still waiting on final delivery of approximately 27,000 Chromebooks from our distributor, and we will get those into the hands of students as soon as they are delivered and we get them set up.
It is critically important as well that our students take good care of these Chromebooks. To help, we’ve created a flyer with tips on the proper care of these devices that can be found at www.aacps.org/virtuallearning. Please take a few minutes to look at it.
Finally, our winter athletics season was supposed to begin on Monday, December 7, but the case rate still exceeds the metrics under which we can make that happen. We are in communications with the Maryland Public Secondary Schools Athletic Association and the Anne Arundel County Department of Health now about what modifications may be made. We will certainly keep our student-athletes and their families apprised of changes.

In addition to these reports, reopening updates are a part of every Board meeting agenda. I hope you will take time to watch the Board meetings, which are broadcast live on AACPS-TV and at www.aacps.org/youtube at 6 p.m. on the first and third Wednesday of each month.
Thank you again for everything you are doing in this virtual world. I’ll see you again next week.