Maryland’s State Board of Education held an online meeting Tuesday, but it made no decision on whether schools would reopen after April 24.
A statement issued after the meeting said that the board — in consultation with the governor’s office and the state Education and Health departments — “continues to monitor conditions and evaluate on a daily/weekly basis.”
After Gov. Larry Hogan was asked last week when schools could reopen, he said the decision was not his to make. Rather, he said, it would come from Karen Salmon, the state’s school superintendent, who also serves as the board’s secretary-treasurer.
During Tuesday’s meeting — which was frequently interrupted by technical glitches — the board voted to waive state testing requirements for high school seniors.
They also agreed to waive the requirement that schools hold 180 days of instruction.
The action grants a five-day waiver, making it possible for school systems to fulfill the instruction requirement with 175 days of class time.
Cheryl Bost — the president of the Maryland State Education Association, which represents teachers — called the decision on graduation requirements “a good move” that allows for the unique circumstances caused by the coronavirus pandemic.
“It’s very, very important for our seniors to know that they’ll be able to graduate and get their diplomas,” said Bost. “Even though it’s disappointing, they probably won’t have proms or graduations.”
At one point during the meeting, board member Rachel McCusker, a Carroll County teacher, praised teachers around the state for the work they’re doing on distance learning.
“For many of them, it’s a very steep learning curve,” said McCusker, the board’s teacher representative. “They’re working above and beyond to make sure that what they’re delivering to students is done in a quality manner.”
Though there’s continued concern about access to technology, teachers say students enjoy being able to have contact with their teachers and classmates, Bost said.
“That connectivity is helping to relieve much of their anxiety,” said Bost, adding that high school teachers say students who were not engaged in the classroom prefer the distance-learning approach.
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