Md. State Superintendent of Schools focusing on getting back to in-person learning safely

MARYLAND – Maryland state education leaders are calling to get more students back in schools for in person learning. Maryland State Superintendent Dr. Karen Salmon says since June, many schools have successfully gotten small groups of targeted students back in school buildings. “We want to engage students again, especially our students with disabilities, our students where English is not their first language, an also for our youngest students,” said Dr. Salmon.

Dr. Salmon adds that she’s been advocating to state health officials that all teachers, school staff, and early childhood educators be included in the first priority group when a COVID-19 vaccine is available. Dr. Salmon also tells 47ABC that getting students in vulnerable populations, such as children with disabilities or english as a second language, back in school is another top priority. “The learning loss can be up to a year of learning loss. We already have this huge divide between our students in terms of their academic achievement. All this is doing is making that even wider,” said Dr. Salmon.

 Dr. Salmon also tells 47ABC that recently, she’s received about a thousand requests from Marylanders to get more children back to an in person learning model. She says she and other state education and health officials are meeting weekly to monitor the situation, and ensure they’re taking the right steps.