Citing the onset of vaccinations for education employees in the near future and relying on guidance from the Anne Arundel County Department of Health, the Board of Education of Anne Arundel County tonight voted to begin to implement a hybrid learning program for as many students as possible, health and safety metrics permitting, no later than March 1, 2021.
The school system had been focusing on implementing hybrid learning in elementary schools at the start of the second semester, which begins February 2. In its votes, the Board delayed the implementation by a month and urged Superintendent George Arlotto to bring back smaller groups of students – those with special needs, English Language Learners, and students at the county’s Centers of Applied Technology – as soon as possible.
The Board also directed Dr. Arlotto to:
- provide a timeline as soon as practicable detailing how the reopening plan will be implemented.
- update the Board and the public on the status of the reopening implementation and the health metrics by February 17, 2021.
- identify students who are not successful in the virtual environment so that appropriate resources and interventions can be developed.
Anne Arundel County Public Schools is working with the Anne Arundel County Department of Health to develop a vaccination plan for school system employees. The school system is currently surveying employees to determine if they wish to receive a vaccine and will work with the Department of Health to develop a priority list as soon as possible.