Superintendent of Schools Dr. Mark Bedell today presented Anne Arundel County Public Schools’ proposed plan to repurpose certain school days for virtual learning, starting the process that ultimately will call for adoption by the Maryland State Department of Education.
The plan follows a pathway opened by MSDE for the current school year. It is not intended for sustained virtual instruction of students. Rather, it is a pathway that enables local school systems to have the flexibility to repurpose certain days where it is prudent and to keep the end of the school year closer to the beginning of June.
MSDE allows school systems the opportunity to use a total of eight days as a virtual school day for the described purposes. The days may be synchronous (live) or asynchronous (pre-recorded). However, no more than three of the eight days may be used as asynchronous days. Utilizing days in this manner can remove days from the end of the school year.
The proposal presented to the Board today by Dr. Bedell calls for repurposing only inclement weather days. However, as Dr. Bedell stressed with the Board, it does not automatically mean that students and staff will not experience snow days should the opportunity arise.
Details of the plan can be found online here. Public comment can be provided through a link on that page through 4 p.m. on Friday, September 15, 2023.
The Board will revisit the plan and vote on its adoption at its September 20, 2023 meeting. Subsequent to the Board’s approval, the plan will be sent to State Superintendent Mohammed Choudhury for approval.