3 0 obj OFFICE OF THE PRINCE GEORGE'S COUNTY EXECUTIVE ANGELA D. ALSOBROOKS PRESS RELEASE For Immediate Release: August 5, 2021 . Many of the conspiracy theories contradict each other and the findings in the Energy Department report. Joinhere! Kristin Danley-Greiner 8/15/2022. Joinhere! This decision reverses one from July, which made mask wearing optional in Prince George's County schools. Submit anonymous tips through the Safe Schools Maryland app or tip line. Whether youre a lifelong resident of D.C. or you just moved here, weve got you covered. 14201 School Lane The vaccination rate in the county for residents 5 and older is 81.5 percent, according to state health department data. 1140 3rd St., 2nd Flr, NE With the declining local COVID-19 positivity rates, CEO Dr. Monica Goldson announced the mask-optional policy will resume in all PGCPS facilities on Tuesday, September 6. ,;=d!DEJ\0 A South Florida native, Scott graduated from the University of Maryland in 2019. Los distritos escolares de Maryland tienen flexibilidad para determinar las polticas de uso de mascarilla cuando responden a amenazas de salud pblica como la de la COVID-19. Prince George's County Portal. The schools do not have enough teachers to start in 2 weeks nor enough bus drivers. Read More Questions? Prince Georges County is the only D.C.-area jurisdiction that had a mask mandate on the first day of classes. John Henry Murphy Sr.; Slave. Although the city's mask mandate was lifted on March 1, Mayor Muriel Bowser did not lift the school mask mandate for public and private schools. 9:15 PM, PGCPS tops all Maryland districts in total number of green schools certifications, 10 schools under construction or to be delivered in next 4 years, Prince George's County Public Schools To date, more than 10.5 million children have lost one or both parents or caregivers during the coronavirus pandemic. In late February, PGCPS CEO Monica Goldson wrote an email to parents stating, I anticipate easing our mask mandate by the end of the school year, once 80% of the countys population was vaccinated. Contact Information. Prince George's. 1 0 obj the county announced plans to reinstate its indoor mask mandate, initially transitioned to a mask-optional policy in July, as defined by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Prince Georges Co. council votes to temporarily cap rent hikes at 3%, Millions invested into Blue Line corridor by Prince Georges Co. developers, Cardinal Gregory meets with descendants of slaves buried on Bowie church hillside, Grand jury indicts DC employee charged with killing 13-year-old boy, Virginia state superintendent Jillian Balow announces resignation, Maryland food bank braces for more hungry mouths after emergency benefits are reduced. Prince George's County school system will end its mask mandate Sept. 6. In one, a massive study of more than 340,000 residents of rural Bangladesh, the study found that mask programs that promoted but didn't mandate masks "increased mask usage and reduced . Prince Georges County was a center of the pandemic, reporting the most cases among counties in Maryland. The mandatory mask-wearing policy was put back in place due to the "highly contagious BA variant 5 COVID-19," the district said, and is a change from its mask-optional policy that took effect July 1. Some say that policy change was not clear. Also, public schools in D.C. went mask-optional in March, while state lawmakers in Virginia voted to ban school mask mandates in February. PG county officials, focus your attention on making our schools better and stop putting distractions like a mask mandate," Abrams continued. 2023 FOX Television Stations, FBI: Explosive found in bag at Pennsylvania airport, man arrested, Elderly couple dead in possible murder-suicide in Fairfax County: police, Airbnb renting out Paris theater that inspired 'Phantom of the Opera', Pot smoking lounge set to open in Montgomery County is first of its kind, Surgeon runs down Philadelphia street to retrieve organ from transport vehicle stuck in traffic, Video shows Amazon delivery driver hitting, killing dog at Maryland home, Richard Montgomery High School student accused of robbing Shell gas station at knifepoint, U.S. Prince Georges County infection rates throughout the pandemic have been consistently among the highest rates in Maryland. One D.C. school is using COVID relief funds to target students on the verge of failure. Instead, the agency is recommending those exposed to someone with COVID-19 wear a mask for 10 days and test for the virus on the fifth day. There are no language selections available at this time. Higher education: College and university enrollment is nowhere near pandemic level, experts worry. WTOPs John Domen contributed to this report. Chevy Chase, MD 20815. Some children who are learning English have struggled to keep up in classrooms because the masks prevent them from seeing their instructors mouths form words. Accessibility. All staff, students and families are encouraged to support personal decisions on mask-wearing, the message to parents said. For Read Across America Week, check out our many resources that encourage a love of reading. The school system said it made the decision to require masks at the start of the year based on a recommendation from county health officials. Like WTOP on Facebook and follow WTOP on Twitter and Instagram to engage in conversation about this article and others. I have known people who have taught in PG county and who are traumatized by the upper administration. Prince George's County Public Schools announced Friday that masks will once again be mandatory at all schools and facilities starting on Monday. In the classroom: Amid a teacher shortage, states desperate to fill teaching jobs have relaxed job requirements as staffing crises rise in many schools. Upper Marlboro, MD 20772, 2023, Prince George's County Public Schools, March is National Irish American Heritage Month, NUMBER OF SCHOOLS FOR 2022-2023 SCHOOL YEAR, BOE: Parent and Community Advisory Council (PCAC) Meeting, 3rd Quarter Progress Reports Released Online, Website Accessibility Requests and Feedback Form. Fast, informative and written just for locals. PGCPS continuera prendre des dcisions en matire de sant et de scurit en consultation avec des experts de la sant. Dr. Frances Toni Draper announces retirement from pastorship at Freedom Temple AME Zion Church, 130 years of excellence: AFRO Gala set to kick anniversary celebration into high gear. endobj The email stated: Effective immediately, all PGCPS schools and facilities will be mask optional. NEWS ALERT: California board denies parole for Robert F. Kennedy assassin Sirhan Sirhan, Alejandro Alvarez | aalvarez@wtp.com. All Rights Reserved. Of the policy shift announced Monday, Goldson said families have varied on whether children should wear masks in schools. Schools 135 #1 IN GREEN SCHOOLS PGCPS tops all Maryland districts in total number of green schools certifications Schools 10 HISTORIC SCHOOL CONSTRUCTION 10 schools under construction or to be delivered in next 4 years Schools 198 NUMBER OF SCHOOLS FOR 2022-2023 SCHOOL YEAR Get the Latest Information Prince Georges has taken the most cautious approach to combating the virus among school systems across the D.C. region. All rights reserved. Scott Gelman is a digital editor and writer for WTOP. Say something. While PGCPS is working hard to overcome its staff shortage, Prince George's County Schools will lift the mandatory mask mandate, and become "mask optional" on September 6. Seer. "AGu_zs_=v21>] Yfy2eV*L.Fq|x7\p#~{/T#=D?6CqV$+c('id;\8G|y+K/pUK6fD2?D)1'N9"VG+*C#j=IS+\bL/a2XLiKQGFmp ']vUn1]xOpV\(r'(gBm@Ib'ngMm*/!z6H1t{Jo[kf&vvVVdHwmE+gY$1f TGAP~ /?'}TGY~ @`~)>Zboip?__ww?DN*X. Donna Christy, president of Prince Georges County Educators, said Prince Georges County teachers are supportive of returning to a mask mandate if infection rates require it. 5425 Wisconsin Ave In July 2022, PGCPS transitioned from a mandatory mask-wearing policy to an optional-wear policy for the first time since the coronavirus pandemic began. D.C. Public Schools new reading curriculum is designed to help improve literacy among the citys youngest readers. Mask policy is subject to change according to local and/or state health department guidance and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommendations, PGCPS said in the email. John started working at WTOP in 2016 after having grown up in Maryland listening to the station as a child. WTOPs John Domen contributed to this report. %PDF-1.7 WTOP has obtained a short email, dated July 1, that PGCPS sent to teachers and staff. Prince Georges County students go back to classes on Aug. 29. On Monday, August 29, the Prince George's County Public Schools (PGCPS) system in Maryland announced it would drop its mask mandate effective Tuesday, September 6. The updated Students Rights and Responsibilities Handbook addressing the policy change reads: The mask-optional policy enables individuals to choose whether to wear a mask in schools and offices. Juanita Miller, chair of the county's school board, directed. 31pCMS_DO` }kam~x1J`v3T`m(EAv>}uDIE -,0 Covid-19 is ravaging one of the countrys wealthiest black counties. On Tuesday, the Prince Georges County website still stated masks are required on public transportation, in public schools, and in businesses that choose to require them., The state of Maryland says 81.5% of residents 5 and older in Prince Georges County are considered fully vaccinated.. Indoor mask mandate ends Monday in Prince George's County Per current CDC guidelines, masks will still be required on all public transit systems, including the Metro and city buses, and in schools . NEWS ALERT: California board denies parole for Robert F. Kennedy assassin Sirhan Sirhan, John Domen | jdomen@wtop.com. Prince George's County Public School (PGCPS) will continue to mandate mask-wearing for all students, teachers and staff, regardless of . We are one of the last counties in the country to still have a mask mandate. CDC eases school guidance on quarantines, testing, screening. The PGCPS website recently notified parents that masking is now required of Prince Georges County Public Schools (PGCPS) students and employees. It states the system was lifting its mask mandate an announcement that has not been clear to many parents. This website is not intended for users located within the European Economic Area. Other school systems in Maryland elected to drop mask mandates last school year, but Prince Georges kept a requirement in place until the county reached over an 80 percent vaccination rate for the coronavirus. 2 0 obj Like WTOP on Facebook and follow WTOP on Twitter and Instagram to engage in conversation about this article and others. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts. A mask should still be worn through the 10th day after testing positive, according to the guidelines. The latest: Updated coronavirus booster shots are now available for children as young as 5. Goldson cited improving coronavirus levels in her decision to make masking optional. Some teachers have indicated that they will continue to wear masks even after the policy shift, especially if they see a large number of students through the day, Goldson said. Se anima a todos los empleados, estudiantes y familias a apoyar las decisiones personales de uso de mascarilla. Michael A. McCoy for The Washington Post Monica Goldson, CEO of Prince George's County Public Schools,. 14201 School Lane On July 7, PGCPS also announced the new policy within an email newsletter to parents. This website is not intended for users located within the European Economic Area. PRINCE GEORGE'S COUNTY, MD Face masks must be worn in all schools and district buildings . The mandate will go into effect Sunday, August 8, 2021 at 5:00 PM, and applies to . Montgomery County Board of Education drops mask mandate for schools WTOP was the first to report on the policy change. PGCPS will continue to make health and safety decisions in consultation with health experts.. School system CEO Monica Goldson announced the policy change in a newsletter to parents Monday evening, at the. American students test scores have even plummeted to levels unseen for decades. While the school district turned the commenting feature off on its Facebook post announcing the switch back to mandatory face masks, others posted their unhappiness with the decision elsewhere on the school's social media account. 2023 WTOP. - Schools in Prince George's County will be bringing back its masks requirements starting Monday, August 15 due to spreading coronavirus cases, according to schools officials. Soldier. Prince George's schools where the last in the region to drop their mask mandate in July. Prince Georges County Public Schools the last system in the D.C. area that required students and staff to wear masks lifted that mandate in early July. Board denies parole for Robert F. Kennedy assassin Sirhan Sirhan, Alejandro Alvarez | aalvarez @ wtp.com Abrams... Monica Goldson, CEO of prince George 's County schools email, July. Scurit en consultation avec des experts de la sant coronavirus levels in her decision to make masking optional teachers. 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