The word ‘trying’ is important. It suggests there is a possibility of failure: that a student could die, a teacher could die, or schools will have to shut down again. Maryland should not be in the business of gambling with students’ & teachers’ lives. /1 https://baltimore.cbslocal.com/2020/10/01/hogan-theres-really-no-excuse-to-not-try-to-return-kids-to-classrooms/

After six months of social distancing, uncertainty, and grief for too many Marylanders, we have only now seen one 24-hour period without a COVID death. While this is an important milestone, this metric certainly does not warrant the reckless decision of putting /2

hundreds of students and faculty back into enclosed spaces — many of which still do not have heat, let alone adequate PPE.

A mid-semester shift based on the political whims of the Governor is inconsiderate of teachers who deserve consistency to do their jobs, /3

dangerous as the CDC warns of the dual threat of the flu and coronavirus, and ignores the domino effect of services required to effectively re-open schools. You cannot limit commuter lines and still expect parents to have a reliable ride to work to make a paycheck. /4