Breaking News: MCPS and Tilden Reopening Town Halls Tonight and Comment on MCPS BOE Meeting

Wilson Faucette - Garrett Park Estates - February 24, 2021 - 7:45 AM - UPDATE: Tilden's town hall did a good job of laying out what returning to school in-person will look like for students. They will keep their same schedules weather or not they are virtual. Students who take the bus to school in the morning will have to wait for school to start in a place like the cafeteria for around 70 minutes each day. Buses are following the same schedule they followed last year(which means bus riders won't be dismissed from class for another 20 minutes after school ends at 2:40. Students will have 1 door to enter for each grade. They will transition between periods each day, following the virtual learning schedule that Tilden has been following all year. Hallways are marked with signage and most hallways are one way traffic. Classrooms have desks in 6 feet bubbles. Students will mostly have their teachers, although some teachers will still be teaching virtually due to health conditions. Students who are going in person will follow a Blue Week/Gold Week rotation schedule unless they are in a signature program. Students who are in signature programs will have separate meetings with teachers. Bathroom capacity is limited, and sinks and stalls have markers to direct where to go. Lunches will be eaten in second period classrooms. Following lunch, students will have a chance to go outside on the blacktop for the remainder of the 1.25 hour lunch block. Students will then transition to third and fourth periods before dismissal. Walkers will dismiss first, followed by car riders, followed finally by the buses 20 minutes later. Students will have to bring school-issued chromebooks each day. Tilden principal Irina LaGrange stressed that even if you see a bus in your community, you're not allowed to get on it unless you are going to school. During the MCPS town hall, they mostly reiterated what they said in the boardroom. We have no more information to bring to you about that. Tilden's town hall should be starting momentarily. Tonight at 7:30, Tilden Middle School principal Irina LaGrange will be hosting a town hall for Tilden families to go over the specific Tilden reopening plan. Also tonight at 6:30, MCPS will be hosting a virtual town hall on the reopening of schools starting in a week or so. Yesterday the MCPS Board of Education had a Meeting. One thing they discussed was the reopening plan. Quarantine Today staff attended part of the over 6 hour long event. From what we heard, the MCPS plan has some potential setbacks. When longtime BOE member Pat O'Neil asked what MCPS was doing to keep more wealthier schools from buying better equipment than what MCPS Tech is distributing, MCPS staff just circled back to what they are giving out. They are giving out cameras that do not move, but according to Mrs. O'Neil, some schools have gone ahead and bought cameras that follow the teacher around the room. Also, MCPS surveillance testing is optional due to privacy concerns, which leaves a serious doubt about how safe students and staff will be. Despite this, BOE member Rebecca Smondrowski asked the MCPS staff to accelerate the reopening timeline. The board also heard from principals from Argyle MS and Paint Branch HS who shared effective ways of communication as well as ways to help seniors not on track to graduate. The BOE heard about summer school, and how tentative course offerings are on the MCPS Website(Search Summer School). MCPS also has waived summer school fees. Students may now shorten their schedule and retake those classes in the summer. They may also request the pass/fail grading system on courses not required for graduation. MCPS BOE also approved to lower graduation requirements by adhering to the Maryland State requirements. This eliminates 1 math credit, .5 PE credits, and a few more for a total of 21 credits. The board is also looking into eliminating 15 hours of SSL and totaling SSL Hours needed for Graduation to 60. Information about Tilden and MCPS town halls will appear at the TOP OF THIS ARTICLE.