Hogan Green Lights School Reopening

WaPoo, Hogan pushes schools toward in-person classes

Just four days before the school year begins in many parts of Maryland, Gov. Larry Hogan (R) announced the state’s 24 school systems are “fully authorized to begin safely reopening” for in-person classes, based on improving health metrics.

Joined by State Superintendent Karen Salmon, Hogan urged local school leaders to reevaluate their decisions about the fall months, saying there is no substitute for face-to-face learning and accusing some county school boards of not even attempting to plan to bring children back to classrooms amid the pandemic.

His words came as another jolt to an already chaotic beginning of the 2020-2021 school year. Hogan does not have the power to order schools open, but said he is strongly suggesting that they look for safe ways to begin returning students to campuses.

Every school system in the state has already committed to an all-virtual reopening. Some systems proposed bringing some students back a few weeks or months into the fall, but others opted for a full semester of remote education until late January.

Montgomery and Prince George’s counties have approved plans for a full semester of virtual learning.

“Perhaps it was easier for a local school board to simply say they do not want to open and to say they have developed no plans to safely reopen or to bring any children back in for any in-classroom instruction for the rest of the calendar year,” Hogan said, meeting with reporters Thursday afternoon.

“But that is not acceptable,” he said. “It is not in line with our health metrics or with state policy, and it is not the right thing for our Maryland children.”

So lets look at Maryland's  WuFlu "metrics":

First, cases:

We're well past the peak of a "second wave" and down to less than 500 cases daily. And deaths?

Very little sign of the "second wave" in the mortality statistics, and currently running about 5 per day. And remember, deaths occur about 2 weeks after diagnosis. Of the 3560 confirmed deaths in MD, 2115 have been in "Nursing Homes, Group Homes and Assisted Living Facilities."

I believe the teachers unions will start pushing to reopen schools Nov. 4, regardless of the outcome.