Reopen or not: How one Baltimore household is divided on reopening schools

Reopen or not: How one Baltimore household is divided on reopening schools

SCHOOLS... IT CAN MAKE YOURHEAD SPIN.

TODAY THE MARYLANDSTATE EDUCATION ASSOCIATIONAND THE STATE ━━A LAID OUTWHY THEY THINK VIRTUALLEARNING IS THE SAFEST OPTION.THEY WERE JOINED BY THE THEBALTIMORE TEACHERS UNIONPRESIDENT WHO TALKED ABOUTUNIQUE ISSUES IN THE CITY."we're the only schooldistrict where we've subjectedour children to ride publictransportation, because onceagain, i guess we feel theycan handle it.

And so we'readding an additional risk."SUPPORTERS OF DISTANLEARNING SAY MAKING THEDECISION NOW, WOULD GIVEEVERYONE AT LEAST SIX WEEKSLEADING UP TO THE NEW SCHOOLYEAR TO PLAN AND TROUBLESHOOT.YOU MAY HEAR THE SCHOOL DEBATEAMONG YOUR FRIENDS, OR SEE ITON SOCIAL MEDIA.

BUT YOU KNOWTHIS ISSUE FEELS DIFFERENTWHEN IT HITS HOME.

WMAR TWONEWS' RAY STRICKLAND JOINS USLIVE AT BALTIMORE CITY SCHOOLHEADQUARTERS WHERE ONEBALTIMORE HOUSEHOLD IS DIVIDEDON THE BEST PATH FORWARD.

RAY?AND THAT DIVIDE REFLECTS THEBALANCING ACT STATE AND LOCALLEADERS HAVE TO FIGURE OUT,THEY KNOW NONE OF THE OPTIONSCAN MAKE EVERYONE HAPPY.

ANDTHIS IS NOT A SITUATION WHERE,ONE SIZE FITS ALL.

ESPECIALLYHERE IN BALTIMORE CITY WHERESOME PARENTS DONTHE DISTRICT TO KEEP THEIRKIDS SAFE.Tyejae and Anijae Barnwell goto Greenstreet Academy.

Theyboth miss school&their friendsand teachers.

9:54“Like beingable to sit and class roomsand socialize.

But, whereTyejae and her sister go theirseparate ways is if theyshould return to theclassroom.

TyeJae says no andsupports 100 percent virtuallearning.

10:51“If we do goback to schools, therehigh possibility that I couldget it and then bring it home.Are you scared to get it?Yeah” But, Anijae, who isready to start her 9th gradeyear, says she isnabout getting the virus.

Shethinks ita mix of i━person learningand online.

12:40“I have ahard time paying attentionalready in school without myteacher having to look over myshoulder making sure I do whatI do, so doing it virtually isgoing to be even harder”Their dad, Tyrone agrees withhis daughter Tyejae.

Tyrone,who is also a member of aworkgroup on this very issue,does not want his kids toreturn to a district, he sayshas had problems before thepandemic ever began.

1:29“Schools haventissue in the bathrooms, theyhavenbefore COVI━19,and we alwaysheard we donresources” 48“We cannot playrussian roulette with our kidslives.

This household is anexample of THE DIFFICULTDECISION SCHOOL LEADERS FACE.but the challenges IN somedistricts such as baltimorecity& are why some believe THECHOICE IS OBVIOUS, AND SCHOOLSSHOULD start off with distancelearning.

At least for now.3:39“We know we have kidsthat depend on school foreating, lunch, we have kidswho have IEPs, physicaltherapy, and all that stuffthat they get, but again, ithink the school system andare leadership need to gobeyond that to make thesethings available right incommunities for these parentsand meet the needs of ourkids”NOW AS EDDIE MENTIONESCHOOLS DISTRICTS STILL HAVE AMONTH TO OFFICIALLY DECIDE ANDANNOUNCE THEIR REOPENING PLAN.SO FAR NOW FAMILIES LIKE THEBARNWELLS ARE LEFT IN LIMBO,HOPING LEADERS DO WHAT ITTAKES TO PROTECT STUDENTS ANDTEACHERS.

LIVE IN BALTIMORERAY STRICKALND WMA━2 NEWSA LOCAL BREWING COMPA