@drmonicaceo Dr. Mike Robinson: Is there an update you can share with the public about the number of teachers who have been vaccinated?
Dr. Monica Goldson: As of Sunday, February 28, 2021, we completed 7,226 first dose vaccinations for PGCPS staff. This does not include the additional 1,045 vaccinations from Kaiser that will begin Monday, yielding a total of 8,271 vaccinations. Approximately 9000 staff members said they wanted the vaccine.
Dr. Mike Robinson: Is there a percentage of the PGCPS workforce that have to be vaccinated before you reopen schools? If not, why not?
Dr. Monica Goldson: No, there is no percentage of the PGCPS workforces that have to be vaccinated before we reopen schools. Receiving the vaccination is not a requirement for employment or the reopening of school. Additionally, other industries are also not requiring their employees to receive the COVID-19 vaccine. While it is not mandatory, I strongly encourage our employees to sign up to receive the vaccine.
Dr. Mike Robinson: What information can you give to teachers who are still struggling to get the vaccine? Is there someone they need to contact?
Dr. Monica Goldson: We have partnered with Kaiser Permanente and the Prince George's County Health Department to ensure that any PGCPS employee who wants the vaccine has access to an appointment. We provide links each week that allow our employees to sign up for an appointment based on their availability.
Dr. Mike Robinson: Are you supportive of schools opening if teachers have not received their vaccination?
Dr. Monica Goldson: Yes. During this pandemic, my medical advisory board and I have watched the numbers of COVID cases within our community decline daily. Due to the recent decline in cases, we believe that it is now safe to begin bringing our teachers back into the buildings to begin in-person instruction.
Dr. Mike Robinson: Governor Hogan has challenged school districts in Maryland to open by March 1, 2021. Are you planning to reopen schools on March 1, 2021? If not, is there a potential start date, and will the reopening of schools have parent input (i.e., will families have a choice to remain virtual)
Dr. Monica Goldson: No, we are not able to make Gov. Hogan's preferred reopen date due to the unique circumstance that surrounds our community. Prince George's County has been hit hard by COVID-19 since the very beginning. As a result, the data on positive rates across the county did not support a March 1 return. However, I believe that we have done our due diligence to ensure that our schools will be safe for return in the coming weeks. Therefore, we have scheduled our school reopening for April 8. Phase 1 of instruction will begin with a two-day hybrid learning schedule for all special education students in kindergarten through 12th grade and for prekindergarten students through sixth grade and 12th grade. We will then move to Phase 2 of instruction on April 15 for all remaining students in grades 7, 8, 9, 10, and 11.
Dr. Mike Robinson: You recently released a family survey. Are parents supportive of returning to school?
Dr. Monica Goldson: Yes, we have released a family survey and just received the final results. I completely understand that the decision to return to school has to be made by the family and not the school system. Therefore, I appreciate the families who completed our survey about their plans for the rest of the school year, reflecting more than 122,000 students. More than 30 percent have indicated their student will return to school for hybrid instruction.
Dr. Mike Robinson: Can you share where the System is relevant to PPE and other support services and materials to keep students and staff safe?
Dr. Monica Goldson: The following PPE items have been purchased in preparation for the reopening of schools to keep students and staff safe: masks, face shields, disposable gowns, gloves for appropriate school personnel and students, hand sanitizers dispensers installed at all schools and buildings, hand Sanitizing Liquid and supplies provided to all schools and buildings.
Dr. Mike Robinson: Many suggest there has been massive learning loss due to distant learning. To what extent will PGCPS address the learning loss moving forward and especially during the summer?
Dr. Monica Goldson: Our data has shown that subgroups of learners are struggling with the virtual format and need additional support beyond what we've offered. While we are pleased that the number of African American students failing classes has declined since last year, the rates are still too high, especially at the secondary level. The course failure rates have increased among our Hispanic students, particularly our elementary English language learners. We encourage all families to take a close look at their child's academic progress during this time and make the decision that best suits their needs. We will keep making every effort to improve instruction and provide academic support for learners who are struggling. And we will make every effort to meet students' needs in a safe learning environment and address any concerns as best we can when they arise. We will release plans for summer school options in April and are considering reopening school earlier for the 2021-2022 school year as an additional measure to address learning loss.
Dr. Mike Robinson: Is there an update regarding the upgrade, modifications, and improvements to school facilitates to help reduce the spread of COVID-19?
Dr. Monica Goldson: Yes, we have completed the following to upgrade, modify and improve our school and office facilities to help reduce the spread of COViD-19:
• Placement of COVID Signage throughout schools/ buildings (social distancing, where mask, schedule appointment, etc.,)
• Changing of Air Filters on a more regular basis and moving to MERF 13 Air Filters (Minimum Efficiency Reporting Value Filter).
• Air Quality Assessments conducted in schools and building
• Electrostatic Machines for Cleaning and Disinfecting
• Hand Sanitizers Dispensers installed at all schools and buildings
• Hand Sanitizing Liquid and supplies provided to all schools and buildings
• Plexiglass Barriers in all Cafeteria Point of Sales (POS) locations
Dr. Mike Robinson: What are you expecting to hear from the Biden Administration to reopen buildings safely?
Dr. Monica Goldson: I expect the new administration will issue clear guidelines that will allow school districts to safely reopen buildings. But, I also recognize that I must continue to monitor our local metrics and will continue to work with our state and local governments to ensure that our students and staff are safe during this process.
Dr. Mike Robinson: What role do you believe local government officials can have in the reopening of schools?
Dr. Monica Goldson: I believe our local government should play a supportive role. This was evidenced in the support provided from the County Executive in ensuring our staff received vaccinations from the Prince George's County Health Department to supplement the support provided by Kaiser Permanente.
Dr. Mike Robinson: What should parents know about the return to school? Will school houses look like they remember?
Dr. Monica Goldson: Schools will look and feel different than it did from March 2020. Our classrooms and hallways have been redesigned to support social distancing among staff and students. While we will ensure that CDC guidelines are adhered to inside our buildings, we also encourage classes to use outside space for learning as well.
Dr. Mike Robinson: To what extent are there plans to support both students' and staff's mental health upon returning to the classroom?
Dr. Monica Goldson: We will continue to provide social-emotional support for students, both individually and in small groups, as well as in core subject areas. We are also providing support for staff through our Employee Assistance Program (EAP) and through professional development experiences that will take place on March 17th and 24th.
Dr. Monica E. Goldson is Chief Executive Officer of Prince George’s County Public Schools (PGCPS). She previously served as Deputy Superintendent of Teaching and Learning where she led a team that supported schools in the areas of curriculum and instruction, special education, testing, college and career readiness, and student services. A product of the county schools, Dr. Goldson has spent her entire 29-year career in PGCPS, steadily climbing the ranks from the classroom to district leadership. She began her career at Suitland High School with long-term plans to become an actuary. Within weeks, she knew that education was her true calling. Two years later, she was promoted to Mathematics Instructional Specialist where she provided assistance to targeted schools across the system. She also observed and assisted more than 200 secondary teachers with classroom instruction.
Dr. Monica Goldson: As of Sunday, February 28, 2021, we completed 7,226 first dose vaccinations for PGCPS staff. This does not include the additional 1,045 vaccinations from Kaiser that will begin Monday, yielding a total of 8,271 vaccinations. Approximately 9000 staff members said they wanted the vaccine.
Dr. Mike Robinson: Is there a percentage of the PGCPS workforce that have to be vaccinated before you reopen schools? If not, why not?
Dr. Monica Goldson: No, there is no percentage of the PGCPS workforces that have to be vaccinated before we reopen schools. Receiving the vaccination is not a requirement for employment or the reopening of school. Additionally, other industries are also not requiring their employees to receive the COVID-19 vaccine. While it is not mandatory, I strongly encourage our employees to sign up to receive the vaccine.
Dr. Mike Robinson: What information can you give to teachers who are still struggling to get the vaccine? Is there someone they need to contact?
Dr. Monica Goldson: We have partnered with Kaiser Permanente and the Prince George's County Health Department to ensure that any PGCPS employee who wants the vaccine has access to an appointment. We provide links each week that allow our employees to sign up for an appointment based on their availability.
Dr. Mike Robinson: Are you supportive of schools opening if teachers have not received their vaccination?
Dr. Monica Goldson: Yes. During this pandemic, my medical advisory board and I have watched the numbers of COVID cases within our community decline daily. Due to the recent decline in cases, we believe that it is now safe to begin bringing our teachers back into the buildings to begin in-person instruction.
Dr. Mike Robinson: Governor Hogan has challenged school districts in Maryland to open by March 1, 2021. Are you planning to reopen schools on March 1, 2021? If not, is there a potential start date, and will the reopening of schools have parent input (i.e., will families have a choice to remain virtual)
Dr. Monica Goldson: No, we are not able to make Gov. Hogan's preferred reopen date due to the unique circumstance that surrounds our community. Prince George's County has been hit hard by COVID-19 since the very beginning. As a result, the data on positive rates across the county did not support a March 1 return. However, I believe that we have done our due diligence to ensure that our schools will be safe for return in the coming weeks. Therefore, we have scheduled our school reopening for April 8. Phase 1 of instruction will begin with a two-day hybrid learning schedule for all special education students in kindergarten through 12th grade and for prekindergarten students through sixth grade and 12th grade. We will then move to Phase 2 of instruction on April 15 for all remaining students in grades 7, 8, 9, 10, and 11.
Dr. Mike Robinson: You recently released a family survey. Are parents supportive of returning to school?
Dr. Monica Goldson: Yes, we have released a family survey and just received the final results. I completely understand that the decision to return to school has to be made by the family and not the school system. Therefore, I appreciate the families who completed our survey about their plans for the rest of the school year, reflecting more than 122,000 students. More than 30 percent have indicated their student will return to school for hybrid instruction.
Dr. Mike Robinson: Can you share where the System is relevant to PPE and other support services and materials to keep students and staff safe?
Dr. Monica Goldson: The following PPE items have been purchased in preparation for the reopening of schools to keep students and staff safe: masks, face shields, disposable gowns, gloves for appropriate school personnel and students, hand sanitizers dispensers installed at all schools and buildings, hand Sanitizing Liquid and supplies provided to all schools and buildings.
Dr. Mike Robinson: Many suggest there has been massive learning loss due to distant learning. To what extent will PGCPS address the learning loss moving forward and especially during the summer?
Dr. Monica Goldson: Our data has shown that subgroups of learners are struggling with the virtual format and need additional support beyond what we've offered. While we are pleased that the number of African American students failing classes has declined since last year, the rates are still too high, especially at the secondary level. The course failure rates have increased among our Hispanic students, particularly our elementary English language learners. We encourage all families to take a close look at their child's academic progress during this time and make the decision that best suits their needs. We will keep making every effort to improve instruction and provide academic support for learners who are struggling. And we will make every effort to meet students' needs in a safe learning environment and address any concerns as best we can when they arise. We will release plans for summer school options in April and are considering reopening school earlier for the 2021-2022 school year as an additional measure to address learning loss.
Dr. Mike Robinson: Is there an update regarding the upgrade, modifications, and improvements to school facilitates to help reduce the spread of COVID-19?
Dr. Monica Goldson: Yes, we have completed the following to upgrade, modify and improve our school and office facilities to help reduce the spread of COViD-19:
• Placement of COVID Signage throughout schools/ buildings (social distancing, where mask, schedule appointment, etc.,)
• Changing of Air Filters on a more regular basis and moving to MERF 13 Air Filters (Minimum Efficiency Reporting Value Filter).
• Air Quality Assessments conducted in schools and building
• Electrostatic Machines for Cleaning and Disinfecting
• Hand Sanitizers Dispensers installed at all schools and buildings
• Hand Sanitizing Liquid and supplies provided to all schools and buildings
• Plexiglass Barriers in all Cafeteria Point of Sales (POS) locations
Dr. Mike Robinson: What are you expecting to hear from the Biden Administration to reopen buildings safely?
Dr. Monica Goldson: I expect the new administration will issue clear guidelines that will allow school districts to safely reopen buildings. But, I also recognize that I must continue to monitor our local metrics and will continue to work with our state and local governments to ensure that our students and staff are safe during this process.
Dr. Mike Robinson: What role do you believe local government officials can have in the reopening of schools?
Dr. Monica Goldson: I believe our local government should play a supportive role. This was evidenced in the support provided from the County Executive in ensuring our staff received vaccinations from the Prince George's County Health Department to supplement the support provided by Kaiser Permanente.
Dr. Mike Robinson: What should parents know about the return to school? Will school houses look like they remember?
Dr. Monica Goldson: Schools will look and feel different than it did from March 2020. Our classrooms and hallways have been redesigned to support social distancing among staff and students. While we will ensure that CDC guidelines are adhered to inside our buildings, we also encourage classes to use outside space for learning as well.
Dr. Mike Robinson: To what extent are there plans to support both students' and staff's mental health upon returning to the classroom?
Dr. Monica Goldson: We will continue to provide social-emotional support for students, both individually and in small groups, as well as in core subject areas. We are also providing support for staff through our Employee Assistance Program (EAP) and through professional development experiences that will take place on March 17th and 24th.
Dr. Monica E. Goldson is Chief Executive Officer of Prince George’s County Public Schools (PGCPS). She previously served as Deputy Superintendent of Teaching and Learning where she led a team that supported schools in the areas of curriculum and instruction, special education, testing, college and career readiness, and student services. A product of the county schools, Dr. Goldson has spent her entire 29-year career in PGCPS, steadily climbing the ranks from the classroom to district leadership. She began her career at Suitland High School with long-term plans to become an actuary. Within weeks, she knew that education was her true calling. Two years later, she was promoted to Mathematics Instructional Specialist where she provided assistance to targeted schools across the system. She also observed and assisted more than 200 secondary teachers with classroom instruction.