Teachers, School Board Near Contract For Coronavirus School Year

ANNE ARUNDEL COUNTY, MD — After months of debating coronavirus safety measures, the Anne Arundel County school board and teachers union seem to have an agreement. The Board of Education announced the tentative contract in a Monday press release.

The teachers union approved the terms over the weekend. The board did not release any specifics about the pact.

School officials promised to give more details during their Wednesday meeting, which is when they will vote on the deal. If approved, the contract would last until June 30, 2021.

For months, the Teachers Association of Anne Arundel County has said it wasn't included in reopening discussions. Superintendent George Arlotto denied this claim, saying he has asked teachers for input since classes went online in March.

The union still worried that a hybrid model would put teachers and students at risk for catching coronavirus. That fear drove educators to demand a written list of measures to protect students and staff. The union called press conferences, organized a car rally and posted videos to publicize its cause.

"[The] Board of Education meeting raised more questions than answers about a hybrid model," union President Russell Leone said in an Oct. 6 YouTube video. "This is not collaboration."

The pending contract may address those disputes, but it will be a while before teachers have to head back to school.

The Anne Arundel County Board of Education voted on Nov. 5 to delay hybrid schooling. Students must now wait until at least the second semester, which starts on Feb. 2, to return to the classroom. The board's previous plan was to offer hybrid classes to interested elementary schoolers starting in mid-November.

Students in Pre-K through second grade would've had the option to start hybrid instruction on Nov. 16. Their peers in grades three through five could've begun on Nov. 30.

School officials worry that coronavirus is spreading too quickly in the county. Cases are multiplying faster than ever in Anne Arundel.

"The implementation of the hybrid model in the second semester will continue to be contingent on the meeting of health and safety metrics," the board said in a Nov. 5 press release.

Most of the remaining Anne Arundel County Public Schools students will continue distance learning until further notice. The Board of Education has not yet set a target return date for middle and high school students.

Some students started the year in the hybrid model. Those students were in English language, special education and Center for Applied Technology programs.

The superintendent moved these classes online after coronavirus cases started to spike again. He plans to return these students to school buildings as soon as the fall surge settles down.

To catch up on Anne Arundel County's coronavirus trends, click here.

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