On Friday, Montgomery County Public Schools Superintendent Jack Smith and members of the Board of Education sent a letter to Gov. Larry Hogan urging that he “expedite the dissemination of the COVID-19 vaccine to Montgomery County.”
“We acknowledge that you do not believe the return to in-person to in-person instruction and vaccination should be tied together, however, we all agree that providing vaccines to educators and staff would significantly improve the safety of our schools and provide for a smooth transition to in-person learning,” the school leaders write.
.@mocoboe and Superintendent Jack Smith are urging Governor Larry Hogan to expedite and prioritize the dissemination of COVID-19 vaccines to Montgomery County. Read a letter they sent to the governor: https://t.co/Bk7MHssAlP
— MCPS (@MCPS) February 12, 2021
The letter from the MCPS leaders came hours before the CDC released new guidance on reopening schools. The CDC pressed K-12 schools to reopen, but—like Hogan—said “access to vaccination should not be considered a condition for reopening schools for in-person instruction.”
MCPS leaders say in their letter to Hogan, “We ask that you help us implement your plan to prioritize educators and significantly increase the allocation of vaccine to our county as soon as possible.”
NEW: Help K-12 schools operate safely. Combine steps to limit spread of #COVID19: Wear a mask. Stay 6 ft away from others. Wash hands often. Learn more: https://t.co/cqJOW6vrmf. pic.twitter.com/5d3MzIXnWU
— CDC (@CDCgov) February 12, 2021
MCPS will start bringing small groups of teachers and students back to classrooms on March 1. Hogan said in a press briefing on Thursday that the shortage of vaccines will last for the foreseeable future.
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