Throughout this pandemic families and our school community have continued to hear from Charles County Public Schools “be gracious and give us time.’ , while students in virtual learning continue to deal with teacher shortages and a lower standard of education and in-person learning students deal with multiple positive COVID rates — but families are done being patient. We are done witnessing our school and district leaders irresponsibly mismanage our education system and deny our children access to a safe, high quality public education. Our families are calling for fundamental changes to how our children are educated, an equity-infused recovery from the pandemic, and meaningful family engagement and transparency.

Since June, over 1,700 parents, students, and school community leaders have pleaded with CCPS to support all learning environments, provide high quality virtual options, be transparent with the use of American Rescue Plan ESSER funds and COVID-19 data, start and maintain an open line of communication with families, and use data to inform our plan as a community. Accountability and family engagement is more urgent than ever before and we refuse to go back to normal. It’s up to all of us to make sure we turn this unprecedented challenge into a transformational opportunity and that the ARP ESSER funding is used for what it’s intended: to give our children equitable access to educational opportunity so they can thrive and recover.

Please sign the letter campaign to call on the Maryland State Department of Education to step in and hold their local education agency accountable and the Charles County Board of Education to fix the issues regarding virtual and in-person learning, educational standards, and COVID-19 spread.

Co-sponsors:

• Schools Not Jails