COVID-19 Guidance, Resources and Updates
for Maryland Schools and Communities
Multiple state agencies are collaborating on and are committed to the health and safety of students and staff in the school setting. We are working collaboratively with the Governor's Office, the Maryland Department of Health (MDH), the Maryland Emergency Management Agency (MEMA), and all other relevant State agencies on the Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19).
The Maryland State Department of Education will remain vigilant in providing all information regarding the virus as it pertains to the health and safety of students and staff in our schools.
Click Here to learn more information on COVID-19.
Invitation to provide comment/input:
Special Announcement: School Closure Extended Through 2019-20 Academic School Year
Message from Karen B. Salmon, Ph.D.
State Superintendent of Schools
May 6, 2020
...Today, I am announcing the closure of schools for the remainder of the 2019-2020 academic school year. After extensive discussions with the Maryland State Board of Education, the Maryland Health Department and additional health experts advising the Governor, I am convinced this is the appropriate decision in order to continue to protect the health and safety of our students, educators, staff and all members of school communities throughout Maryland.
Although we will not see students and educators return to the classroom before the scheduled end of this school year, online and distance learning opportunities will continue. To guide school systems and school communities on the path forward, the State Department of Education is releasing a comprehensive plan for long-term recovery from the coronavirus pandemic.
The “Maryland Together: Maryland's Recovery Plan for Education” was drafted in collaboration with the State Board, local school superintendents, and with input from a wide array of stakeholders throughout our State. This document lays the groundwork for the coming months as we maintain and improve upon online learning opportunities and identifies methods for recovering any lost instruction time that has occurred as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. The plan also establishes the foundation for school systems as they begin to consider how they will bring students and educators back into school buildings once they are able to in a safe way.
I want to emphasize that the recovery plan we are sharing with members of the public and the education community is not prescriptive and nothing included indicates any mandate or requirement that school systems have to follow. However, it outlines a set of options and considerations developed from best practices and available research. Our plan identifies several sample schedules and calendar ideas that could be used, and dovetails into the Governor’s Maryland Strong: Roadmap to Recovery plan. (Read the entire announcement here.)