Reopen Charles County, a 1400+ member group will hold its third peaceful demonstration to advocate for common sense reopening of community institutions. On Tuesday, October 13, at 4:00 pm, supporters will gather at 5980 Radio Station Road, La Plata to hear testimony from concerned parents, students, and community members who are being negatively impacted by the extended closures of schools.
On July 14, the elected Board of Education for Charles County voted to impose virtual learning on 100% of the student body – to the detriment of those in vulnerable populations. Even when given positive data and a thorough plan for phasing students in for “in-person” education in two subsequent meetings, the Board of Education opted to not return students until the end of the first marking period. Students with disabilities, students in CTE programs requiring hands-on learning, students in remote locations of the County with no or inconsistent internet access, and English Language Learners have all been disadvantaged by the decision to delay Phase 2 of the Superintendent’s recovery plan. Furthermore, parents of children outside of designated “vulnerable populations” are reporting depression, anxiety, headaches, and overall frustration that they are not allowed to return to in-person learning and may not be able to until next year.
“The elected Board of Education clearly does not have the interest of students as the primary motivator of their decisions. If they cared about the best outcomes for students, they would look at the incredibly low rates of infection, hospitalizations, and deaths in Charles County to make a data-informed plan for returning students to in-person learning. There are public schools all over the country, including in Georgia where their COVID-19 peak was later, that have returned students to school as normal with great success. We are going to rally because we believe Charles County Public Schools have the ability to give the choices for in-person learning or virtual to all students now,” says Ali Rak, the group’s originator.
This event will be the third organized public demonstration for Reopen Charles County since May. The group has also organized several coordinated email and social media campaigns, resulting in the reopening of businesses in the community and the state in line with the Governor’s phased stages with no delay.
Reopen Charles County invites those who are weary of the extended school closures to express their displeasure in a constructive way by joining the rally on Tuesday, October 13 at 4:00 pm in La Plata. For more information, please go to reopencharlescounty.com or email reopencharlescounty@gmail.com.