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Coronavirus

PGCPS free laptop program launches; Rollout frustrates some families

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Prince George’s County will spend $2 million to distribute laptops and provide wireless internet to students who lack computer or internet access during the coronavirus-induced school closures across Maryland. But some parents are complaining a poorly-worded survey means some families will have to split their home computer between their work-from-home job duties and their student’s education. How it works

Under the program, the Prince George’s County Public School System will distribute inexpensive Chromebook laptops to pupils from distribution sites at neighborhood schools. Families who completed the PGCPS technology survey or communicated their needs to teachers and administrators will receive priority distribution. Prince George’s County Public Schools announced it will partner with Comcast and Verizon to provide broadband internet access. 

School officials also encouraged neighborhood businesses, nonprofits and churches to establish public wifi hotspots that could help provide internet access for students. 

Also, starting April 14, 2020, Prince George’s County Public Schools will turn on wifi access at several schools across the county for students to use from school parking lots. 

From PGCPS, more details on device pickup and internet access are below:

Chromebook distribution will be held Wednesday, April 1 through Friday, April 3 at students’ boundary school in the parking lot from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.If there is inclement weather, please check the PGCPS website and PGCPS-TV (Verizon 38/Xfinity 96) for a new distribution date.Bring a parent ID, student report card and an ink pen to complete the appropriate forms. PGCPS will assist families who are eligible for Free and Reduced Meals sign up for Comcast Essentials.PGCPS will work with Comcast and Verizon to help all non-FARMS families establish internet either through a hotspot or broadband. 

Complaints

Shortly after the program details were announced Wednesday, Some Prince George’s County residents took to Twitter to complain that the technology survey was misleading.

Uncategorized

Data: Prince George’s grows school meals program amid pandemic

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Over the first two weeks of its coronavirus-induced grab-and-go school meals program, Prince George’s County has delivered more than 34,192 meal packages to its public school students. Between March 19, when the program expanded to 36 sites, and March 27, 2020, the grab-and-go meal program distributed an average of 4,004 meals packages per day. The program, which was launched with just nine sites on March 16, 2020, under guidance from state school officials, has been widely praised by parents in the school system, and coveted by communities that lack sites. Last week, Riverdale Park sent a letter to school officials requesting a site. This week, a site was established at Riverdale Park Elementary School, as the grab-and-go meals program expanded to 43 sites.

Coronavirus

As school closure extended, Prince George’s surveys families to learn tech-access gaps

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Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan extended the statewide closure of schools through at least April 24, 2020. Prince George’s County Public Schools CEO Monica Goldson said state and county school officials were working to develop plans to address technology-access gaps that make it hard for many students to take advantage of the remote-teaching tools. The school system is trying to poll all students and families at each of its schools to learn more about technology and internet access in the home. Surveys have been circulated among school social networks and newsletters, and county school officials plan to launch a phone poll to get responses from others. Goldson, in a letter to parents, said school officials hope to announce more details of its long-term distance learning plans on Monday, March 30, 2020.

College Park

UMD Idea Factory gets Planning Board OK

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The Prince George’s County Planning Board unanimously approved plans to build a new, futuristic-looking engineering facility on College Park’s University of Maryland campus. The E.A. Fernandez Idea Factory plans include a new five-story 61,240 square foot building connected to the Kim Engineering Building by a pedestrian bridge. Open 24 hours a day, seven days a week, it will include workspaces for students, areas for student competition teams and a new home for UMD’s student-run incubator, Startup Shell. In all, the building is expected to cost $50 million to build. Another rendering shows the Idea Factory from Stadium Drive

It will also be home to the Alfred Gessow Rotorcraft Center, the Robotics Realization Laboratory, the Quantum Technology Center and other laboratory spaces.

Education
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Letter to the Editor: Physical education suffers as Prince George’s schools show age

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I have been a physical education and health teacher in Prince George’s County Public Schools for nine years. For the last five years, I have had the honor of being a physical education teacher. Our kids can’t wait for more funding. As a teacher, I want my students to have a healthy learning environment. I want to teach my students the importance of creating healthy habits while they are young.

Brentwood

Opinion: Thomas Stone Elementary students deserve better

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Earlier this month, Thomas S. Stone Elementary School’s principal, Ashanti Foster, was placed on administrative leave after parents and community leaders objected to a planned White House field trip that would have required students to provide citizenship information. The Washington Post reported the principal was suspended over the wording of the permission slip. School district officials have since come under fire for taking such a significant step over such a seemingly minor mistake. But the reality is more complicated. The field trip and permission slip were simply the latest in a long series of management failures.

News

Required Reading: Meet Maryland’s Robert Moses; How PGCPS skewed national absentee data

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Required Reading is a simple, daily roundup of news coverage relevant to Prince George’s County and its Route 1 communities. In our Jan. 9, 2019, edition: Meet the man who made your neighborhood; How Prince George’s County skewed national absenteeism data, and more below:

Meet suburban Washington’s Robert Moses: Harland Bartholomew – Greater Greater Washington

How bad data from one district skewed national rankings on chronic absenteeism – Edweek

Man murdered in Lanham backyard – WJLA

Maryland County execs back drug affordability board – Black Press USA