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BALTIMORE (WJZ) — United States’ Education Secretary Miguel Cardona got a lukewarm invited astatine Baltimore City’s Graceland Park O’Donnell Heights Elementary-Middle School. It was portion of his ‘Return To School Roadmap’ that has Cardona visiting classrooms nationwide.
He called for students to instrumentality to in-person instruction.
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Cardona spoke one-on-one with WJZ Investigator Mike Hellgren. “Last twelvemonth was the astir hard year. This is the astir important year. Get your kids to school, vaccinate them erstwhile you can,” Cardona told Hellgren.
“We cannot fto disguise fatigue, pridefulness oregon authorities get successful the mode of doing what’s close for our students” US Education Secretary says during Baltimore visit. @wjz pic.twitter.com/yK5ol77txU
— Mike Hellgren (@HellgrenWJZ) August 4, 2021
Those younger than 12 are inactive not eligible for the Covid vaccines but Maryland has 1 of the nation’s highest vaccination rates among radical ages 12 to 18.
Secretary Cardona said helium wants immoderate national backing to beryllium utilized for vaccination clinics successful schools.
“I’ve seen examples of that wherever it works. Sometimes, they consciousness much comfy doing it successful a schoolhouse that they are comfy with and a schoolhouse that they know,” helium told Hellgren.
Cardona did not springiness a definitive reply erstwhile Hellgren asked him astir whether vaccinations should beryllium mandated for teachers and different enactment staff. How to way unit vaccinations is an contented galore schoolhouse districts person yet to decide.
Baltimore County schoolhouse officials said this week it volition apt beryllium up to teachers to self-report vaccination presumption but they are inactive moving retired details.
“My proposal for each educators crossed the state is to get vaccinated arsenic soon arsenic you’re capable to get vaccinated. Do your portion to marque definite that we tin retrieve from this pandemic,“ helium told Hellgren.
It comes arsenic the Delta variant is starring to a surge successful cases nationwide. Maryland reported its highest single-day fig of caller infections successful weeks Wednesday.
695 caller #covid19 cases reported successful Maryland @wjz pic.twitter.com/3VwpuCvu0e
— Mike Hellgren (@HellgrenWJZ) August 4, 2021
Secretary Cardona said helium does advocator wearing masks successful classrooms.
“The pandemic crossed the state truly has impacted families, students educators. My interest is the societal and affectional well-being of our students,” Cardona said.
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You tin work Secretary Cardona’s remarks to the schoolhouse here.
He toured 1 of Baltimore City’s newest schools on with Mayor Brandon Scott.
This is Graceland Park-ODonnell Heights Elementary/Middle @wjz pic.twitter.com/bRsDeZazQv
— Mike Hellgren (@HellgrenWJZ) August 4, 2021
Classrooms were filled with students for a summertime enrichment program. Plastic dividers had been placed astir each table arsenic 1 of the pandemic information precautions.
Rachel Arana is an eighth-grader astatine Graceland Park. She told Hellgren she does not caput wearing a disguise arsenic agelong arsenic she gets to beryllium backmost successful the schoolroom with her friends.
“I’m truly excited to travel back. I emotion being astatine school. I’m benignant of a nerd. I emotion school, and I emotion however invited they marque maine consciousness successful here,” Arana said. “…I deliberation it helps maine a batch besides with my intelligence wellness due to the fact that I woody with a batch of worldly similar anxiety. …I don’t get distracted and I’m learning. They assistance maine physique my skills and everything.”
Baltimore City requires facial coverings for each students, unit and visitors. Anne Arundel County became the latest cardinal Maryland territory to necessitate masks. The superintendent determination announced his determination Wednesday.
Anne Arundel County wellness officials accidental each region schools should necessitate masks for everyone indoors, careless of vaccination status. https://t.co/9UIQ2hPBZb
— WJZ | CBS Baltimore (@wjz) August 4, 2021
While successful Baltimore, Secretary Cardona met Andrea, a pupil helium said spoke small English and was frustrated learning astatine home. He said she blossomed with in-person acquisition and is an illustration of the request to get disconnected Zoom and get backmost into the classroom.
US Education Secretary Miguel Cardona (@SecCardona) met a Baltimore pupil who has blossomed erstwhile she was allowed backmost successful the classroom. He says that’s an illustration of wherefore in-person acquisition is necessary. @wjz pic.twitter.com/RzNb7LZsL3
— Mike Hellgren (@HellgrenWJZ) August 4, 2021
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“When she archetypal started, she cried each day. But due to the fact that of the relationships she was capable to make done in-person learning—the enactment that she received from her caring teachers—and the concern her parents and schoolhouse forged for her success, she is blessed present and thriving. This communicative shows what is imaginable successful our schools,” Cardona said.
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