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Prince George's County
COVID-19 Vaccine Rollout in Schools Underway
William J. Ford WI Staff Writer
Amid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, Donna Thomas continues traveling to work daily from her home in Southeast D.C. to prepare student meals at Capitol Heights Elementary in Maryland.
Although the cook of 28 years at Capitol Heights isn’t fond of taking many medications, she wants to take the COVID-19 vaccine.
“I love the kids. I want to do what’s right,” Thomas, 58, said. “I don’t want to catch COVID. It’s killing a whole bunch of people.”
Thomas plans to make an appointment as part of Prince George’s County public school employees vaccine rollout plan to administer the required two doses to its 22,000 employees.
PG Schools CEO Monica Goldson joined the 1,400 scheduled for inoculations Jan. 30-31 at the Wayne K. Curry Sports and Learning Center in Landover.
Although a pending snowstorm hit the D.C. region Sunday, Jan. 31, the center opened for employees who pre-registered to still receive a vaccine.
School system support staff can set up appointments to receive the vaccine this week at the Kaiser Permanente Lanham Rehabilitation Center.
Other public school systems in the region hosted vaccination clinics during the weekend. In Virginia, Gov. Ralph Northam visited the clinic in Prince William County Saturday where 2,400 staff members planned to receive a shot.
International chef Jose Andres and his World Central Kitchen organization provided meals in the District for teachers where nearly 3,000 were vaccinated.
Back in Prince George’s County, the goal is to complete the vaccine rollout no later than March 27.
Goldson said the school system would have a better assessment on its plan to resume in-person learning in the middle of February.
Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan announced Jan. 21 for all school systems to resume some form of in-person instruction March 1.
“The governor does not have the right to do that,” said Theresa Mitchell Dudley, president of the county’s Educators’ Association who also received a shot Saturday. “He’s wrong and I think Dr. Goldson is doing the right job and we’re going to stand behind her
5 Prince George’s County Public Schools CEO Monica Goldson, left, receives a COVID-19 vaccine Jan. 30 at the Wayne K. Curry Sports and Learning Center in Landover. (Photo courtesy of PGCPS)
Maryland Medical Experts Provide COVID-19 Advice
By William J. Ford WI Staff Writer
Del. Joseline Peña-Melnyk has become known as a healthcare advocate and expert in Annapolis but the ongoing coronavirus pandemic has affected her personally with the death of her father, cousin and four close friends.
Peña-Melnyk, who received the COVID-19 vaccine last week, moderated a virtual townhall Monday, Feb. 1 to reinforce the important in battling a virus that has killed about 7,000 Marylanders that include more than 1,200 in Prince George’s County.
“This is not just for us [but] our
(Courtesy photo) families as well,” said Peña-Melnyk (D-District 21) of College Park. “We know we have a lot of health care disparities in our Black and brown communities. We need to provide this information so that people can make the decision whether to get a vaccine or not.”
Three doctors associated with the University of Maryland discussed the COVID-19 vaccine, its effect on underserved communities and how data collected won’t require a person’s immigration status.
Being in the healthcare field, all three also received two doses of the vaccine developed by Pfizer and Moderna.
“I felt grateful and relieved because I have my 80-year-old mother who lives with me,” said Milagritos Tapia, a pediatric professor and a pediatric disease infectious specialist. “Working on these vaccine trials these last [several] months I’ve interacted with many more people than I would’ve otherwise had if I had not been involved in that work.”
Racial disparities have become apparent in the distribution of the vaccine.
Prior to the town hall, Peña-Melnyk said only 15 percent of Blacks and 3 percent of Latinos have been vaccinated so far. The state of Maryland’s Black population currently sits at 31 percent and the Latino population at 15 percent.
The majority Black jurisdiction of Prince George’s continues to record the highest number of confirmed coronavirus cases with more than 68,000. It also houses the highest number of cases based on zip cope at 20783, which include immigrants in Langley Park, Hyattsville and Chillum.
“Why is it that Black and brown people have taken the brunt of this disease?” Peña-Melnyk said.
There’s more than one answer, said Stacy Garrett-Ray, a certified family physician who also serves as
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and work with her to open our schools, but only when it’s safe.”
According to state law, public schools can assess its school calendars and when to reopen schools.
Although some smaller school systems in Maryland have conducted a mixture of in-person and virtual learning, some of the bigger systems in the D.C. and Baltimore areas haven’t opened their buildings for students since the pandemic affected the state last March.
The state could increase its daily dosage beyond 20,000 thanks to the Federal Emergency Management Agency providing $219 million toward COVID-19 relief efforts. Money will go toward operating six mass vaccination sites that include Six Flags America in Upper Marlboro.
Kristina Westin, a music teacher at Templeton Elementary in Riverdale, said schools can reopen for in-person instruction if the majority of teachers are vaccinated. In addition, she said a plan must be implemented to assess when students leave their classrooms and walk in the hallway, when to eat lunch and bus dismissal.
“I think the plan would be better [to reopen the buildings next school year], but there would have to be a lot of hard thinking to get back in the building…by the end of this year,” Westin, of Silver Spring, said after receiving a vaccine. “I would love to be back in the building with our students, but my school has 1,000 students and we are bursting at the seams.”
WI
Police Reform Still Pushed in Maryland
William J. Ford WI Staff Writer
Although the ongoing coronavirus pandemic remains the most pressing battle to fight in the country, police reform still a major topic in Maryland.
Two bills proposed by Del. Gabriel Acevero (D-Montgomery County) are scheduled for public hearings Tuesday, Feb. 9 focused on restructuring the state’s public information act and repealing the Law Enforcement Officers’ Bill of Rights (LEOBR).
“If we fail to pass meaningful police transparency and accountability legislation, the blame falls squarely at the feet of Democrats who hold a super-majority in both the House and the Senate,” he said. “My party often acknowledges the importance of Black women and Black voters. I am here to say that Black people’s love language is policy. We have to be committed to the policies that are rooted in our communities.”
Acevero will reintroduce “Anton’s Law,” named after Anton Black, a 19-year-old Black man from the Eastern Shore who died in 2018 in police custody.
The bill would ensure the state’s public information act allows public access to related to a police investigation and previous complaints made against an officer.
The most controversial bill in Annapolis remains the LEOBR, which grants officers due process during investigations and allows them up to five days to receive counsel and be interrogated for an alleged offense. Supporters say the statute, enacted in 1974, was the first in the nation to give police broad protections.
Opponents say it strips police of accountability while supporters insist complete repeal would undo a uniform, statewide system and create individual regulations for the 148 law enforcement agencies in Maryland.
Then-Del. Michael Jackson, who got sworn-in last month as a state senator, said during a House work session in August an officer’s role has constantly changed. However, he said collaboration with all parties must happen.
“To say that we to totally repeal any existing policy in any entity might be met with some resistance, said Jackson, a former Prince George’s County sheriff. “I’m certain we can work together toward some things down and necessary for the betterment of all Marylanders.”
Senate President Bill Ferguson (D-Baltimore City) said during a virtual press briefing Friday, Jan. 29 the right people are in place this session to ensure police reform gets done.
“I suspect we’re going to see a repeal of the Law Enforcement [Officers’] Bill of Rights, but that can’t be all that we do,” he said. “It has to be a robust package that is truly focused on civilian oversight, trust and transparency.”
Ferguson and House Speaker Adrienne Jones made police reform one of the legislature’s top priorities with more than a dozen recommendations proposed for the 90-day session.
Discussion of the matter got underway after the Memorial Day police-involved killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis. His death sparked international protests against police brutality and racism.
Some state and local officials passed and continue to review changes in law enforcement policies.
Maryland lawmakers held lengthy public hearings and work sessions last year on proposed police reform legislation, including limiting law enforcement agencies to purchase military-style equipment, eliminating no-knock warrants and establishing an obligation for police to intervene when witnessing wrongdoing or other misconduct.
Prince George's Countyu Library System Showcasing Black History Month Programs
By William J. Ford WI Staff Writer
The 19 Prince George’s County libraries have been closed since the coronavirus pandemic hit the jurisdiction last March, but programs and activities have still been going on.
The county’s library system has produced and conducted more than 1,000 virtual programs and organized 37,000 curbside appointments for residents to pick up books.
“It is a struggle, but we are having a good time,” said Roberta Phillips, CEO of the library system. “Our team at PGCMLS has really risen to this occasion.”
This year marks the first-time libraries will exclusively host virtual programs for Black History Month that can be viewed at https://ww1. pgcmls.info/black-heritage.
Three major events for adults in February will feature the following: • 7 p.m. Feb. 9: Jemar Tisby, an award-winning author of the book “The Color of Compromise,” will discuss how to fight racism. • 7 p.m. Feb. 11: Leonard Pitts Jr., a Pulitzer Prize winning columnist and author to discuss Black voter engagement. • 7 p.m. Feb. 17: Anna MalaiLIBRARY Page 17
5 Largo-Kettering Branch remains one of the nearly two dozen libraries closed to the public in Prince George’s County, but virtual programs and activities and programs still go on. (William J. Ford/The Washington Informer) 5 Del. Gabriel Acevero (D-Montgomery County) (Courtesy photo)
Anothr police reform item deals with school resource officers (SROs), which some education and criminal justice advocates pushed under the mantra of “No Cops in Schools.”
Prince George’s County public schools CEO Monica Goldson released her recommendations last month on SROs. The suggestions, coinciding with a county police task force report, include: • Invest in mental health programs and restorative practices to reduce student discipline. • Annually publish safety data on the school system’s website. • Continue working on crisis prevention strategies with the county department of social services and state’s attorney office.
About 13,000 people participated in a survey conducted between Dec. 8 and Jan. 8 that showed the majority support SROs in the schools.
Of those surveyed, 94 percent support additional training for SROs to help de-escalate incidents; 92 percent said an interaction with SROs “was positive” ; and 70 percent agree they “build positive relationships with the school community.
About 45 percent of the respondents noted support for the role of sworn peace officers in the school community as a teacher or schoolbased staff member. Another 39 percent either a parent or guardian and 13 percent as students.
The state passed a school safety act that requires public high schools to have either a school resource officer or “adequate law enforcement coverage” and specialized instruction through the Maryland Police Training and Standards.
Prince George’s County government entered contract agreements with the county police department and three municipal departments in Bowie, Greenbelt and Hyatts-
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