Archdiocese of Baltimore Catholic Schools Coronavirus (COVID-19) FAQ’s
How long is a school calendar in the Archdiocese of Baltimore?
A school calendar consists of 178 days of instruction. There are 170 days required by the State of Maryland. Because of the unique mission of Catholic schools, the Archdiocese of Baltimore requires 5 additional student days. There are three days built into every calendar for “inclement weather.” Archdiocese of Baltimore Policy states that the three inclement weather days remain in the calendar even when we do not have inclement weather. There are eight days beyond the required MD 170 days built into the 2019-2020 Archdiocese of Baltimore Catholic schools calendar. After the initial ten day closure period, the archdiocese will be 2 days under the required instructional days.
What support to schools is provided by the Department of Catholic Schools?
Catholic schools are provided support for the business functions of their school by Chancellor of Education, Jim Sellinger, Director of Technology, Joe Oleszczuk and his team, Director of Marketing, Lauren Robinson and Director of Enrollment Management, Laura Mooney. Schools are provided academic support by the Superintendent of Catholic Schools, Dr. Donna Hargens; three Associate Superintendents – Dr. Camille Brown, Karen Murphy, and Denise Ball (effective July 1st); Chief Academic Officer, Dr. Eric Watts; Director of Student Support Services, Denise Garman; Director of School Excellence, Mary Destino; and Technology Integration Specialist, Nancy Reed. Five principals provide regional leadership and facilitate the engagement and problem solving for the regional group of principals as assigned (Casey Buckstaff – Howard/AA Collaborative, Karen Smith – Western Collaborative, Maggie Dates – Northern Collaborative, Christine Olescheski – Metro Collaborative, and Brian Kohler – High School Collaborative). Eight teachers were selected to serve our teachers in the role of Content Area Experts. Content Area Experts interact with grade level and content area teachers around questions and discussions regarding the learning outcomes for specific grade levels and subjects. These are educators who are on the frontline of education every day and understand the standards per content and grade-level and what teachers need to meet the varied needs of teachers.
Does every family in a Catholic School in the Archdiocese of Baltimore have Internet access?
Unfortunately, not every family has Internet access. Families, even with Internet access, may have a different number of devices. A family may not have 1:1 access in their home. For example, a family of five may have a father and mother working from home and three children all needing access to technology and the Internet. Every family make-up and situation is unique and we do not assume every family has Internet access.
What guides instruction in a classroom in the Archdiocese of Baltimore?
We are guided by our Mission: Catholic Schools in the Archdiocese of Baltimore provide a Christcentered education that is academically excellent and empowers students to reach their full potential spiritually, intellectually, physically, socially, and morally. There are learning expectations for each grade level and content area that help teachers keep “the end in mind” when designing instruction. Teachers everyday use their professional expertise to individualize instruction to meet the needs of an individual student.
What guided the development of the resources that have been provided to continue the learning process during this period of school closure?
Our mission and those learning expectations guided the Content Area Experts who developed resources to support teachers and families as teachers and parents collaborate to ensure that students are engaged in learning during this time. The teacher of a student is in the best position to provide additional support to ensure that learning continues. The method that a teacher and/or school is using – from an online platform, to sending links to materials, or to providing hard copy packets or electronic copies of activities – provide alternative ways to provide access to learning for students. The focus should be on the “end” – the learning. “Means” will vary as they do now from classroom to classroom and from school to school.
How are parents receiving the information from a school?
The parent/teacher relationship is vital to the learning process. The parent and teacher work collaboratively to ensure that each child achieves academically. The connection between the parent/student and the teacher holds the same importance when students are in school and when they are at home.
