As a parent of two young children in Baltimore City public schools, I’m writing with a very heavy heart. In a city with significant rates of poverty and limited internet connectivity among City Schools households, the decision to have no in-person school this fall will further widen the achievement gap and burden on so many families. While I understand there are great risks with in-person schooling, I don’t understand why bars, restaurants, and other nonessential businesses may continue to operate indoors amid a well-documented spike in COVID-19 diagnoses (”Hospitalizations are one of the top coronavirus measures Maryland officials are watching — and they’re ticking up,” July 24). Some risks are more worth taking than others, and the decision to close schools while allowing bars, restaurants, and gyms to operate makes me feel enraged and saddened. We cannot give up on our kids, and we have to act decisively so we can eventually have a safe return to in-person schooling. Gov. Hogan has sadly lost sight of what’s really important.
Maya Kosok, Baltimore
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