“It was still very frustrating to not be informed about those discussions seeing as it’s we as a community who are most affected by this,” says sophomore Nora Rudmann, a co-organizer of the walkouts.
Amidst the rise in COVID-19 cases, students of Montgomery County Public Schools have been participating in a series of walkouts for the past couple of weeks. To protest how MCPS has been handling the current COVID-19 treatment at schools, students have been leaving class and walking out to advocate change.
As of now, 16 out of the 209 Montgomery County schools are virtual: Beall Elementary School, Briggs Chaney Middle School, Brookhaven Elementary School, Clopper Mill Elementary School, Captain James E. Daly Elementary School, Gaithersburg Elementary School, Glenallan Elementary School, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Middle School, Lakelands Park Middle School, Neelsville Middle School, Paint Branch High School, RICA – John L. Gildner Regional Institute for Children and Adolescents, Sargent Shriver Elementary School, Twinbrook Elementary School, Watkins Mill Elementary School, and Whetstone Elementary School.
These walkouts, usually sponsored by teachers and staff, happen during school hours and often take weeks of preparation. “I emailed the Poolesville High School administration to ask about the walkout”, says Nora. “We made it clear to them it’d happen either way, but that we would be happy to work with them to make it as safe and easy as possible.” With extensive preparation, these walkouts often attract thousands of students from all over the county.
Already, these walkouts have gained plenty of traction from state and local news, however, there has not been much acknowledgment from Montgomery County on how effective they have been. As of now, all schools (except for the 16 aforementioned schools) are in-person and are decided on a case-to-case basis.
An updated list of the COVID-19 cases for every school can be found here.
With only a single school being in the “safe” zone, Montgomery County residents, students, parents, teachers, and more are awaiting further instruction.
Article by Daniel Mathew of Poolesville High School
Photo by Naima Goffney of Richard Montgomery High School