Grateful for Our Community — Share Your Virtual Learning Feedback

Dear PGCPS Community,

This winter has tested us, and once again our community responded with resilience, flexibility, and care for one another. Thank you for your patience and grace as we worked to maintain continuity of learning during this recent weather emergency.

For the first time since the pandemic, 132,000 students and 12,000 educators engaged in full virtual learning across Prince George’s County Public Schools. This was more than a logistical shift. It was a demonstration of our collective commitment to children.

I had the opportunity to visit elementary, middle, and high school virtual classrooms and witnessed teachers adapting in real time, principals leading with calm coordination, students logging in with determination, and families creating space for learning across our county. Your professionalism and partnership made the difference.

During my visits, I joined Ms. Dionne Jackson Banks’ kindergarten class at Panorama Elementary School. With patience and joy, she guided her students as they sounded out words and read together online. I watched five- and six-year-olds lean toward their screens, stretching syllables and building confidence one letter at a time. Even in snow and uncertainty, our children rise because they are surrounded by adults who believe in them.

We also recognize the very real challenges families experienced. Balancing work responsibilities while supporting children at home is not easy. For some, communication about logging on could have been clearer. Others encountered understandable frustration with access or connectivity.

We hear you. Your experience matters. We also know that virtual days do not impact every household equally, and we remain attentive to the needs of families navigating limited devices, bandwidth constraints, or competing responsibilities. Equity must guide not only what we celebrate, but what we improve.

Our online platform, Canvas, experienced initial bandwidth challenges despite proactive preparation. Thanks to the swift action of our technology team, the issue was quickly resolved. Operating at this scale requires constant refinement, and each experience strengthens our readiness.

We will continue to improve our protocols, communication systems, and technical safeguards so that, should we ever need to activate virtual learning again, we are even more prepared.

Virtual learning is not a substitute for the power of in-person instruction. Children belong in classrooms, in community, in conversation with their peers and teachers.

At the same time, protecting instructional time is both a practical and moral responsibility. We remain focused on accelerating literacy and mathematics this semester and sustaining the academic momentum our students deserve. Weather disruptions will not deter our commitment to strong teaching and measurable growth.

In the coming days, we will review attendance data and open a brief feedback window for staff and families. We will share key themes and next steps so our community can see how your input informs our improvement.

Continuous improvement is not just a classroom expectation; it is an organizational commitment.

FAMILIES: Share Your Feedback on the Feb. 23 Virtual Learning

Winter reminds us that progress is not paused by adversity. It is shaped by it. Together, we have shown who we are: steady in challenge, reflective in practice, and unwavering in our commitment to every child. As we move toward spring, we remain united in purpose, confident in our capacity, and determined to provide every student the strong second semester they deserve.

With appreciation,

Shawn Joseph, Ed.D.
Interim Superintendent

Prince George’s County Public Schools