From Our Executive Director

September 2020

As I sit here and write the welcoming message for this year, I know one thing and think another. What I know is that I'm working here, at home, Zooming away, emailing away, talking to everyone virtually in one form or another. Across the hall from me is one of my daughters, a 9th grader at Baltimore Polytechnic Institute, Zooming away in her studies. Down the hall is another daughter, Zooming away in her studies. My wife is downstairs, Zooming away with her teaching, chanting about school spirit. My oldest daughter is down Route 95 a bit, in college, Zooming away her second year. Everyone, everywhere, is learning and teaching virtually. We're close. We're very far apart, in our own worlds, doing our own thing. This, I know, is what it's like for nearly all of our families. 

As for what I think: I think I don't know anything about what's going to happen next. We might Zoom for a while. We might Zoom for a long time. We might do a hybrid model at some point this year. We might not. We might return to normal in the middle of the year. We might not. I just don't know. 

So I'll make no predictions. I'm hopeful and I'm optimistic about the future of our schools, but I have no idea what happens next! The picture accompanying this welcoming message says it all for me. We have no more computers in our schools. They are all out with students, out in the neighborhoods, out in makeshift classrooms. Someday soon the computers will return, as will the children. Until then, we teach and learn and Zoom as best we can. 

 - Will McKenna
Founder and Executive Director