Debra Warner for Harper's Choice Village Board Member

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10 Best Places To Live in Maryland There is something for everyone in Maryland. Even though this state is the ninth smallest in the U.S., it features different climates, socioeconomic statuses, demographics, and industries. Many people who live in Maryland commute to their jobs in Washington, D.C., while others work in the state’s ...

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Digital Education Center To Allow Virtual Learning Indefinitely The Howard County Public School System will establish a Digital Education Center for students who have discovered they learn better online.

Great News!! The Harper’s Choice Village Board of Directors has appointed me to be a member of its Board of Directors. The term of office is two years and begins on May 1, 2021.

I appreciate all the well-wishes I got and look forward to serving the community and fulfilling the purposes of the Board to continue to develop Harper's Choice for its residents to be the best place to live, work and play.

global.gotomeeting.com

ESSAY ON RE-OPENING SCHOOLS
Sadly, children attending public schools have become a casualty of the Covid-19 virus, relegated to staring at a computer screen for months on end and having to adapt and cope with a new and less effective method of learning that drains their attention…and in some cases destroys their will to learn. From the perspective of a child, public school has been closed like “forever”; and there seems to be no relief in sight, no immediate solution to getting them back to in-person learning in school. Despite the fact the science has established that children are not easily susceptible to the Covid-19 virus and that they are not super-spreaders; they have been forced to learn virtually for close to a year and to listen to a drumbeat of justification as to why schools must be kept closed for a longer period. This leaves a lot to be desired. Realistically, our kids are not learning; many for that matter have retrogressed, especially children from low-income families. That is untenable. I will address the full mental health impact on our poor kids in a separate follow-up post.
Teachers’ Unions have demanded complete safety precautions and preparations as a mandatory step/process for re-opening schools safely. While I agree that safety, self-protection and staying healthy are key; on the other hand, it behooves all to know that no matter how much one tries, a utopian environment can never be created-there will always be risk in all our lives. It is instructive to note that teachers have conducted in-person classes during other pandemics like HINI (Swine Flu) and SARS and so risk is present no matter what. It has been noted that teachers do take risks even now in their own personal lives. They go into the general public arena to shop at supermarkets and Walmart; traverse through airports and gather for protests with a mix of people who are at higher risk for Covid-19 than children. Yes, school safety measures must be upgraded but given teachers are very careful with their health precautions when in public among adults who are more likely super-spreaders; then likewise, they can be in the classroom teaching kids who are not. That belies their concerns about complete safety. I cannot help but wonder if we did not have the vaccine, what would happen to our kids? Would they ever go back to in-person learning in school? The little discussed fact is that teachers are aware that private schools have been opened for a while with no notable incidence of Covid-19 spreading to staff. That augurs in favor of parents who are clamoring for public schools to re-open so kids can get back to in-person learning and a normal life.
So, with all the advised health precautions and billions spent on school safety upgrades, the fact that teachers are not hiding in private but living their daily lives in public spaces; I hope all our public schools re-open quickly; so that our students, who, it has been established empirically through studies worldwide and written in notable medical journals the virus affects the least; can rightfully get in-person learning and do other activities five (5) days a week.
Covid-19 is not going away even with the great vaccines we have now and with herd immunity. Re-open schools now for in-person learning and activities so our children can go back to their normal lives, be properly educated, meet friends, and develop their social skills!
Save our children’s future!

CANDITATE STATEMENT FOR HARPER’S CHOICE VILLAGE BOARD
https://www.faecbook.com/debra.warner.5243/
I love my Harper’s Choice community and want to give back to its continued growth and quality of life it offers residents. I have lived here since 2004 and have raised a child that attended K-12 schools and who has benefitted from its wholesome lifestyle. I worked as an Economist, as a budget analyst in the Federal and MD State governments; in program management and policy development. I want to work for you, to develop a relationship that will deliver on your expectations of continued great amenities, open spaces; safety; good stewardship of financial resources; maintaining a clean environment; keeping home standards; embracing cultural variety and developing more fun community and kid activities. With the stress of COVID-19; the economy; schools closing; mental health; we all look forward to better times and I commit to strengthening and ensuring you can enjoy the community you chose to live, work and embrace.

www.faecbook.com