Jones Elementary is one of 65 “community schools” in the county — each considered a hub for family support and social services, along with student learning.
Cardona visited days after Biden proposed a budget that included $443 million to support community schools, up from $30 million. The White House said these schools “play a critical role in providing comprehensive wraparound services to students and their families, from after school, to adult education opportunities, and health and nutrition services.”
Tuesday’s visit ended with a roundtable during which Cardona heard from educators, a school board member, a parent and Prince George’s County Public Schools chief executive Monica Goldson. He lauded the warmth of the school, called it “a great example of a community school,” and discussed issues attendees raised about the importance of family support, emotional health and attention to students most affected by the pandemic’s disruptions. He highlighted a fifth-grade classroom where teacher Yeama Sow had multiple screens and a speaker system to reach children near and far. “It looked like a NASA launch site control center,” he said.