Gavin Newsom releases plan to reopen California schools by early spring
Gov. Gavin Newsom announced on Wednesday a new phased strategy for California schools to resume in-person instruction by early spring, proposing $2 billion in spending to help them safely reopen.
The money is intended to pay for COVID-19 testing, ventilation and personal protective equipment at schools that open again by spring.
“By focusing on a phased approach with virus mitigation and prevention at the center, we can begin to return our kids to school to support learning needs and restore the benefits of in-person instruction,” Newsom said in a prepared statement. “It’s especially important for our youngest kids, those with disabilities, those with limited access to technology at home and those who have struggled more than most with distance learning.”
The plan, developed by state legislative leaders and the governor’s office, is intended to ensure schools have the resources to implement safety precautions to reopen classrooms. The strategy calls for first bringing back the youngest children, between transitional kindergarten and second grade, who are at a lower risk of contracting and spreading COVID-19, as well as vulnerable students who have been disproportionately impacted by the virus.
The Democratic governor said extensive evidence shows COVID-19 safeguards and mitigation measures in schools lead to a lower risk of COVID-19 transmission among students.
He said some campuses that are already open are not enforcing guidelines, and have seen two and a half times more outbreaks.
Max Arias, executive director of SEIU Local 99, a labor union that represents education workers, applauded the plan’s focus on vulnerable students.
“Homeless students, poor students, foster students, and others who lack the space or the resources to maintain learning at home have faced overwhelming challenges,” Arias said in a statement. “The longer such students are cut off from the support and community they need, the greater the disparities in educational opportunity will grow. This is an urgent and growing problem, and it affects Black and Brown children disproportionately.”
Whether teachers unions will sign on to the plan remains to be seen.
E. Toby Boyd, president of the California Teacher’s Association, a labor union that represents teachers, said he looks forward to continued discussions with lawmakers and the governor to safely reopen schools.
“In all our conversations and letters sent, we have been calling for tougher safety standards, rigorous and consistent testing, data collection and transparency. While these tenets are addressed in the proposal released Wednesday, there are many unanswered questions,” Boyd said in a statement. “We look forward to hearing more information and hope the new guidelines that the governor said would be released next week will create a coherent statewide plan rather than creating more confusion for parents and school districts.
Kevin Gordon, president of education lobbying firm Capitol Advisors Group, which represents California school districts, said it’s a “positive” that Newsom’s proposal is intended to receive feedback from school districts, but is concerned about whether the funding is sufficient.
“One of the things that our schools are going to be taking a close look at is the fact that it’s characterized as incentive funding. And there’s concern that this extra funding may either be completely consumed by the cost of testing or it may not even be enough to cover the cost of testing alone,” Gordon said.
Under the plan, safety measures will include funding for COVID-19 testing and the distribution of millions of masks for all students and staff. A web-based hotline will also be available to provide information on a school’s reopening status and data on coronavirus outbreaks.
“Safety is key,” Newsom said. “Just re-opening schools for in-person instruction on its own is not going to address the issue of safety. We have to focus on these mitigation steps.”
The governor said schools may reopen if they submit a COVID-19 safety plan to both local and state officials. Once schools open, it will be up to local and state officials to monitor the schools and enforce guidelines.
Distance learning will still be available for parents who prefer it over in-person instruction.
“Offering as many California students in-person instruction as safely and as quickly as possible must be a team effort,” said Assemblyman Patrick O’Donnell, D-Long Beach, chair of the Assembly Education Committee. “All of us agree that, even during a global pandemic, learning is non-negotiable, and students learn best when they can be safely receiving instruction in school. The Governor’s plan is a first step towards reopening schools safely and I look forward to further discussions with him and the Legislature on this critical issue.”
California Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond called the state’s framework and budget proposal the “key pathway” to ensuring schools open safely.
“There’s no question that the vaccine — when it’s available — will be a game-changer,” Thurmond said during the press conference. “Until the doses are available, it seems to me that there is nothing more important than robust COVID-19 testing and contact tracing to ensure that our students and families will be safe and our educators.”
Staff writer Sawsan Morrar contributed to this report.
This story was originally published December 30, 2020 at 10:02 AM with the headline "Gavin Newsom releases plan to reopen California schools by early spring."