ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
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OC school board’s symbolic bid to put kids in class grabs attention |
The Orange County Board of Education, a five-member body with little power, on Monday voted 4-1 to issue a document saying students should return to traditional classrooms, without masks, when local schools resume next month. A day later, that symbolic vote – which urges a plan that, if implemented, could run counter to federal and state health guidelines – drew national media attention and a letter of rebuke from the county’s congressional delegation. The board’s white paper isn’t likely to sway local districts, where officials have been working for months on how to resume education even as the coronavirus continues to spread rapidly in Orange County. |
https://www.ocregister.com/2020/07/14/o-c-school-boards-symbolic-bid-to-put-kids-in-class-grabs-attention/ |
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Santa Ana Unified won’t return to campus in the fall |
"Now is not the time." District's announcement is the first in Orange County and comes a day after a similar move by Los Angeles Unified and San Diego Unified. Santa Ana Unified plans to open its new academic year by going entirely online, the first Orange County school district to confirm it will not reopen campuses in the fall. Educators in Orange County’s second largest district announced the move on Tuesday, saying that, for now, distance learning is the safest option for students, teachers and staff. “
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https://www.ocregister.com/2020/07/14/santa-ana-unified-wont-return-to-campus-in-the-fall/ |
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LOS ANGELES TIMES
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Back to school in Orange County without masks and social distancing? Many call that reckless |
Recommendations approved by the Orange County Board of Education to welcome students back to campuses without increased social distancing in classrooms or the mandatory use of masks were met with a fierce backlash from educators and parents Tuesday, highlighting the larger divide in the county over the use of face coverings and other coronavirus protections. Seven members of Congress, including Rep. Harley Rouda (D-Laguna Beach) and Rep. Katie Porter (D-Irvine), penned a letter to the board Tuesday in response to their recommendations, saying they were “deeply concerned” by the officials’ decision not to address the health threats that COVID-19 poses to the community.
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https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2020-07-15/back-to-school-in-orange-county-without-masks-and-social-distancing-many-call-that-reckless |
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News Analysis: As coronavirus surges, new pressure on Gov. Newsom for a schools reopening plan |
Pressed by reporters to explain why California doesn’t have a statewide rule for when its 6 million schoolchildren can return to their classrooms, Gov. Gavin Newsom insisted Monday that his administration had already offered detailed plans. “We’ve fortunately done just that, a number of months ago,” Newsom said. But the plan he appeared to reference, crafted in March, offered support for schools that had decided to close over coronavirus fears — not guidelines noting when to do so. Nor are there any rules in a state Department of Public Health document released last month that focus on school safety tips such as hand washing and physical distancing.
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https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2020-07-15/coronavirus-surge-gavin-newsom-statewide-school-reopening-plan-news-analysis |
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VOICE OF OC
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What Are Orange County School Districts’ Plans for Reopening in Fall? |
The Orange County Board of Education’s recommendations this week to reopen classrooms without masks or social distancing triggered a fiery debate about how to reopen schools this fall. The County board’s actions also prompted a host of school districts – who will have the actual say on how schools reopen – to post notices online about their plans in response to a mountain of questions from concerned parents.
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https://voiceofoc.org/2020/07/what-are-orange-county-school-districts-plans-for-reopening-in-fall/ |
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SACRAMENTO BEE
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The dental care program at school was something to smile about. Until the pandemic hit |
Lanessa Pinkney has always struggled to bring her four kids to the dentist. She would have to take time off work, yank her kids out of school, and juggle appointments on multiple days. Pinkney, of Sacramento, wanted them to have the regular oral healthcare they were entitled to on Medi-Cal, but usually she only visited the dentist in an emergency. Pinkney found out that Northwood Elementary School was offering on-site cleanings and immediately enrolled her eligible children.
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https://www.sacbee.com/news/local/health-and-medicine/article243076046.html |
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Sacramento school district delays start of school year to work on coronavirus plan |
Natomas Unified School District announced Monday it would delay the start of the school year by two weeks, and use the time to implement more health and safety protocols as coronavirus cases continue to spike in the state. Students will begin classes on Thursday, August 27. The delay will allow the district more time to hire extra staff, add further layers of safety, to finalized the district’s educational options, and assess the situation in Sacramento County, according to a statement by Natomas Unified.
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https://www.sacbee.com/news/local/education/article244216967.html |
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SAN FRANCISCO CHRONICLE
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San Francisco public school students likely on screens rather than in seats: ‘It’s not safe to go back’ |
Given a haircut is still considered unsafe and a trip to the mall not allowed anywhere statewide, opening schools to students and staff in a month is not feasible, San Francisco school officials said. That means that though a final decision on reopening won’t be made for another two weeks, it’s all but certain the district’s students won’t be back in class when school starts in August, district officials said Tuesday.
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https://www.sfchronicle.com/education/article/San-Francisco-public-school-students-likely-on-15408712.php |
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PRESS-TELEGRAM LONG BEACH
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LBUSD will not hold classes on campuses at beginning of school year, superintendent says |
Long Beach schools will begin the academic year with online-only classes, choosing not to reopen campuses for in-person instruction until at least Oct 5, the local education district has announced.
“This decision was a hard one to make,” Jill Baker, superintendent of Long Beach Unified School District, said in a video message posted online Tuesday, July 14. “But we have done so with input from our local and county health departments.”
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https://www.presstelegram.com/2020/07/14/long-beach-schools-will-go-online-only-to-start-school-year/ |
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FRESNO BEE
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Fresno teachers say it’s ‘very clear’ schools won’t be safe to reopen next month |
Fresno Teachers Association president says it is “abundantly clear” that schools cannot reopen safely by the first day of school amid the coronavirus pandemic. “For the safety and well being of students, we can’t as an organization agree to return to an unsafe learning environment,” FTA President Manuel Bonilla said during a Zoom community meeting Tuesday afternoon. About 1,000 people attended the meeting.
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https://www.fresnobee.com/news/coronavirus/article244230157.html |
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EDSOURCE
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Financial aid application rates soar among California foster youth |
California’s foster students, for the first time ever, have surpassed high school peers in applying for federal student aid. The milestone is considered significant because just completing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, or FAFSA, can put a foster student on a path for college, informing the student of how much aid to expect but also alerting prospective colleges of the student’s needs.
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https://edsource.org/2020/financial-aid-application-rates-soar-among-california-foster-youth/636099 |
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President of Newport-Mesa teachers’ union talks about race and education in Orange County |
Tamara Fairbanks is the new president of the Newport-Mesa Federation of Teachers.
Located in Orange County, Newport Mesa Unified School District had an enrollment of 20,173 students in 2019-20. Among California school districts, Newport-Mesa is considered relatively affluent, with per-pupil revenues above the state average. While the student body is about 45% Latino and 44% white, more than 80% of the district’s teachers are white. Fairbanks is one of only three Black teachers in the district
In this interview, she talks about what it has been like teach in a district where she is one of only a handful of Black teachers.
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https://edsource.org/2020/president-of-newport-mesa-teachers-union-talks-about-race-and-education-in-orange-county/635248 |
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SAN GABRIEL VALLEY TRIBUNE
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Pasadena Unified and others weigh online-only for the fall |
Pasadena Unified and other nearby school districts may not be sending students back to campuses in the fall, but nothing is set in stone as superintendents across the region prepare to bring suggestions to their respective school boards in the coming weeks.
In a Tuesday email, Pasadena Superintendent Brian McDonald cited the recent spike in coronavirus cases across the county, saying he plans to recommend that Pasadena Unified open with a 100% distancing learning model when schools reopen on Aug. 17.
The Pasadena Unified school board will vote on his recommendation in its next meeting on Thursday, July 16.
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https://www.sgvtribune.com/2020/07/14/pasadena-unified-and-others-weigh-online-only-for-the-fall/ |
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LAGUNA BEACH INDEPENDENT
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Laguna Beach USD to stick with state guidance for reopening campuses |
The Laguna Beach Unified School District Superintendent wrote in an email to parents and staff Tuesday that his team will take cues for reopening schools from state and county health officials—not the Orange County Board of Education. Supt. Jason Viloria wrote that the Board’s recommendation to reopen schools without recommended safety protections, such as face coverings or physical distancing to prevent the spread of COVID-19, “do not align” with guidance from state health and education agencies.
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https://www.lagunabeachindy.com/laguna-beach-usd-to-stick-with-state-guidance-for-reopening-campuses/ |
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