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ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
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California Supreme Court to weigh in on Orange County Board of Education lawsuit over distance learning |
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The California Supreme Court has taken the rare step of quickly taking up two lawsuits – one of them filed on behalf of the Orange County Board of Education – to reopen schools for in-class learning. The state’s highest court has asked Gov. Gavin Newsom to respond by this Friday to petitions filed directly with the court. Four Orange County Board of Education trustees, who sued the governor last week, gathered for a press conference Wednesday to hail the court’s move as a victory for the children of California.
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https://www.ocregister.com/2020/08/26/california-supreme-court-to-weigh-in-on-orange-county-board-of-education-lawsuit-over-distance-learning/ |
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Robotic help, hand sanitizers, face masks: It’s a historic first day for Fairmont Anaheim |
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Caleb Ruiz, 8, stood in front of the massive 100-year-old Moreton Bay fig tree and gave two thumbs up. It was the third-grader’s first day back to school after six months, and his mom, Diana Ruiz, wanted to preserve the moment. But she had to do it from her car.
Parents at Fairmont’s Historic Anaheim Campus were not allowed to walk their children to class or get out of their cars as they would on a typical first day. During the coronavirus pandemic, nothing is typical.
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https://www.ocregister.com/2020/08/26/its-a-historic-first-day-for-roomers-at-fairmonts-historic-anaheim-campus/ |
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Parents of special needs students in O.C. rejoice over new guidelines for in-person instruction |
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New state guidelines allow small cohorts of students — including those with special needs — to return to in-person instruction during a time that most schools are physically closed. Parents and advocates of special needs students, especially those on the autism spectrum, have experienced difficulty with distance learning. In releasing the guidelines Tuesday, state public health officials defined cohorts as a “stable group” of a maximum of 14 children and two adults. The guidelines approve of activities such as occupational therapy, speech and language services and behavioral services for special needs students.
The guidelines also allow for one-on-one services to be provided to a student from a supervisor outside the cohort.
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https://www.ocregister.com/2020/08/26/parents-of-special-needs-students-in-o-c-rejoice-over-new-guidelines-for-in-person-instruction/ |
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Santa Ana public schools to stay with distance learning through early September |
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The Santa Ana Unified School District has announced that it will continue distance learning through the Labor Day weekend. District superintendent Jerry Almendarez said in a letter Tuesday, Aug. 25, to district parents that Orange County’s removal from the California Department of Public Health’s COVID-19 watch list does not mean an immediate return to in-class instruction. “Orange County must remain off the state’s watch list for 14 consecutive days, which, on our current trajectory, takes us just behind Labor Day weekend,” Almendarez said in the letter. “However, it is important to note that county health officials are cautioning that transmission rates continue to exceed state thresholds in specific ZIP codes, including many within the city of Santa Ana, creating localized hotspots where in-person instruction is not recommended at this time.”
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https://www.ocregister.com/2020/08/26/santa-ana-public-schools-to-stay-with-distance-learning-through-early-september/ |
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VOICE OF OC
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OC Parents, Teachers and Students Weigh in on School Reopenings During Pandemic |
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In a couple weeks, some students and teachers may be returning to their classrooms after months away now that the County is off the state’s coronavirus watchlist. The intense debate to return to the classrooms is months old and when the Orange County Board of Education recommended a reopening without masks or social distancing it drew reactions from across the country. Over 4,000 emails were sent into the county’s board of education from parents, teachers, students, medical professionals and community members – a majority of which were against their recommendations. The Voice of OC reached out to several of the parents, teachers and students who emailed the board to see if they would share their perspectives on school reopenings and distance learning.
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https://voiceofoc.org/2020/08/oc-parents-teachers-and-students-weigh-in-on-school-reopenings-during-pandemic/ |
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CONTRA COSTA TIMES
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More than 100 California schools, districts received waivers to reopen classrooms |
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California health officials have granted more than 100 waivers to allow districts and schools — mostly in Southern California — to reopen for in-class instruction in counties where only remote online instruction is allowed due to coronavirus outbreaks.
Of the 113 schools and districts that the California Department of Public Health consulted with local authorities on waiver requests, all but four were approved, according to the list the agency posted Wednesday afternoon.
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https://www.eastbaytimes.com/2020/08/26/more-than-100-california-schools-districts-received-waivers-to-reopen-classrooms/ |
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INLAND VALLEY DAILY BULLETIN
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EDSOURCE
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Tighter federal rules end free meals for students in California and nationwide |
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Millions of students and families in California and nationwide who have come to rely on free grab-and-go meals during the past five months of the pandemic may no longer qualify for the food service. Since the start of the Covid-19 closures, school districts have served millions of packaged meals at no cost and without eligibility requirements to all children at food distribution sites made possible by a series of federal waivers, the latest being the “Seamless Summer Option.” Some districts, such as Los Angeles and Fresno Unified, even kicked in money from their general funds to also feed adults.
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https://edsource.org/2020/tighter-federal-rules-end-free-meals-for-thousands-of-california-students/639065 |
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California issues rules for opening schools to high-needs students |
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The California Department of Public Health on Tuesday published rules for opening school campuses to small numbers of students with disabilities and other students who need in-person support and services that can’t be met through distance learning.
One question the rules won’t answer is whether there will be enough teachers and staff members willing to go back to school amid continuing safety concerns over the pandemic. The rules make no mention of whether districts will need the express permission of employee unions to bring back some teachers and what would happen if unions discourage teachers from returning.
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https://edsource.org/2020/california-issues-rules-for-opening-schools-to-high-needs-students/639035 |
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VENTURA COUNTY STAR
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Home schooling emerges as a popular alternative for Ventura County families |
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This school year, an increased number of Ventura County families opted to take on home schooling through local public school districts. For some of these families, the decision was made after the emergency learning that occurred at the end of 2019-2020 school year, when schools transitioned to remote learning. Ventura resident Jessica Grinsel, for example, said her three girls struggled with the technology and constant screen time.
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https://www.vcstar.com/story/news/2020/08/26/ventura-county-school-districts-online-learning-home-school-courses/3386065001/ |
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