Starting Wednesday, public and private elementary schools (TK – 6th grade) in Contra Costa County can submit applications to allow in-person instruction at their campuses.
In accordance with state guidelines, waivers may be granted “when requested by a local superintendent (or equivalent for charter or private schools), in consultation with labor, parent and community organizations. Local health officers must review local community epidemiological data, consider other public health interventions, and consult with the California Department of Public Health when considering a waiver request.”
School districts will be asked to detail how they would safely conduct in-person classes and prevent the spread of COVID-19. Applications will go to the Contra Costa County Office of Education for an initial review before being sent to Contra Costa Health Services (CCHS) for further analysis.
CCHS and the County Office of Education have developed a checklist with safety measures schools must take in order to reopen.
These measures include:
- A plan for testing of students and staff with COVID symptoms. Schools must also show they have a plan for periodically testing asymptomatic staff members.
- Each school must identify a person to help CCHS with contact tracing efforts if there is a positive case
- Showing how shared surfaces will be regularly cleaned and disinfected and how use of shared items will be minimized.
- Proper use of face coverings
- How students will be kept in small, stable, groups with fixed membership that stay together for all activities (e.g., instruction, lunch, recess) and minimize/avoid contact with other groups
Review by local and state officials will take approximately ten days.
The state will make the final decision to approve or deny requests. Schools in counties such as Contra Costa that are on the state’s COVID-19 monitoring list can’t reopen unless granted a waiver by local and state health officials.
The Mt. Diablo Unified School District (MDUSD), which is Contra Costa County’s largest district, says they will not be applying for a waiver to open any of their elementary schools.
“While our communication with local public health officials and our data monitoring is continuous, at this time, Mt. Diablo Unified School District is not applying for a waiver to reopen elementary schools for in-person learning,” MDUSD Communications Specialist Austin Breidenthal said.
“The California Department of Public Health recommends that, ‘schools within jurisdictions with 14-day case rates more than two times the threshold to be on the County Monitoring List (>200 cases/100,000 population) should not be considered for a waiver to re-open in-person instruction.’ Directly corresponding to this recommendation, the latest data on our county health website reflects 297.7 cases per 100,000 population (August 18),” according to Breidenthal.
MDUSD says they’re committed to phasing into physical environments only when and where the highest standards of health and safety can be achieved, consistent with local public health recommendations.
MDUSD’s reopening plan can be found by clicking here.
No thanks.
“The California Department of Public Health recommends that, ‘schools within jurisdictions with 14-day case rates more than two times the threshold to be on the County Monitoring List (>200 cases/100,000 population) should not be considered for a waiver to re-open in-person instruction.’ Directly corresponding to this recommendation, the latest data on our county health website reflects 297.7 cases per 100,000 population (August 18),” according to Breidenthal.
Is this Breidenthal guy just really bad at math, or just a confused user of the English language? 297.7 is less than two times 200. So this doesn’t explain why MDUSD wouldn’t apply for a waiver. I’m not saying they should, but this paragraph makes no sense.
The threshold is >100/100,000. Twice it is the >200/100,000
MDUSD…passing the buck.
Bold strategy.
Why not just say wait until next year? It should take that long for them to jump through ALL the hoops.
More waffle, MDUSD cannot herd the cats so they won’t even try. Good thing the folks at the FD & PD ( and others for that matter ) are willing to do their jobs and mix with that dirty public.
No thanks I’ll keep my kids safe at home all you need to do is teach them until this pandemic is over & I feel it’s safe..
Make sure they wear their helmet and bubble wrap when they leave the house, you can never be too safe, especially with a virus circulating around that is less deadly for children than the common flu.
The kids are perfectly safe, but their teachers are cowards….things have really changed.
Go for it! People like you will help reduce class sizes and keep the traffic on the road light. =)
I wish there was a like button on Claycord!
Mitch, you would get a laughing face.
Raiderette, you would get a thumbs up!
And Mongoose, I completely agree with you
I don’t believe that MDUSD has been committed to educating our students for many years. They pretend to teach, students pretend to learn, and taxpayers pretend to be satisfied.
Yep! Exactly!
Agreed Chuckie!
I believe your statement however I would say that about ALL of California. During elementary school my kids were in a different state for school and the education was so much better in that state then here. I also heard that at Northgate High School some of the teachers are inappropriate and unprofessional towards students. (The information came from actual students at Northgate BTW).
luckily i have a kid in private school…i have no choice but to send her to school as i am an essential worker and cant work from home. i feel our school is doing what is best and safest! and by the way…WEAR YOUR FREAKING MASKS WHEN YOUR LEAVE THE HOUSE OR ENTER A BUSINESS. respect us workers and that we are trying to keep our families safe.
No
Yeah, and he gets called a racist and xenophobe for banning Chinese nationals from travelling here. Not to mention “dictator” when he issues an executive order for relief that Congress is incapable of producing. And you lambaste him for reluctance to use the DPA, which is actual authoritarianism. Just a little consistency from you leftists would be amazing.
👏👏👏👏
I thought the Dems were “following the science”. Hypocrites! The unions are directing the MDUSD. The unions are directing the Dems. This is all political to make life as bad as possible in order to encourage voters to make a change in the White House. If you voted for the Dems then I hope you are the ones getting hurt the worst by this Democrat ploy. You picked your pasture, now graze in it.
Let’s be clear: When they say “we follow the science”, they really mean “we follow the money, and don’t ask us what we want it for, unless you want to pay some more”………..
I agree.
I think it is very possible that if the pandemic was addressed earlier at the Federal Level, schools could possibly be open & the death count could possibly be lower.
Oh right, now I remember, the problem is with the governors and NOT the lack of leadership from our current POTUS.
“Oh right, now I remember, the problem is with the governors and NOT the lack of leadership from our current POTUS.”
Exactly. Federalism, as outlined by the founding fathers, in action. A federal government that supports the state governments, rather than ruling over them.
There’s plenty of blame to go around.
Very good comment @ Pac-Man
Agreed!
Gov. Cuomo said it’s a “European virus.” Now ain’t that something!
Stop letting teachers unions run our state. If teachers don’t/won’t go back to school then replace them. Move on. Our kids need an education. If teachers want parents to teach then we will gladly take your paychecks.
Everyone needs to be personally accountable for their own health, the government can’t and shouldn’t do this for you. Get back to work or retire. Funny how doctors and nurses aren’t complaining about going to work.
Yomama…. replace teachers because they feel unsafe and worry about their family? Replace with who? There is already a shortage on qualified teachers. So if we got rid of them, have just anyone teach our kids just to get them out of the house? GLADLY TAKE THEIR CHECKS LOL teachers aren’t paid enough to deal with 30+ kids at once, most can’t even handle their own. Besides most teachers work isn’t done when school ends and a lot have to work 2 jobs to make ends meet.
Don’t think doctors/nurses are thrilled to be working either. But they took an oath. So it’s a little different and they aren’t able to do their job from home a teacher is.