The state’s acting public health officer reassured educators across the state that they will have access to testing for COVID-19 whenever their county allows in-person classes to resume.
Dr. Erica Pan and Ben Chida, one of Gov. Gavin Newsom’s top cabinet secretaries, held a briefing to discuss the state’s public health guidance for reopening schools during the pandemic.
Schools will not be allowed to open for in-person classes until their county has been out of the highest tier on the state’s color-coded reopening framework for at least 14 days.
However, some schools in the highest tier will still be able to submit waiver requests to resume in-person classes for “small cohorts” of students with disabilities.
California Teachers Association Legislative Relations Manager Lori Easterling expressed concern that even with the preparations school districts and counties are making to eventually resume in-person classes, they could still be stuck competing with each other for coronavirus tests.
Pan argued that the state is ramping up its testing capacity daily. A recent agreement with diagnostics company PerkinElmer is also set to increase the state’s testing capacity by more than two-fold in the coming months.
“As far as supply and demand, we are seeing not as (many) people seeking testing and lots of testing capacity in the state now, so I think there are a lot of resources,” for teachers, Pan said.
Pan also added that health insurance companies are supposed to pay for testing for essential workers such as teachers and school staff.
Pan suggested school staff members and their labor representatives reach out to their local health departments to collaborate on a routine testing plan.
“I just want to really emphasize and underscore the point that local collaboration is really, really, really the hinge in a lot of these cases,” Chida added.
State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond lauded the state’s teachers and school staff for their efforts to resume in-person classes amid the pandemic as well as the recent wildfires and poor air quality across the state and the nationwide reckoning with police brutality and racial justice.
“All of these things take a toll on us,” Thurmond said. “And they add to the many questions that we continue to ask about what we must do to move forward safely.”
Private schools are already open in our area. Public schools are open all over the country. What is wrong with California? What a joke the California public school system is. These guys have pumped America hating marxist ideas into kids heads for to long. Time for real reform.
What is wrong with California?
Newsom
and specific to the schools ….
California Teachers Association
Gavin is bipolar. Changing his mind daily and making more and more people seek Mental help because he has to be in control and fears losing it and his next election.
What is wrong with the schools prioritizing health and safety of students and educators? My question is what is wrong with all the maniacs who refuse to wear masks and stay socially distant who then complain about why it is taking so long?
This is BS. We just received email (on Friday, 9/11) from our principal (private school in WC), that even if the school waiver is approved, the school won’t be able to reopen. This is because of Newsom’s new color-coding measurement system. It changed the cohort rule, so all the money and time the school has invested in meeting the (former) reopening rule are now wasted.
Newsom PURPOSELY making it difficult for school to reopen by changing the rule. CCHS is worse. They are clueless, unable to provide accurate data, and high unqualified to handle this and yet they are the ones controlling who can or cannot to reopen. The head of CCHS lives in Fairfield. She does not live in Contra Costa. She does not understand and does not really care that the residents and businesses are struggling. She needs to go and so is Chris Farnitano.
Kids are behind in basic, fundamental education, such as reading. Yes kids can get caught up eventually, but ONLY if they know how to read properly. Unless you only want your kids to be able to read “the fat cat sat on the mat”, they need to go back to school in-person. At least for the younger grade.
Continued Commiefornia Bullsh*t. Newscum changed the “guidelines”, for reopening , not using data or science because cases are continually declining. He is using testing numbers, he has no intention of reopening CA . He keeps saying it and people are not listening. “Fundamentally change “ “Reimagine a new normal” ! Notice on his chart there is no green tier? He said he didn’t put a green tier because he doesn’t want people to think we are going to go back to pre covid life!!! We are living socialism right now in CA ! Get rid of this tyrant : recallgavin2020.com. Follow the instructions!
I don’t know why you think it is socialism when elected officials make decisions for their constituents. He is the governor of California it’s his call. You can always ask another Republican action movie star to run again I suppose – we had that for eight years.
@ America… agreed!