California will begin reserving 10 percent of its weekly coronavirus vaccine shipments for the state’s educators in an effort to resume in-person classes across the state, Gov. Gavin Newsom said Friday.
According to Newsom, 35 of the state’s 58 counties have already made vaccine doses available to teachers after a lack of supply hampered plans to quickly vaccinate other essential workers.
State officials expect the federal government to ship roughly 1.4 million doses to the state’s local health departments and multi-county health care providers over each of the next three weeks, enabling the state to set aside 10 percent of each of those shipments for teachers.
At least 75,000 doses will be set aside from each shipment beginning March 1, according to Newsom, who credited President Joe Biden’s administration for giving a multi-week preview of vaccine shipments that enabled state officials to formally reserve doses for teachers each week.
“The only constraint to substantially increasing our administration of doses is a constraint on manufactured supply,” Newsom said during a briefing on the pandemic at a mobile vaccine clinic in Hayward.
Despite the state’s vaccination progress, administered doses to teachers has continued to be a sticking point between Newsom’s administration, state legislators and teachers’ unions, the latter of which has demanded that all teachers be vaccinated before in-person learning resumes, something Newsom has downplayed as a necessity.
Newsom maintained on Friday that he wanted schools across the state to reopen before the end of the academic year, but reiterated that he would not support a pair of bills that state legislators are currently considering to reopen schools.
Newsom argued the bills, which would allow students in transitional kindergarten through sixth grade to return to class by April 15 provided their county is in the “red tier” of the state’s four-tiered reopening system, would actually slow the pace of reopening.
State officials have already issued public health guidance allowing students in lower grades to return to class if their county has up to 25 new cases per day per 100,000 residents. The bills would require counties to be under seven cases per 100,000 before students returned to class.
Newsom also said he would not support the bill if legislators approved it as early as next week.
“Unfortunately, what was put into print would slow down the process of reopening our schools and that is something I can’t support,” Newsom said.
As of Friday, 6.9 million vaccine doses had been administered statewide. Newsom said that while 1.4 million doses were administered last week, the state’s vaccination infrastructure has the capacity to administer up to 4 million doses every week provided it has access to enough supply from manufacturers like Pfizer and Moderna.
The state also hit a new high Thursday for vaccines administered in a single day with 264,000.
The 6.9 million administered doses “represents one of the highest numbers of vaccines administered, not only of any state, but of all but seven nations in the world,” Newsom said.
And if the teachers aren’t back in their classrooms two weeks after receiving the second dose, fire them.
What ever happened to people over 65? I’m still waiting!
Me too. Signed up January 14 and never got appointment
Doesn’t make sense. Call the county health administrator’s office and make them explain. They need to fix the situation. Other counties are doing better!
Just going to have to form a union with a stranglehold over a critical industry if you want to be a high priority. This stopped being about public health and safety a long time ago.
Hey Gav, nice kiss up to the unions. Where is the science behind 10%???
Quit playing us like fools. Get a new career.
Real heroes these whiny teachers jumping in front of the line ahead of seniors. They should have been fired and their unions busted for refusing to work for their money. Kids and their parents aren’t as important as the ability to put in a short workday in front of a laptop in the comfort of home.
Make sure the MDUSD teachers get there shots last! Have you heard how they want to open schools?! The kids would still have to do online every morning and twice a week in the afternoon kids can go to school for any extra help. Just beyond pathetic. There is 3 months left. Might as well just open up in August. #recallnewsom #likeyesterday #teachersarenotbabysitters #teachersareeducators
@Raiderette to be clear teachers want to be in the classroom every single day. Teaching at home is not a vacation. Hybrid learning seems like a complete disaster and I am not a fan of it either. I teach high school and have two kids in the district myself. I have no idea how this is supposed to work. I think a lot of your are confusing the district’s decisions with the teachers. We have zero decision making ability. We want our vaccine so that we don’t have to worry as much about the fact that the district failed to get the schools ready for us. I’m not saying you did but many people on this stream are cowards for the way they talk about teachers. We are working so hard and some of you are hiding behind your screens degrading us. We are not whining because we are expecting that extremely wealthy powers that be so their jobs. They are failing our community. I barely make a livable income. I want to be back with my students…like yesterday. But what you all are seeing are the failings of the district, not the hardworking teachers that adore your families and our community.
@Teacher
You work from home and pull full wages and benefits. Why should any person working from home jump the line ahead of senior citizens, let alone people who work with the public? It is essentially unethical and wrong and you should feel ashamed to be a beneficiary of such evil. Dozens of senior citizens will die or have serious Covid complications because they failed to be vaccinated – their dose was given to a 26 year old, healthy, stay-at-home teacher who is at virtually zero risk of succumbing to covid.
A healthy, young teacher is stealing a dose from a senior citizen or immunocompromised person, and for literally zero defensible, practical reason; TEACHERS WORK FROM HOME. They have zero preferential claim to any the vaccine until they have to work with the public.
Teachers have amazing benefits, they get six figure salaries if they hang on for a decade or two, they have 1/4 of the year off, now they get to work from home in their underwear while doing 1/2 the work, and they get to cheat an old elderly immunocompromised woman out of her vaccine. I should have become a public school teacher and union member, it is a hell of a racket, you people like the mob.
Except they do not plan to open in August either…
@I’m a Teacher
I’m sure some teachers want to go back. But other say they do, and then play along as the union demands zero-risk environment and plays a stalling game for the whole year. If you wan’t to go back, tell someone, make some noise within your profession, tell your union reps, talk to news reporters.
In the broader Bay Area, district and union reps are even talking about the possibility of restricting in-person schooling *in Fall 2021*! It just shows how far down the rabbit hole they have gone. By then Covid will be less than a normal flu season, but already we’re getting trial balloons about restricting schooling for the *next* academic year. After more than a lost year already. It’s disgusting.
Eh, not a good idea. Setting aside doses just leads to slower vaccination rates. Speed is the premium here.
Why wait until March1st? This should be a priority to get the classrooms opened again.
what a joke!
thanks to the ring leader gavin bin lying and the unions
#RecallGavinNewsom
https://recallgavin2020.com/
Here is a novel idea, let’s reward the essential workers that have been working throughout the pandemic instead of these whining, crying, idiot teachers. They claim to be essential workers? What have they done for the last 12 months. Not a thing. Vaccinate the grocery store workers, the garbage collectors, the police, the food service employees etc.
Totally, man.
Although garbage collectors work outside 99% of the time, they’re probably frankly very low risk.
The state can reserve 10% because so many first responders refuse to be guinea pigs.
‘We hope more people change their minds’ | Some first responders refuse to get COVID-19 vaccine
Agencies in the Charlotte region report participation rates from 20% to 72%.
https://bit.ly/3sgZdvZ
Health Workers Refusing COVID Vaccines in Sluggish Rollout
About half of hospital workers in Riverside County, Calif., are passing on the vaccine for now, county spokeswoman Brooke Federico said. In Orange County, health providers report that 30% of workers are holding back.
https://bit.ly/3bvmFPI
Over half of NYC firefighters would refuse COVID-19 vaccine, survey finds
The results of the survey mirror a national hesitation to get the vaccine.
https://abcn.ws/3k7YAC9
What do they know that we don’t?
They know a lot more than we do. Just look at the test results on the animals and humans prior to this vaccine being used for the general public. I haven’t found any info on this yet.
Absolutely disgraceful for young punks to cut in line before people who really need the vaccine. To paraphrase Lt, Col Slade “and any teacher who supports this bs… $&(/$@! U 2!”
I make 3,600 a month. My mortgage is 2,500 and daycare is 1,200. If I wasn’t married I couldn’t even survive. We are home but want our vaccine to go back. Also “pull full benefits???” Dude I pay 500 a month for my family of 4. I have served my community for 15 years and all I want is to get back to what I’m called to do. 6 figures? You’ve got to be joking me. People with masters and PHD’s can earn higher wages but they have earned they schooling to move up. Nothing was handed to us. I am disgusted by your attitudes towards teachers. It really saddens me.
The problem with teachers is they let the teacher’s union set their narrative.
California has near the worst education systems in the U S .The children in this state are getting dumber and dumber . Why should we pay teachers more money for that ? Vouchers and charter schools would save our kids and help teachers to get better pay for performance . Stop the politicians and unions from ruining our kids future .
@ I’m a teacher:
Perhaps you and the myriad other teachers who share your opinion should show us the courage of your convictions and stand up to your garbage union leadership.
Elderly and immunocompromised will fall ill, suffer horribly, and then DIE so that a 26 year old, healthy teacher who works from home can have their vaccine.
Life is a comedy.
Maybe the teachers should stand up to the unions instead of hiding behind them.
Until then, I have no respect for you.
What happens if 25-35% of teachers refuse the vaccine as is happening in some other industries? My guess is more gridlock.
I personally know people who are lying about there age to get the shot.They don’t even ask for ID or medical card.The system is all messed up.
Almost 40% of the people in the county over 65% still need to get their first shot!. Some 20% over 75 still need the first shot! Please don’t forget them in all of this. Where is the special outreach program to get out to those who are at the greatest risk, getting to those who do not drive?
Teachers and their students are important but politics are getting in the way of science…..
A lot of negativity towards teachers. If you disagree with this call your representative and the governor. Not that it will do any good. They don’t care what people think. To those saying teachers make 6 figures that info is available. I looked it up. Mt Diablo, Martinez, Pittsburg-no. Acalanes, Antioch & Castro Valley-yes. Martinez is the lowest paid.
… so what will the next excuse be not to open the schools again for in class teaching?
Any teacher that refuses to accept their vaccine doses and / or refuses to go back to full-time in-person lessons is not fooling any parent. Either speak out against your union, stop paying dues, run against the union bosses and REALLY make a difference, or at least be honest and say you don’t want to go back to in-person teaching because you’re afraid and /or you have a proper medical reason for not wanting to return to the classroom. Actions speak louder than words!
You cannot live your life telling us parents lies, letting down the students you allegedly care about and be an honest professional.
The dues is taken out of their paychecks. They do not have an option. Even if they quit the union they must pay.
I think they can take a vote to have the union decertified.
I got my second shot at Kaiser WC on the 16th and it was perfect. Kaiser had both vaccinations but for first shots they were giving Pfizer. My first shot was Moderna from the county. So at Kaiser I showed up went to the third floor got ushered to a seat where I got my second shot in a minute. Then on the news at night I am looking at that mile long line of cars waiting for a shot and I am thinking life is not fair. It really isn’t.
I just love the SAME complainers on every post. We know you don’t like Newsom and we know you didn’t vote for him. I support teachers 100%!! Funny all these people complaining about their kids because they actually had to deal with them for the last year. Quit complaining and moaning.
It’s one thing to support teachers – but ONLY if they’re teaching and ONLY if they adhere to the facts without interjecting personal opinions.
The issue is they DON’T do the above and they HIDE behind the union.
Given that, they’re not gonna get my respect.
@ConcordDad, I don’t have children in school but am concerned for this group of children. I didn’t know that to support teachers you needed to bash parents. You sound like a school board member. What a sad day for parents and students. The union and school board should have the parents and students best interest in mind.
Was mentioned a week or so back there are now approximately 1,000 fewer students in MDUSD. Wondering which that’s going to effect, class sizes or staffing levels?
I suspect it’s going to result in demands for more money. After all, it appears that’s the fix-all remedy in this state.
It’s disheartening to hear so many parents complain about the teachers and thinking that we are lazy and not working as much during this distance learning thing. Please keep in mind a few things before you go on your rampages. sixfigure incomes? Only a select few teachers who have been with the district more than 25 years AND have a higer degree (masters or PHD). Many of them retired last year so they wouldn’t have to deal with THIS. Having a masters in this district earns one an EXTRA $1500 a year in salary. It would take 10+ years in MDUSD to get that investment back. Surrounding districts pay much better OVERPAID??!!
LAZY!?! Teachers had to learn eveything a new way in the last year. ON OUR OWN, as the year has gone with little practical training from the school district. We have been spending our waking hours learning how to do and re-creating lessons on a digital platform. We do more than just teach during the day. It takes three times as long to make a lesson for onlineuse than it does for in person teaching. It also takes much longer to grade work online. Let’s not forget that WE had to teach students how to do certain tasks on the computer that they are not developmentally ready for (elementary). And through it all, students and parents alike don’t even bother to follow up on student work. It’s frustrating to spend hours planning lessons and assignments to be engaging only to have half the class not attempt it or basically turn in a BLANK paper to the online ‘grading basket’. We spend countless hours outside of ZOOM class helping both students and parents alike with how to do basic computer tasks to submit work that can be learn’ed from YOUTUBE. We have to figure out the tech side ON OUR OWN. We had to find or buy a second monitor so we could see our students at the same time we did a lesson on screen. Let’s not talk about buying a document camera on AMAZON! Not available unless you have $500 to spare. So not only do we not want to be teaching from home, it is costing us financially as well. This equipment is NOT comming from the district.
I could go on. Granted, like in every place of business there are the good, responsible workers and those just collecting a paycheck. HOWEVER, the later is all you seem to see here. Why not support your child’s teacher and your child while you are at it. Tell them when they are doing a good job. Praise them when they make an effort, even when it doesn’t work out. Their intentions were good. And the teachers(me included) would rather be in the classroom with the students. Let’s keep the paycheck out of the equation. I’msure others would say the same for many other professions about their salaries versus the perceived value of their services. But teachers are the ones who get your child ready for the working world. Just in case you forgot.
Then stand up to your damn union and get them decertified. Until then, you’re just whining and playing the victim.
As they say, get used to the new normal. Everybody else had to adjust. Yes, you’re special and unique….JUST LIKE EVERYONE ELSE!
Just throwing money at a problem and whining about everything won’t do $hit. Just look at the last 20 years.
Just in case you forgot.