As more California residents are getting vaccinated and positive COVID-19 cases are slowly starting to dwindle, California has begun its process of vaccinating more than just our frontline healthcare workers. With one-third of residents above the age of 65 already receiving their two sets of vaccinations, 35 California counties have agreed that starting March 1st, they will set aside 10% of vaccines for teachers and school employees, beginning Phase 1B. Governor Gavin Newsom articulates that “We want to operationalize that as the standard for all 58 counties in the state.” San Mateo County began expanding its vaccination line to eligible essential workers starting on February 22nd, opening up vaccine appointments to teachers, along with child care providers, first responders, and food and agricultural workers.
California COVID-19 Vaccine Tracker
Gavin Newsom acknowledged and strongly emphasized in this video that quickly reopening schools is extremely important, which can be implied as one of his top priorities. Though the vaccine is currently limited in supply in most California counties, the government is planning to speed up production. Based on this, Governor Newsom will begin to reserve 75,000 vaccine doses per week for school staff, hoping to increase that number as vaccine production speeds up.
Aside from reserving vaccines for teachers, the California Teachers Association has demanded vaccinations as a requirement for returning back to in-person instruction. Just last week, the CTA launched TV ads stressing more regulations for the reopening of schools. Along with the CTA, many teachers’ unions do not want to go back to in-person instruction at the moment, despite the CDC’s current plan for reopening schools. However, the CDC's new reopening plan for schools specifies that vaccinations are not a requirement for teachers to partake in in-person instruction.
Governor Newsom also expressed support for Democrats in the legislature who proposed a fast-track bill that covers school reopening costs, summer school costs, and other necessities to compensate for disruptions in student learning. This bill will include billions of dollars in federal and in-state funding. However, Newsom believes that it does not help open schools fast enough, stating, “April 15th! That’s almost the end of the school year.” With all that is going on, it is difficult for some to decide whether to go back to school or not if the situation has a chance to present itself soon. This multi-billion dollar plan to supplement the reopening of schools in California, however, presents opportunity costs such as time, the possibility of spending the money on other in-state priorities that are more likely to happen and giving the vaccines that are being put aside at the moment to other eligible workers that have contact with more people on a daily basis. The pros and cons of hybrid and in-person learning force families to weigh their priorities: mental health and sanity or safety and precaution. Not only that, but teachers are also put in a particularly challenging position as the CDC does not require vaccinations to be given to teachers in order for schools to reopen.
NYT Video: Newsom's Report on School Reopening
Office of Governor Gavin Newsom
California Teachers Association Video (AD)
7 comments:
These last couple of days, I have heard many Aragon teachers talk about their plans to get the COVID-19 vaccine in the next couple of days, which makes this story feel especially relevant. While there has been much push back through out the whole pandemic from teachers regarding a possible return to in-person learning across the whole nation, as well as in the SMUHSD, I wonder if the vaccination of teachers/education staff will make teachers/school staff less resistant to return in-person.
While I do appreciate the proposal of fast tracking legislature that will help encourage schools to reopen, I wonder what the toll of losing over a year of in-person school will be. There are truly no good solutions to the issue of reopening schools as we must weight between the price of a hindered education and the price of health and lives. While California has adjusted well to virtual learning, I know that I personally lack a depth of understanding of the many subjects I am taking this year due to the toll and downsides of online learning. While I do not think blankly demanding a faster reopening of campus is a real solution it does sometimes feel as though these solutions, such as vaccinations and CDC plans, are coming too late.
It is very exciting to see our own teachers so excited to get vaccinated and their excitement should make all of us more optimistic. Now that our teachers are getting vaccinated California officials say that we are one step closer to in person learning and our own school district has already laid out plans on reopening. I know that distance learning has taken a toll on everyone, teachers, parents and students and it is exciting that there may be a possibility of changing the lack of interaction between teachers and students, but it is a matter of safety and peoples levels of being comfortable with going back to in person learning. I don't think that we should put a rush on going back to school since the main priority should be safety of teachers and students, but if it can be done safely I think going back to school for a lot of people can be beneficial to learning.
While it is exciting and nice to see teachers talk about getting vaccinated and their excitement to go back to school is extremely optimistic. Getting teachers vaccinated is just telling us that we are slowly getting closer to returning back to school. While it is very exciting and seeing how distance learning has taken a toll on anyone, with many hoping to return back to school. I don't think its best to rush back to in-person learning, as its already been about a year since distance learning has started and majority of people have assimilated to it. So I think right now it's best to prioritize the safety of everyone rather than going back to school, rushing to get people back to school towards the end of the year to me doesn't make much sense and would rather just have people prep to return to school in the fall.
I love seeing my teachers get enthusiastic about getting the vaccine. However, like others have said, I don't think it is the best choice to rush to get everyone back on campus. I definitely think students with learning disabilities should be given priority, but otherwise, people that have the means to stay home, should. Students/teenagers will not be getting vaccines for a fairly long time, and since we'd only be back in school for about a month, I don't see the point in going back now that most of us are so accustomed to being online. I agree with the CTA - that vaccines should be a requirement for returning-to-school for teachers, as they are in the age group that is at higher risk than teens. Additionally, in the worst-case-scenario that something bad actually does happen when hybrid learning begins, and barely anyone is vaccinated, it will cost a lot more time and money to fix than simply resuming with the distance learning schedule we have had for so long.
I completely agree with what Varsha and Amy previously stated. Although it does sound very nice to potentially return back to our previous learning environment, there are many concerns that should be addressed with this accelerated comeback plan. The first problem that I thought of is the number of cases in our county. It may seem like the numbers are gradually decreasing, which, is excellent news. Enforcing a return to campus learning style is still gathering a certain amount of people in a small area, overall increasing the risk of students contaminating the area. This can cause another school outbreak like how we had in other schools around early 2020. Another issue that should be addressed is the timing. I believe most students have acclimated to distance learning. Proposing on-campus learning might hinder their flow, create extra spending on commute along with the time wasted on commute. Many people find that they have fewer distractions in the environment of their homes. It's too close to the end of the school year for students to keep up their motivation and momentum to continue being as productive if we were to return back to on-campus learning. I am by no means saying that we should delay on-campus learning at all, but rather there's really no immediate need for us to do so.
I think that it's great that teachers are starting to get there vaccines. However, I think that returning to school in person this year is not the best choice, it seems like to little too late. Most people are already used to distanced learning, and returning and changing everything up 3/4 of the way through the school year would be hard on everyone. I also don't think it's fair for the teachers who are not yet vaccinated to be forced to go back to school and teach. Instead, I think that it would be in everyone's best interest to come up with a better plan to return to school next fall.
While I see where all of the arguments are coming from- CTA, our own SMUHSD district, the original post and other commenters- I wanna push back on the idea the argument that the situation is a clear either or;"mental health and sanity or safety and precaution." I personally don't believe the issue is that simple and do not think it is fair or transparent for the CTA to present these ads that are spreading one-sided points of view and not addressing the full picture. Rob Lapsey, President of the California Business Roundtable stated that these"inflammatory ads do not reflect the reality of what is happening in classrooms across the state and nation where mitigation has worked to keep kids and teachers safe," (Politico).
I am by no means promoting the reopening of schools where case rates in counties are especially high nor disregarding the general safety precautions that need to be followed for COVID-19- I am just hoping that our own district will be a little more open to reopening plans and move forward on a bit of a quicker path.
Having not been in a classroom since March 2020, has had a great effect on students mental health and their physical well-beings. Just because we have "learned and adapted" to online school does not mean it is ideal or should be continued since it is "easier." Even if we are only able to return for a couple days a month for the last three months of school, that is allowing thousands of students (especially seniors!) to connect with teachers and experience in-person learning. Yes, the classrooms and activities will not look like they had prior to COVID, but they will definitely be an upgrade from whatever work-from-home set up we all are currently using.
Thus with most of the SMUHSD teachers having access to vaccines, and soon all teachers in CA, I think there needs to be a strong push to allow all interested students to return to campus in some proximity. I fully understand for an individual student's own safety or comfort, they should have the option to stay home; and do not view that choice as any lesser- I just think that the option should be there. If large private schools can find the ways to safely reopen, the public schools should follow.
I hope my perspective did not come across as too extreme, that was never my intention, I just want to put the idea out there that the issue is much more complex than news articles (coming from either point of view) like to put out.
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