LOS ANGELES – Schools in the Los Angeles County and throughout the state won’t be the same if and when they reopen this fall, with California education officials releasing new safety guidelines Monday that include small classroom cohorts, face masks, virtual field trips, half-empty school buses and other changes to protect against the spread of coronavirus.
“As we prepare to move into the likely reopening of our schools, we provide this guidance as a ‘how to,'” State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond said about the 55-page document titled “Stronger Together: A Guidebook for the Safe Reopening of California’s Public Schools,” which details the need for changes to accommodate physical distancing. [View the document here.]
All schools in the state closed in March due to stay-at-home orders protecting against the spread of COVID-19. Reopening dates have not yet been set.
Los Angeles County Superintendent of Schools Debra Duardo said the state’s guidebook contains many of the same considerations included in the 45- page framework released on May 27 on behalf of the county’s 80 school districts. Both sets of guidelines are recommendations only, not requirements — individual school districts are responsible for developing their own reopening plans.
“Both sets of guidelines recognize that the health and safety of students, staff and families must always come first. They are built on the directives of public health authorities and are subject to change as the health crisis evolves,” Duardo said.
“Education leaders must ensure that schools reopen with a focus on safety, well-being and continuity of learning according to the needs of their diverse communities,” Duardo said. “While it is enormously challenging to implement physical distancing in schools, we must make it work given our charge to protect the state’s most precious resource — our children.”
Previous related story: Safety guidelines unveiled for reopening of schools
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Uncle Tom says
@Magnetlady
I’m pretty sure nothing in the article was about teaching kids to live in fear. While I have not read every article ever written, NOTHING I have read from any reputable sources state kids do not get Covid, maybe you saw that on a facebook post? Sigh…most of your post makes no sense, about the only thing you got correct is that home or private school should be considered.
These are all recommendations, not rules. Nothing about them is ground breaking. If anything good comes of this pandemic its probably we will be washing our hands more often, and not getting in others personal space. I KNOW we need to get kids back into structured learning environments, especially the younger ones. Time will tell how badly students education was stunted. Good thing I never relied on schools to teach my kids everything they need to know, knowledge or survival wise.
Good luck out there, be safe.
Magnetlady says
OMG, now we’re teaching our children to ”LIVE IN FEAR” of so many things. It’s reported that children do not ”get COVID-19”. Schools are supposed to teach our children how to ”interact & get along with others”, even if there are ethnic differences. When my children were in school, I never interjected RACE into any of my duties as ”Mom” nor did their Teachers!!… Today’s children seem to be taught to ”hate” right from the CRIB.. It’s very sad to see.. That needs to STOP.. Home School or Private Schools should be considered now. Public Schools are not teaching our kids the ”basics” to survive in this world without us..
Laughing says
Why are you teaching kids to ‘live in fear’, Magnetlady?
Most of us are teaching kids to be attentive and cautious. To follow advice from medical professionals. To listen to officers of the law but be wary some may be dangerous (very few on average). The kids learn about other cultures at school, not hate (at least not in any classroom I have been in during instruction time).
I will agree that public schools, having been misguided by interpretations of ‘left behind’ guidelines, are dumbing our kids down by teaching them to regurgitate a few ‘facts’ via standardized testing. The original idea floated long ago now, was standardized education so students could attend any school at the same grade and get the same education. It has been twisted by fools though for monetary reasons. Instead of teaching how to analyze and think just regurgitate. Instead of asking why, just regurgitate. Instead of critically thinking, just swallow what is popular, then regurgitate.
Is it any wonder why America is sick after two decades of regurgitating ‘facts’.