Dangerous COVID-19 surge leads to hard shutdown of L.A. public schools
4 years ago

Dangerous COVID-19 surge leads to hard shutdown of L.A. public schools

LA Times  

Prospects for reopening campuses this school year dimmed Monday for hundreds of thousands of Los Angeles students with the hard shutdown of all in-person tutoring and special services amid a dangerous coronavirus surge — and officials declining to estimate when children could return to classrooms. The L.A. teachers union called Beutner’s decision “the right step.” “Educators wanted to be closer to a physical return that reunites us with our students, but instead we are moving farther away,” said Cecily Myart-Cruz, president of United Teachers Los Angeles. The school board in San Bernardino City Unified, which serves about 47,000 students, voted Nov. 17 to keep campuses closed in that district, the state’s eighth-largest, for the remainder of the school year. L.A. Unified, he added, already is planning “for a summer session like no other” to help students “recover lost learning opportunities, add enrichment to their lives and help them deal with the anxiety and trauma this crisis has brought into their homes.” Billions of dollars in federal COVID relief have flowed to the nation’s schools already, but Beutner called for an additional $125-billion package, about a fifth of what was earmarked for the Paycheck Protection Program, which provided ultra-low-interest loans to businesses.

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History of this topic

LAUSD schools open amid historic storm with 4 in 10 students staying home
10 months, 2 weeks ago

LAUSD schools open amid historic storm with 4 in 10 students staying home

LA Times  

Marisa Neher, 37, and her son Robin, 2, watch as the Los Angeles River carries stormwater near Atwater Village. Given the size and sprawl of the nation’s second-largest school system — about 900 campuses — Carvalho said the decision to keep campuses open was proved correct. “I spoke with parents who extended their appreciation for the fact that we maintained …

L.A. Unified closes schools Monday to ensure campuses are safe after Hilary
1 year, 4 months ago

L.A. Unified closes schools Monday to ensure campuses are safe after Hilary

LA Times  

Alberto Carvalho, who visited campuses last week, announced that schools will be closed Monday to conduct safety inspections after Tropical Storm Hilary. Los Angeles Unified schools will be closed on Monday to ensure that campuses can be fully inspected after Tropical Storm Hilary passes through and that families and employees can avoid potentially hazardous morning travel, Supt. He said students …

Editorial: Bring back the lost children of Los Angeles Unified
2 years, 4 months ago

Editorial: Bring back the lost children of Los Angeles Unified

LA Times  

Some 10,000 to 20,000 Los Angeles area kids are missing — not in the picture-on-a-milk-carton sense, but vanished from Los Angeles Unified School District enrollment rosters and unaccounted for as schools plan the start of classes on Aug. 15. Opinion Editorial: L.A. Unified fails to get kids the tutoring they need LAUSD has a history of not following through with …

L.A. schools drop aggressive COVID-19 rules: No more testing for all and masks stay optional
2 years, 4 months ago

L.A. schools drop aggressive COVID-19 rules: No more testing for all and masks stay optional

LA Times  

When Los Angeles schools open on Aug. 15, mask wearing will be optional and other COVID-19 safety rules relaxed to match with county requirements. Los Angeles Unified school leaders on Tuesday officially stepped back from COVID-19 safety protocols that have been among the most far-reaching in the country, choosing instead to mirror current county requirements and join most other school …

L.A. schools chief pushes to delay student COVID vaccination mandate
2 years, 7 months ago

L.A. schools chief pushes to delay student COVID vaccination mandate

LA Times  

The Los Angeles Unified School District should delay its requirement that students be vaccinated against COVID-19 until next year, its superintendent recommended Thursday, given the system’s already high vaccination rates among older students as well as low transmission rates in schools. “We also know that the district’s high vaccination rates played a crucial role in keeping kids in school throughout …

California schools under intense strain, fighting to stay open during Omicron surge
2 years, 11 months ago

California schools under intense strain, fighting to stay open during Omicron surge

LA Times  

A student shows her negative coronavirus test result from a cellphone to enter Olive Vista Middle School this week. And in Culver City, district leaders announced that they would close all schools next week to give students and staff time to “recoup and recover.” Educators across California are in triage mode working to keep campuses open and the state’s 6 …

Chicago union leaders OK plan to resume in-person class
2 years, 11 months ago

Chicago union leaders OK plan to resume in-person class

Associated Press  

CHICAGO — Students are poised to return to Chicago Public Schools after leaders of the teachers union approved a plan with the nation’s third-largest district late Monday over COVID-19 safety protocols, ending a bitter standoff that canceled classes for five days. Earlier Monday, Union President Jesse Sharkey said the union and district remained “apart on a number of key features, …

More than 62,000 LAUSD students, staff out with positive coronavirus cases as schools open
2 years, 11 months ago

More than 62,000 LAUSD students, staff out with positive coronavirus cases as schools open

LA Times  

Eighth-graders Katarina Weinzierl, left, and Isabel Ramos hug after not seeing each other since the end of last semester at Olive Vista Middle School in Sylmar. School board member Nick Melvoin said he has heard from parents who were worried about the high case rate identified by the district’s required testing for all after winter break. “That’s the point of …

Chicago schools: Public school students will return to classroom Wednesday after teachers union suspends work action, mayor says
2 years, 11 months ago

Chicago schools: Public school students will return to classroom Wednesday after teachers union suspends work action, mayor says

CNN  

CNN — Chicago teachers will be back in school Tuesday and students are scheduled to return to in-person learning on Wednesday after the Chicago Teachers Union house of delegates voted to end the teachers’ work action over Covid-19 mitigation measures, Mayor Lori Lightfoot said at a Monday night news conference. Earlier, the union representing public school teachers had tweeted: “The …

In-person classes in Chicago are set to resume Wednesday with a deal on COVID-safety
2 years, 11 months ago

In-person classes in Chicago are set to resume Wednesday with a deal on COVID-safety

NPR  

In-person classes in Chicago are set to resume Wednesday with a deal on COVID-safety Enlarge this image toggle caption Scott Olson/Getty Images Scott Olson/Getty Images Students are expected to be back in classrooms on Wednesday in Chicago after five days of canceled classes due to a bitter dispute between the teachers union and city officials. The two groups spent days …

Chicago Public Schools cancels classes for fourth consecutive day
2 years, 11 months ago

Chicago Public Schools cancels classes for fourth consecutive day

CNN  

CNN — Classes in Chicago will be canceled again Monday, making it the fourth consecutive day students have been out of school as the standoff between the Chicago Teachers Union and City officials drags on amid a Covid-19 surge. We will continue to negotiate through the night and will provide an update if we have made substantial progress.” The decision …

No deal, no school: Chicago cancels classes for a 2nd day
2 years, 11 months ago

No deal, no school: Chicago cancels classes for a 2nd day

Associated Press  

CHICAGO — Chicago school leaders canceled classes for a second straight day after failing to reach an agreement Wednesday with the teachers union over remote learning and other COVID-19 safety protocols in the nation’s third-largest school district. White House press secretary Jen Psaki, echoing President Joe Biden a day earlier, said Wednesday that the country is better equipped now to …

Chicago cancels classes after union backs remote learning
2 years, 11 months ago

Chicago cancels classes after union backs remote learning

Associated Press  

CHICAGO — Leaders of Chicago Public Schools canceled classes Wednesday after the teachers union voted to switch to remote learning due to the surge in COVID-19 cases, the latest development in an escalating battle over pandemic safety protocols in the nation’s third-largest school district. The Chicago Teachers Union’s action, approved by 73% of members, called for remote instruction until “cases …

Omicron upends return to US schools and workplaces
2 years, 11 months ago

Omicron upends return to US schools and workplaces

Associated Press  

Some school systems around the U.S. extended their holiday break Monday or switched back to online instruction because of the explosion in COVID-19 cases, while others pressed ahead with in-person classes amid a seemingly growing sense that Americans will have to learn to co-exist with the virus. New York City, home of the nation’s largest school system, reopened classrooms to …

COVID-19 disruptions loom over start of Chicago schools
2 years, 11 months ago

COVID-19 disruptions loom over start of Chicago schools

Associated Press  

CHICAGO — Public school students in Chicago returned to classes Monday after winter break, but the latest COVID-19 surge has escalated a fight between the district and teachers union over safety protocols that could disrupt classes in the nation’s third-largest district later this week. But the Chicago Teachers Union has been critical of the district’s safety measures and planned votes …

Facing major campus disruption and firings, LAUSD extends staff COVID-vaccine deadline
3 years, 2 months ago

Facing major campus disruption and firings, LAUSD extends staff COVID-vaccine deadline

LA Times  

A nurse gives a COVID-19 vaccine shot to special education assistant Roxanne Juarez at Eagle Rock Junior/Senior High School in August. “Our employees are one of the strongest assets that we have.” At the same time, she said, “we’re absolutely adamant about keeping our schools the safest possible environment — and vaccinations are clearly the pathway to keeping them safe.” …

Editorial: LAUSD is shrinking. That could be a good thing
3 years, 2 months ago

Editorial: LAUSD is shrinking. That could be a good thing

LA Times  

Students make their way to the front door of Normont Elementary School on the first day of in-class instruction on Aug. 16, as LAUSD officials welcomed back children and teachers. After schools closed for the pandemic, and after years of declining birth rates, everyone expected enrollment to drop even further this year in the Los Angeles Unified School District. About …

L.A. Unified enrollment drops by more than 27,000 students, steepest decline in years
3 years, 2 months ago

L.A. Unified enrollment drops by more than 27,000 students, steepest decline in years

LA Times  

Students gather in class at Daniel Webster Middle School with LAUSD Interim Supt. Enrollment in the Los Angeles Unified School District has dropped by more than 27,000 students since last year, a decline of close to 6% — a much steeper slide than in any recent year. The overall enrollment decline in L.A. Unified last year was about 4% — …

Ida deals new blow to Louisiana schools struggling to reopen
3 years, 3 months ago

Ida deals new blow to Louisiana schools struggling to reopen

The Independent  

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. “The way it’s looking like …

Ida deals new blow to Louisiana schools struggling to reopen
3 years, 3 months ago

Ida deals new blow to Louisiana schools struggling to reopen

Associated Press  

— Tara Williams’ three little boys run shirtless, because most of their clothes were swept away, and they stack milk crates beneath a blazing sun because their toys are all gone too. “The way it’s looking like now, it’s going to be next August.” After a year and a half of pandemic disruptions that drove children from schools and pulled …

Ida deals new blow to Louisiana schools struggling to reopen
3 years, 3 months ago

Ida deals new blow to Louisiana schools struggling to reopen

The Independent  

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. “The way it’s looking like …

Editorial: Mandatory vaccines and masks. LAUSD shows the right way to reopen schools in 2021
3 years, 4 months ago

Editorial: Mandatory vaccines and masks. LAUSD shows the right way to reopen schools in 2021

LA Times  

Los Angeles County can expect a rise in reported COVID-19 cases over the coming week as the Delta variant continues to spread. Some will be asymptomatic cases discovered by COVID testing of all students and staff by L.A. Unified schools — hundreds of thousands of tests every week. By finding cases that otherwise would have gone undiscovered, the schools will …

Austin Beutner’s tenure as L.A. schools chief marked more by crisis than academic gains
3 years, 5 months ago

Austin Beutner’s tenure as L.A. schools chief marked more by crisis than academic gains

LA Times  

On his first day as Los Angeles schools superintendent, Austin Beutner visited 11 campuses in 12 hours, boarding a school bus before dawn and later slinging aside his suit jacket to take afternoon batting practice. “Beutner’s most important contribution may be the way that LAUSD responded to the pandemic,” said Tyrone Howard, a UCLA education professor who also directs the …

Coronavirus lockdowns mean home learning is back, but experts say it comes at a cost
3 years, 5 months ago

Coronavirus lockdowns mean home learning is back, but experts say it comes at a cost

ABC  

India Kerr's first years in high school have not gone as expected. "If the cases are the lowest they can be in the community … the risk of a case becoming apparent in a school will decline," Professor Macartney said. A study from Sweden, where in 2020 lower-secondary schools stayed open but upper-secondary schools closed, found leaving schools open had …

Los Angeles teachers union approves plan to reopen public schools in April
3 years, 9 months ago

Los Angeles teachers union approves plan to reopen public schools in April

CNN  

CNN — As school districts across the country struggle with ways to put students back in the classroom, public schools in Los Angeles are set to reopen for in-person instruction in April under a plan approved by the teachers union on Sunday. Additionally, schools would only return when Los Angeles County falls below the purple tier designated by the state …

L.A. parents demand schools reopen, saying science and improved conditions are on their side
3 years, 10 months ago

L.A. parents demand schools reopen, saying science and improved conditions are on their side

LA Times  

Mona Garcia, right, with her daughters Olivia, 8, front, and Maya, 11, of North Hills, participate in a demonstration Monday outside the West L.A. Federal Building to pressure the L.A. Unified School District to bring students back for in-person instruction and other services. When Los Angeles parent Cynthia Rojas heard that federal experts and local health authorities said elementary campuses …

Chicago teachers affirm COVID safety deal for school return
3 years, 10 months ago

Chicago teachers affirm COVID safety deal for school return

Al Jazeera  

The debate over how to safely reopen Chicago schools is echoed around the US, with new CDC guidelines expected. Chicago teachers voted in favour of approving a tentative COVID-19 safety plan to allow the third-largest US public school system to gradually resume in-person classes as soon as Thursday for students who have been out of school buildings for almost a …

Atlanta Public Schools considers mandatory summer school targeting students furthest behind from coronavirus
3 years, 10 months ago

Atlanta Public Schools considers mandatory summer school targeting students furthest behind from coronavirus

CNN  

CNN — Atlanta Public Schools is considering mandatory summer school aimed at helping students who suffered setbacks in their learning during the Covid-19 pandemic, according to a top district official. “And that represents a very specific population.” That population includes vulnerable students from an educational and socio-economic perspective among the 51,000 students across 87 schools and five programs in the …

Southern California pediatricians call for L.A.-area schools to immediately reopen
3 years, 10 months ago

Southern California pediatricians call for L.A.-area schools to immediately reopen

LA Times  

First-grader April Alvarez logs into online classes in September from the Delano Recreation Center in Van Nuys, with help from Astrid Gramajo. “A large majority of the 1.5 million students in L.A. County has not been physically in a classroom in nearly a year,” said the statement from Southern California Chapter 2 of the academy. “The driver takes students to …

Chicago push to reopen city schools becomes more contentious
3 years, 11 months ago

Chicago push to reopen city schools becomes more contentious

Associated Press  

CHICAGO — Only half of Chicago Public Schools teachers expected in schools ahead of preschool students’ anticipated return next week showed up, district officials said Tuesday in an increasingly contentious battle over classroom learning during the coronavirus pandemic. The nation’s third-largest district plans a gradual return to in-person classes starting this month after going remote last March, which the Chicago …

L.A. teachers will spend more live time with students amid uncertainty over school reopening
4 years ago

L.A. teachers will spend more live time with students amid uncertainty over school reopening

LA Times  

With children mired in distance learning and many struggling academically, Los Angeles teachers will take on more live online interaction with students next semester, under an agreement announced Friday. “We are gratified to reach an agreement to extend the distance learning agreement, which is what our students need right now,” said Cecily Myart-Cruz, president of United Teachers Los Angeles. “This …

Coronavirus sees schools in US close, while Europe keeps them open
4 years, 1 month ago

Coronavirus sees schools in US close, while Europe keeps them open

CNN  

London CNN — Late last month, Ireland entered a strict, six-week lockdown against the spread of Covid-19, under which social gatherings are prohibited, exercise permitted only within five kilometers of the home, and bars and restaurants closed. “European countries have made a choice, I suppose, that trying to keep schools open is very important.” US school shutdowns Detroit Public Schools …

Schools in L.A. County can reopen for up to 25% of their students who need special services
4 years, 2 months ago

Schools in L.A. County can reopen for up to 25% of their students who need special services

LA Times  

L.A. County Supervisor Kathryn Barger, left, announced Wednesday that campuses would soon reopen to more students. In a significant move to bring more students back to campus, Los Angeles County schools will be permitted to bring 25% of their students back to campus at a time, provided that they need special services best offered in person. Three in four parents …

Returning US school children face battery of coronavirus tests
4 years, 2 months ago

Returning US school children face battery of coronavirus tests

Al Jazeera  

Amid rise in infections among children, largest school districts in US roll out ambitious, costly plans to test students and staff for COVID-19. The two largest school districts in the United States are rolling out ambitious and costly plans to test students and staff for the novel coronavirus, bidding to help keep school buildings open amid a rise in infections …

No place to study, hunger and inadequate computers hurt Eastside and South L.A. students
4 years, 3 months ago

No place to study, hunger and inadequate computers hurt Eastside and South L.A. students

LA Times  

Families wait in line in April at the Mar Vista Family Center for free food and headphones, which students use to screen out noise while studying at home. Los Angeles families with school-age children in Boyle Heights, South Los Angeles and Watts struggled with access to computers and adequate internet throughout the spring semester while facing job losses and food …

Schools in L.A. County will not be allowed to fully reopen until at least November
4 years, 3 months ago

Schools in L.A. County will not be allowed to fully reopen until at least November

LA Times  

This classroom in Burbank Middle School in Los Angeles has been prepared to receive students safely with social distancing and other measures, but it remains unclear which students could be returning and when. No campus in Los Angeles County will be allowed to reopen to all K-12 students until at least November, although schools can begin to offer small in-person …

L.A. teachers union opposes opening campuses for students with disabilities, English learners
4 years, 3 months ago

L.A. teachers union opposes opening campuses for students with disabilities, English learners

LA Times  

L.A. teachers union President Cecily Myart-Cruz said Friday that the union would block an immediate, mandatory return of any teachers to campuses. L.A. Unified declined to answer questions about UTLA’s position, including about whether the district favored bringing back small groups of students with special needs, which prompted concerns from a local advocacy group. “We understand that there are both …

Teachers’ unions are leading the push for more school coronavirus protections
4 years, 4 months ago

Teachers’ unions are leading the push for more school coronavirus protections

CNN  

CNN — The federal government’s push to reopen schools while Covid-19 is still widespread is meeting tough resistance from powerful groups with deeply personal interests: teachers and their unions. That’s why more and more schools are opening remotely.” Unions push back in 3 largest school districts In New York, Los Angeles and Chicago, the nation’s three largest school districts, the …

Chicago public schools will start the school year all virtual
4 years, 4 months ago

Chicago public schools will start the school year all virtual

CNN  

CNN — Chicago Public Schools, the nation’s third-largest school system, will start the coming school year with fully remote learning for all students due to the coronavirus pandemic, the district announced Wednesday. We are making every possible effort to provide a high-quality remote learning experience in the fall, utilizing live, virtual instruction for every student, every day, and we are …

What the top 15 school districts are doing to reopen
4 years, 4 months ago

What the top 15 school districts are doing to reopen

CNN  

CNN — Of the 15 biggest school districts in the country, 13 have opted to begin the school year with online learning only. Hybrid model New York City school officials have sent plans to the state for each of the city’s 1,800 schools, and those still need approval, Mayor Bill de Blasio said August 4 on CNN. ‘I don’t want …

Facing uncertain fall, schools make flexible reopening plans
4 years, 5 months ago

Facing uncertain fall, schools make flexible reopening plans

Associated Press  

— Administrators in the Parkway school district in suburban St. Louis spent the summer break crafting a flexible reopening plan, with options that include full-time classroom learning, full-time online instruction and a hybrid system. “If you had asked me even two weeks ago, ‘Do you think we would be able to come back?’ I would have said, ‘Yeah,’” Assistant Superintendent …

Trump says L.A. schools are making a ‘mistake’ by delaying reopening due to coronavirus
4 years, 5 months ago

Trump says L.A. schools are making a ‘mistake’ by delaying reopening due to coronavirus

LA Times  

A gate in front of Hamilton High School on Robertson Boulevard. President Trump called the decision by Los Angeles schools to not reopen campuses next month a “mistake” during a CBS News interview on Tuesday. Austin Beutner announced Monday that the nation’s second-largest school system will continue with online learning until further notice because of the worsening coronavirus outbreak in …

US debates school reopening, WHO warns 'no return to normal'
4 years, 5 months ago

US debates school reopening, WHO warns 'no return to normal'

India Today  

The resurgence of the coronavirus in the United States ignited fierce debate Monday about whether to reopen schools, as global health officials warned that the pandemic will intensify unless more countries adopt comprehensive plans to combat it. "If the basics aren't followed, there is only one way this pandemic is going to go,"said the director of the World Health Organization, …

US debates school reopening, WHO warns ‘no return to normal’
4 years, 5 months ago

US debates school reopening, WHO warns ‘no return to normal’

Associated Press  

MIAMI — The resurgence of the coronavirus in the United States ignited fierce debate Monday about whether to reopen schools, as global health officials warned that the pandemic will intensify unless more countries adopt comprehensive plans to combat it. “If the basics aren’t followed, there is only one way this pandemic is going to go,”said the director of the World …

Coronavirus spike jeopardizes opening of schools, L.A. County’s top health official warns
4 years, 5 months ago

Coronavirus spike jeopardizes opening of schools, L.A. County’s top health official warns

LA Times  

Cerritos Elementary School Principal Perla Chavez-Fritz, left, shows her Glendale campus to L.A. County schools Supt. The pending reopening of K-12 campuses is suddenly at risk because of the ongoing surge of coronavirus cases, and all public and private schools must prepare for students to continue learning entirely from home, Los Angeles County’s top public health official has told local …

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