The health and safety of all students and staff must be the priority and guiding principle in opening public schools and colleges for the 2020-21 school year. The global COVID-19 pandemic has brought unprecedented challenges to California schools and colleges. Educators, students, and families have adapted quickly to the new environment and have worked together tirelessly to ensure that quality education continues through distance learning. Now, as the pandemic rages on, and against all sound scientific and medical advice, some leaders are pushing our schools to fully reopen prematurely.
California cannot return to schools until it is safe for students and educators to do so. Closing schools physically in March was the right thing to do; keeping them closed now until it is safe is also right. We must not compromise on funding and safety in a state that has the fifth-largest economy in the world and is home to the greatest number of billionaires in the country. To reopen schools safely, it is imperative that certain requirements are met:
Educator & Community Voice: The involvement of educators, parents, school employees, unions, and community stakeholders in all planning is essential. It is imperative for a successful implementation that all stakeholders of the education community be involved in planning for in-person instruction and distance learning.
Public Health: Any reopening of schools should follow a science-based approach. The state must coordinate uniform symptoms checklists, testing and contact tracing for schools, training, and funding for safety protocols. In-person instruction at schools must be prohibited in counties until they have a sustained downward trajectory of new cases for 14 days or no more than one case per 10,000 in the past 14 days.
School Safety: To safely reopen, schools must have appropriate preventative and protective measures in place—including physical distancing of six feet, reducing the number of contacts, face coverings, hand washing, robust testing and health screening for students and staff, support for sick and at-risk people to remain at home, good ventilation (with absolutely no recirculated air), and rigorous cleaning and disinfecting.
Support for Students & School Families: Districts must create Injury and Illness Prevention Plans that are transparent to parents, staff, and community. Unfortunately, many school districts and communities currently lack the necessary resources or capacity to maintain even the most basic of these measures—especially as it relates to equity in distance learning. Studies show that 30 percent of K-12 students still do not have access to the internet or computers.
Well-Funded Public Education: Finally, more funding must be provided for schools to reopen safely and to provide equity for our communities. While the recent state budget agreement buys a bit of time, it falls short and will result in billions being slashed from school budgets in future years unless we use multiple measures to provide additional funding. Along with federal funding and additional state revenue measures, passing Prop. 15 and reclaiming nearly $12 billion annually is critical in making our schools and communities safe.
We stand with California educators, parents, students, and community members in demanding that no California school physically reopen until it is safe to do so, and that all California schools have the funding, resources, and support needed to ensure the ongoing health and safety of every student and staff member.
