By: Aarya Patil
Under pressure to reopen classrooms in California, Gov. Gavin Newsom has said that, starting March 1, the state will reserve 10 percent of its first doses of Covid-19 vaccines for teachers and school employees. The federal government has been steadily increasing the state’s vaccine allotment, and the governor said he would set aside 75,000 doses each week for teachers and staff members planning to return to public school campuses in person. Although California prioritizes teachers for the vaccine, supply has been an issue. Only about three dozen of the state’s 58 counties have had enough doses on hand to immunize those who work at public schools. Most of California’s large school districts — including those in Los Angeles, San Diego and San Francisco — have been operating remotely for the majority of students for almost a year. The legislative plan calls for spending $12.6 billion in state and federal funding to help districts cover reopening costs, summer school, extended days and other measures to address learning loss. It largely aligns with the priorities of the unions, and state lawmakers said they expect it to pass swiftly. However, this is expected to happen around April 15, which is almost the end of the school year.
There is now debate about whether kids should return to school or not. Some say that it is good for kids to get the experience of being in a real classroom again. Also, people say that even if it is just for a little bit, we can see which things are working out well, and which aren’t, so we can be prepared for the upcoming school year. However, other people say that we should not because it would be a waste of time and resources, for just 2 or 3 months.
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