As classes resume, a new state law governing independent study is worsening staff shortages, threatening school budgets and forcing quarantined students to relive last year’s school shutdowns.
K-12 Education
Posted inK-12 Education
Racist ‘Shaniqua’ postings show Salinas students stomping on Black doll
An Instagram account that has since been deactivated showcased pictures and videos of a Black baby doll, with some students stomping on it. “Although the district has taken steps to support our African American students and staff,” school officials said in a statement, “this recent incident demonstrates how much more support is needed.”
Posted inK-12 Education
Many small districts complain California shorted their funding during the pandemic
Legislators “express sympathy and agree it is not fair, but all I get is platitudes,” one Santa Cruz County educator said of the predicament that has befallen districts that have served students from urban areas who unexpectedly showed up in their schools.
Posted inHealth & Wellness
What impact will the pandemic have on early literacy?
New Leaf Community Markets brand manager Lindsay Gizdich said the store is moving from Pacific Avenue in order to have…
Posted inHealth & Wellness
How kids can stay safer at school despite Delta variant threat
Despite the threats posed by the Delta variant — a particular worry for parents of children under age 12, who are too young to be eligible for a COVID-19 vaccine — there are ways to enhance kids’ safety at school. Here’s what it will take to protect students.
Posted inK-12 Education
How schools help students who’ve lost loved ones to COVID
At least 30% of California students surveyed by the ACLU said they’d lost a loved one during the pandemic. “Grief comes in all shapes and sizes, but for everyone, it means that life will forever be changed,” one educator said. “For students experiencing this, just noticing and caring can mean the world.”
Posted inK-12 Education
Reading, ’rithmetic and resisting COVID: The new 3 Rs as kids head back to school
Children under 12 can’t get a vaccine, so parents are concerned about how to keep them safe as classes resume — especially as the Delta variant spreads. Kaiser Health News has some answers for parents and guardians trying to navigate the new landscape.
Posted inHealth & Wellness
Gov. Newsom orders school employees to get vaccinated or be tested regularly
School employees must either be vaccinated against COVID-19 or submit to a regular test proving they are not infected with the coronavirus under an order from Newsom.
Posted inK-12 Education
California’s new vaccine requirement for schools: What you need to know
Gov. Gavin Newsom on Wednesday required that all school staff be vaccinated against COVID-19 or submit to regular testing, making California one of only two states with such a mandate. With the policy set to roll out Thursday, here’s a rundown of how things will look in schools.
Posted inK-12 Education
Delta variant is sucking the joy out of back-to-school 2021
Instead of a back-to-normal back-to-school, the coronavirus casts new shadows over the return to full-time, in-person schooling. A particularly troubling issue for parents in Santa Cruz County and beyond is that children under 12 are not yet eligible for a vaccine.