Back To School Rules Aren’t Clear Cut
School districts across the country struggle with establishing guidelines and procedures that would allow children to return to classes but still protect the students, the school staff and parents from coronavirus infections. Few are opening all the way.
NPR:
Top Pediatrician Says States Shouldn't Force Schools To Reopen If Virus Is Surging
President Trump issued a forceful call this week for America's K-12 schools to reopen full time for all children in the fall. ... On Wednesday, [Dr. Sally] Goza [the president of the American Academy of Pediatrics], spoke with Morning Edition host David Greene about that guidance and whether she's concerned that schools may be pressured into reopening too quickly. (Greene and Turner, 7/8)
The New York Times:
N.Y.C. Public Schools Will Not Fully Reopen In September
About four months after 1.1 million New York City children were forced into online learning, Mayor Bill de Blasio announced on Wednesday that public schools would still not fully reopen in September, saying that classroom attendance would instead be limited to only one to three days a week in an effort to continue to curb the coronavirus outbreak. (Shapiro, 7/8)
Politico:
NYC Schools To Stagger Classes, Stay Partially Remote In September
The nation’s largest school system will not be able to fully reopen for its 1.1 million students because of the coronavirus pandemic, Mayor Bill de Blasio said. It will use a “blended learning” approach to keep numbers lower and allow social distancing between students, with children in school buildings part of the time and learning online at other times. (Durkin, 7/8)
The Washington Post:
Arizona Delays Opening Of 2020-2021 School Year As Coronavirus Cases Spike. Other States And Districts Are Too.
Arizona is delaying the start of the 2020-2021 school year as the number of coronavirus cases spikes around the state. West Virginia is doing the same thing even as President Trump is encouraging all schools to fully open for all students as soon as possible. (Strauss, 7/9)
NPR:
When It Comes To Reopening Schools, 'The Devil's In The Details,' Educators Say
Dozens of teachers, parents and district leaders around the country told NPR that the back-to-school season — that beloved annual ritual-- has fogged over with confusion. States, districts and the federal government are pushing and pulling in different directions. Scientists are updating their advice to reflect emerging research and the changing course of the pandemic. And parents and educators are finding it hard to make decisions in the murk. (Kamenetz, 7/9)
USA Today:
'Scared For My Life,' But Needing A Salary: Teachers Weigh Risks As COVID-19 Looms
As directives shift, teachers like [Christy] Karwatt are desperately trying to figure out what the next school year will look like and if it is worth returning to potentially dangerous classrooms, or if they should walk away from a job that many view as a calling.In a USA TODAY/Ipsos poll in May, 1 in 5 U.S. teachers said they were unlikely to go back to school if their classrooms reopened in the fall.It's a question that many still don’t know how to answer. (McKinnon and Aspegren, 7/9)
San Francisco Chronicle:
New SF Guidelines To Reopen Schools: Masks All Day For Students And Teachers
San Francisco health officials released guidelines Wednesday on how to reopen city schools that include a strong recommendation that all students and teachers wear masks and stay 6 feet away. Backed by several months of science on how COVID-19 is spread and what it takes to stop it, health officials point out that the adults are at greater risk of spreading the virus than students. They’re also at greater risk of falling seriously ill from it. (Tucker, 7/8)
CNN:
A Summer Camp In Missouri And Another In Arkansas Close Due To Covid-19 Outbreaks
A summer camp in Arkansas and another in Missouri have closed down after campers and staff tested positive for Covid-19. At the Kanakuk K-2 Camp in Lampe, Missouri, 82 campers, counselors and staff tested positive for Covid-19, according to a Facebook post by the Stone County Health Department. (Lee, 7/8)
