Most Communities Miss The Marks Set In CDC School Reopening Guidelines
The long-anticipated guidance released Friday sets standards for community spread that few places in the U.S. currently fall under, disappointing many eager for school to quickly reopen in-person learning.
The Washington Post:
CDC Defends School Guidelines As Advocates Say They Make It Too Hard To Reopen
For months, President Biden has been urging schools to reopen, and promised that guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention would help them do so safely. ... But the much-anticipated guidelines released Friday were, in fact, more measured than some expected, with full in-person schooling recommended only when levels of community transmission are quite low, a standard that almost no place in the U.S. meets today. ... Advocates for reopening schools were dismayed. (Meckler, 2/14)
CNN:
CDC Director Says 'We Have Work To Do' When It Comes To Reopening Schools Safely
The director of the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Sunday emphasized the need for masking and other mitigation measures in order to reopen schools safely, saying "we have work to do" as teachers, students and parents continue to struggle with Covid-19's impact on education. "We have work to do, especially when the country remains in the red zone of high community transmission. As that transmission comes down we'll be able to relax some of these measures, but the real point is to make sure that the science is consistent with our guidance, which is consistent to say until we can ensure that we have all those measures happening that there would -- schools wouldn't be safe," Dr. Rochelle Walensky told CNN's Jake Tapper on "State of the Union" when pressed about why schools across the country haven't reopened. (Duster and Thomas, 2/14)
The Hechinger Report:
Stimulus Funds Help, But Will They Be Enough For Schools?
The long-term costs of making up for learning losses over the next few years are expected to far exceed the expenses that schools have already incurred. Have governments spent enough money to meet the unexpected and very steep costs of the last year? How much money would it take to cover those costs, finally reopen every school and then compensate for the tremendous learning losses? And if we don’t invest enough now, what could that mean for the public school system long term? Experts — and history — suggest that school districts need much more than what federal and state governments have provided so far. (Gilman, 2/12)
In related school news from Florida, California and Maryland —
NBC 6 South Florida:
DeSantis Blasts CDC School Reopening Guidelines, As FIU Brings Staff Back To Campus
On the same day employees of Florida International University were asked to come back to campus, the governor of Florida took aim at the health and safety protocols the university is consulting as the basis for bringing its staff back. ... “What the CDC put out, 5:00 on a Friday afternoon -- I wonder why they would do it then -- was quite frankly a disgrace. It would require, if you actually follow that, closing 90% of schools in the United States. We are open, we remain open, and we are not turning back,” said Gov. Ron DeSantis, without explaining or detailing which part of the guidelines were objectionable. (Odzer, 2/15)
Los Angeles Times:
L.A. School District To Open Vaccination Site For Staff
Los Angeles County elementary school campuses are cleared to fully reopen for the first time in nearly a year because of dropping coronavirus rates, health officials confirmed Monday night. County Supervisor Janice Hahn tweeted out the news before the official confirmation, with a celebratory tweet in the late afternoon: “L.A. County has officially reached the State’s threshold for reopening elementary schools. Starting tomorrow, schools can reopen” if they have submitted and posted the necessary paperwork with county and state officials. (Blume, 2/15)
The Baltimore Sun:
With Maryland Schools Planning To Reopen, Teacher Unions Say Classrooms Aren’t Safe Enough Yet From Coronavirus
As many Maryland school districts prepare to return to classrooms for the first time in nearly a year, local teachers unions are staring down a deadline with a decision: How hard should they push back against reopening plans they believe put their health and lives in danger? (Bowie, 2/15)
