Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Schools: Idaho Looks To Take Away Local Districts' Authority; Wyoming Teachers' Tests
Idaho Statesman: GOP Legislators Look To Strip School Closure Authority From Idaho’s Health Districts
Legislators warned of abuses of power and concerns about totalitarianism Monday as a legislative working group pushed to take away health districts’ ability to close schools. The Education Working Group requested the Legislature take up the issue of school closure authority when Gov. Brad Little convenes an extraordinary session of the Legislature the week of Aug. 24. (Corbin, 8/10)
Billings Gazette: Wyoming Governor Announces COVID-19 Testing Program For Teachers
Wyoming is instituting a COVID-19 testing option for teachers as they prepare to return to the physical classroom this fall, Gov. Mark Gordon announced in a press conference Wednesday. The program will function similarly to the state’s testing plan for long-term care facilities. When that plan was implemented in May, State Health Officer Dr. Alexia Harrist described it as a “proactive” testing program meant to find cases before sparking another outbreak. (Hughes, 8/13)
Billings Gazette: More Billings Kids Signed Up For Online-Only School, But Still Below District Expectations
District administrators have said that the course scheduling process requires a year-long commitment. The 2,000 students is fewer than the 5,000-plus that district officials thought would sign up for remote learning based on an earlier survey, and that has administrators eyeing schedule changes. Middle and high schools are looking at the possibility of switching to an exaggerated block schedule in order to reduce movement between classrooms and mixing of students. (Hoffman, 8/13)
AP: Tulsa Commits $5.6M Of Virus Relief To Get Students Online
Tulsa will spend $5.6 million of the $30 million in federal coronavirus relief funds it received to provide internet services for public school students, Mayor G.T. Bynum said Thursday. “Through the use of CARES dollars, we will be providing better opportunity and internet access for more than 22,000 Tulsa families, providing a clear path for our children to receive the help they need with their education during this critical time,” Bynum said in a statement. (8/13)
AP: Schools Mull Outdoor Classes Amid Virus, Ventilation Worries
It has been seven years since the central air conditioning system worked at the New York City middle school where Lisa Fitzgerald O’Connor teaches. As a new school year approaches amid the coronavirus pandemic, she and her colleagues are threatening not to return unless it’s repaired. Her classroom has a window air conditioning unit, but she fears the stagnant air will increase the chances that an infected student could spread the virus. (Spencer, 8/13)
NPR: Online Classes, Homeschooling, Pods: Options For Your Child This Year
There are no easy answers, and this is not one-size-fits-all. So we came up with a list of questions to help you think through your options. (Kamenetz, 8/13)
In school news from California —
AP: Fresno County School That Opened Classrooms Ordered To Close
A private school in California was ordered to close Thursday after it reopened classrooms in violation of a state health order aimed at slowing the spread of the coronavirus. Fresno County issued a health order against Immanuel Schools in Reedley, ordering it to close its classrooms until the county is removed from a state monitoring list for two weeks. Violating the order could lead to fines of up to $1,000 per violation per day. (8/14)
The Hill: California Slams 'Inaccurate And Outdated Beliefs' Of Parents Suing To Reopen Schools
California in a legal brief is slamming the “inaccurate and outdated beliefs” of parents who are suing the state to force schools to reopen amid the coronavirus pandemic. The state fired back after more than a dozen parents filed a lawsuit last month requesting a temporary restraining order on Gov. Gavin Newsom’s (D) order for schools in counties on the state’s watch list to conduct virtual learning. (Coleman, 8/13)
Reuters: Texas, California Governors Take Heat In Battle Over School Reopenings
Texas Governor Greg Abbott on Thursday sought to reassure parents he is doing all he can to keep students safe as most schools in the state prepare to reopen next week. But a top adviser to Democratic presidential contender Joe Biden’s campaign in Texas blasted Abbott, a Republican, for what he called a lack of planning and funding for safely reopening schools, with the statewide coronavirus positivity rate hitting a record 24.5% this week. (Brooks and Brice, 8/13)
In higher-education news —
AP: Boston University Faculty Protest Reopening Plan
Members of Boston University’s faculty are raising concerns about the school’s plan to reopen the campus this fall amid the coronavirus pandemic. Faculty held a drive-by rally Thursday calling on the school to provide employees the option to work from home and provide free personal protective equipment to all faculty, staff and students. They are also demanding free COVID-19 testing for residents of the neighborhoods surrounding the university. (8/14)
