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Media

We're constantly tracking developments on the issue of reopening schools from around the world. We post the most relevant information from only respected sources, and update this section as regularly as possible.

We attempt to place articles in chronological order where possible, with the most recent information first; this is not always possible due to formatting issues. Nevertheless, the presentation gives a relatively accurate view of how this issue has unfolded in the media.

Needlessly divisive media (of which there is a great amount) is not given an audience. We do not list articles or commentary that is anti-teacher (as a group, we do not support anti-teacher rhetoric), except in a few places where it is important to the story.

This portion of the website is best viewed on a desktop. It is slow to load, due to the overwhelming press coverage of reopening schools.

ADMIN NOTE: Due to the rapidly accumulating amount of information, we have completely reorganized this page as of Dec 27th, and added a revised table of contents. The links will open each section in a new tab on your browser, though you can still scroll through the entirety, below.

School Reopening/Relief Fund Trackers

Latest Research (Summaries & Links)

Govt & Non-Govt Organization Recommendations

Expert Opinions

Reopened Schools

Political & School Responses

Distance Learning/Closed Schools

Editorials, Opinions & Letters

Reopening Efforts/Parent Activism

California/Davis, CA Specific

School Reopening / Relief Fund Trackers

EdWeek School Reopening Tracker (via USA Today)

Map: Where schools are reopening in the USAccording to data compiled by Education Week, most states are dealing with a wide array of approaches to kicking off the new school year. See a state-by-state breakdown of how K-12 schools are reopening across the US.

Burbio School Reopening Tracker

K-12 School Opening TrackerK-12 School Opening Tracker provides up to date information on school learning plans - virtual, hybrid or traditional in-person - for every county in the US

MCH Data: School District Status Updates for Fall 2020

Continuously updated map of school district teaching models by county for the United States

EdSource Covid School Relief Funds Database (Spring 2020 Stimulus)

DATABASE: Federal aid helps some California schools more than others under governor’s planFederal stimulus funding is coming to the aid of California’s school districts. An EdSource analysis projects that of the 897 districts that receive their funding through the state’s education funding formula, 60.4 percent would get more in stimulus funding than they’d lose in state cuts.

EdSource Covid School Relief Funds Database (Winter 2020 Stimulus)

Database: Covid relief by district in CaliforniaCalifornia will receive $6.8 billion in Covid-19 relief funding for K-12 schools. This database shows the distribution of that money.

National COVID-19 School Response Dashboard

This dashboard tracks school COVID-19 cases. Provided by Brown University Professor Dr. Emily Oster, it consistently shows far, far lower rates of COVID-19 in schools than community rates.

CA Safe Schools for AllThis new website for school administrators, staff, and parents outlines the funding, testing, and safety measures the state offers to support safe in-person instruction for California’s kids.

Burbio K-12 Reopening Trends

Updated at least monthly - the link below is for Jan 18, 2021.

Burbio School and Community Events Data Platform

UNESCO Interactive, Worldwide School Closures Monitoring Map

UNESCO figures show two thirds of an academic year lost on average worldwide due to Covid-19 school closures

Latest Research (Summaries & Links)

(ADMIN NOTE: The effort to reopen schools is not focused on the medical or research communities - they, by and large, have already recommended that children return to classrooms. We are wary of posting links to individual studies as evidence for our case, as results may be misread, or research poorly performed. Nevertheless, we are posting a few links here to support this specific aspect of the debate)

DFTB Rapid Research Review Project

The DTFB Rapid Research Review Project is a volunteer effort of international physicians and experts who review and summarize the rapidly accumulating amount of research on the subject of COVID-19 in children.

An evidence summary of Paediatric COVID-19 literatureA rapid review of the published original research of COVID-19 in children ....

COVID-19 School and Community Resource Library

The COVID-19 School and Community Resource Library is a volunteer effort by a group of Massachusetts physicians, including pediatricians, infectious disease physicians, and school district physicians from multiple institutions across the state. Our objective is to offer a compiled source of published and publicly available data for clinicians who are advising K-12 schools and community organizations regarding best practices to prevent and manage COVID-19.

(ADMIN NOTE: This amazing collection of research is targeted toward medical & research professionals, and was generously offered to our group by the authors - we are extremely grateful! It should not be used to make broad interpretations. At times, the data changes - the authors continuously update the document to reflect these changes, but leave previous data alone to ensure integrity.

At 185 pages [and counting] of research summaries, with links to the actual research, this is the most authoritative compendium we've seen.

Incidentally, MA has largely recognized that school closures were probably not a good idea, and is working to reopen them)

To access this document, click the title, below:

COVID-19 School and Community Resource Library

Collateral Global - Compilation of Studies Documenting the Impacts of COVID-19 Restrictions on Education

Collateral Global is a non-profit, UK based center for research on the effects of government responses to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The scientific advisory board consists of multiple experts in the field of epidemiology, evidence-based medicine and economic policy/research.

Education — Collateral Global

Evidence of COVID-19’s Impact on K-12 Education Points to Critical Areas of InterventionSurvey data shows remote learners are suffering from lower-quality learning, less quantity and quality of interactions with teachers, and less social interaction with peers.

Prevalence of SARS-CoV-2 Infection in Children and Their Parents in Southwest GermanyThis cross-sectional investigation conducted in southwest Germany describes the rate of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 infections and the seroprevalence of antibodies in children aged 1 to 10 years, compared with a parent of each child, in a population-based sample.

Three studies highlight low COVID risk of in-person schoolStudies spotlight limited in-school COVID-19 spread in North Carolina, Sweden, and Norway.

COVID-19: Overview and Evaluation - Pediatric Collection

American Academy of Pediatrics

Pediatrics: Incidence and Secondary Transmission of SARS-CoV-2 Infections in Schools

90,000 students tracked for 9 weeks. "Extremely limited" within school secondary transmission of COVID-19, with NO instances of child to adult transmission. Jan 2021.

COVID-19 Cases, Deaths, and Trends in the US | CDC COVID Data TrackerFind national and local rates for COVID cases and deaths in the United States.

(BBC Article used to correct a story that appeared on BBC 4, claiming the new 'UK Variant' was resulting in pediatric wards filling up with 'severe Covid', which was later shown to be untrue)

Coronavirus: No increase in severe child cases, paediatricians say"Covid is rife in hospitals, but not among children," consultant paediatrician Dr Ronny Cheung said.

(BBC Article focusing on the new 'UK Variant' - endorsed by Dr. Alasdair Munro, Research Fellow Infectious Pediatric Disease and Dr. Joseph Allen, Prof, Harvard School of Public Health)

Coronavirus, schools and children - what are the risks?How much do children contribute to the spread of Covid?

Largest study confirms children significantly less likely to catch Covid-19Children and young people are around 40% per cent less likely to be infected than adults when exposed to someone with the virus, finds a new study of global Covid-19 transmission data, co-led by UCL researchers.

Estimation of Years of Life Lost Associated With School Closures During COVID-19This decision analytical model estimates the potential years of life lost among US primary school–aged children associated with school closures during the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic.

Coronavirus: Living with children 'no increased risk'Researchers looked at data on nine million adults under the age of 65 between February and August.

Coronavirus: 'Reassuring' study of children's 'tiny' riskSevere Covid-19 is rare and dying from it exceptionally rare, a study of UK hospital data finds.

Govt. & Non-Govt. Organization (NGO) Recommendations / Reports

February, 2021

Press Release from California Chapters of the American Academy of Pediatrics

Pediatricians across California unite to call for urgent and safe reopening of schools

Southern California pediatricians call for L.A.-area schools to immediately reopenThe harms of ongoing closures outweigh the safety risks of carefully managed classrooms, according to a regional pediatrics association. Some experts take a different view.

Community, Work, and SchoolActions that communities can take to slow the spread of COVID-19.

January, 2021

C.D.C. officials say most available evidence indicates schools can be safe if precautions are taken on campus and in the community.

COVID-19 Cases and Transmission in 17 K–12 Schools ...The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has disrupted in-person learning in the United States, with approximately one half of all students receiving online-only instruction since March 2020.

Covid-19: No need to close schools over UK variant, says French scientific adviserThe French government's top scientific adviser has said there is no need to close French classrooms even as he calls for new restrictive measures to stem the spread of the highly contagious "UK varia…

UNESCO Summary - School Closures

Adverse consequences of school closures

CHOP doctors endorse return to in-person school in Philly areaCHOP doctors, pointing to evidence in Rhode Island, said going to school in-person may actually reduce a child’s risk of catching the coronavirus.

North Carolina Dept. of Health & Human Services: School Children and COVID-19

FAQ on School Children, Schools, and COVID-19

Updated COVID-19 school operation guidance document released by SickKids-led groupExperts stress that in-person school with strong application of the recommended enhanced infection prevention and control strategies and a robust testing strategy is the best option for children of all ages.

UNICEF

Children cannot afford another year of school disruption

Summary: CA's Safe Schools for All Plan

California Department of Public Health

COVID-19 and Reopening In-Person Instruction Framework & Public health Guidance for K-12 Schools in California, 2020-2021 School Year

California Department of Public Health

Evidence Summary: TK-6 Schools and COVID-19 Transmission

California Department of Public Health

Rationale: CA's Safe Schools for All Plan

California Department of Public Health

(Royal College of Pediatric & Child Health, UK, responding to BBC reports that children were being admitted to COVID-19 wards at an increasing rate with the new UK strain of the virus)

COVID-19 Guidance for Safe Schools - Jan 5, 2021 Update

American Academy of Pediatrics

Maryland School Reopening Guidance

MD has called for all schools to Reopen. This document lays out how.

The Effects of School Reopenings on COVID-19 Hospitalizations | REACHThe mission of REACH is to provide objective, rigorous, and applicable research that informs and improves school choice policy design and implementation to increase opportunities and outcomes for disadvantaged students.

MI Safe Schools: Rationale

Michigan has adopted an approach very similar to CA's

B.C.'s Back to School PlanStudents in B.C. will return to in-class learning September 2020. B.C.’s plan includes new health and safety measures, increased funding for protective equipment like masks and new learning groups to help keep everyone safe.

CDC Recommendations for Schools & Child Care Programs

Communities, Schools, Workplaces, & EventsCleaning and Disinfecting: Everyday steps, when someone is sick, and considerations for employers.

Newsom opens one-stop Covid information ‘hub’ on reopening schoolsMultiple websites will provide data and a hotline on Covid outbreaks for parents, clarify regulations, and offer technical help to districts.

Michigan governor calls for in-person learning to resume by March 1Gov. Gretchen Whitmer spoke during a virtual press conference Friday, Jan. 8, 2021.

AAP continues to advocate measures to allow students to return safely to school

Quick Guide: How does Gov. Newsom’s “Safe Schools for All” plan work? Newsom's plan for in-person instruction will apply only to elementary school students, and will be phased in beginning Feb. 15.

UNICEF executive director: Covid has created a global education emergencyHenrietta Fore, executive director of UNICEF estimates that one out of every three children currently does not have access to in-person or remote learning.

December, 2020

(United Nations Children's Fund - UNICEF)

WHO

New checklist supports schools to reopen and prepare for COVID-19 resurgences

CDC

Factors Associated with Positive SARS-CoV-2 Test...This report describes factors associated with SARS-CoV-2 infection among children and adolescents aged <18 years in Mississippi.

Education Policy Innovation Collaborative | Does In-Person Schooling Contribute to the Spread of COVID-19? | COVID19 Research - Education PolicyEducation Policy Innovation Collaborative, a research center devoted to rigorous evidence about education policy. Producing research with consequence

European CDC Recommendations

(ADMIN NOTE: Link will not display correctly. Click on the title to be taken to the appropriate file)

Q & A on COVID-19 in children aged 0 – 18 years and the role of school settings in COVID-19 transmissionHow likely are children to catch and transmit the virus in school settings? When and how will schools be reopened?

Taking Back Control: a Resetting of America's Response to Covid-19 - The Rockefeller FoundationOur third Action Plan lays out a new plan for the largest domestic testing scale up to date and proposes 14 executive actions for the current and incoming

COVID-19: UNICEF warns of continued damage to learning and well-being as number of children affected by school closures soars again

Shutting school systems, wrong response to COVID-19, UNICEF saysCountries fighting the coronavirus should not impose nationwide or large-scale school closures, which is the wrong response and compounds the societal cost of the disease, with 320 million children locked out of school at the start of December, the UN children’s agency UNICEF said on Tuesday.

To What Extent Does In-Person Schooling Contribute to the Spread of COVID-19? Evidence from Michigan and Washington

CALDER - National Center for Analysis of Longitudinal Data in Education Research

Schooling in the time of COVID-19: Opening statement at high-level meeting on keeping schools open and protecting all children amid surging COVID-19 cases Copenhagen, 8 December 2020, Dr Hans Henri P. Kluge, the Regional Director of WHO Europe

November, 2020

NYCLU Statement on Possible School Closures

Kids, school, and COVID-19: What we know — and what we don’tAn emerging body of evidence suggests that young children do not spread the coronavirus easily. Does that mean it’s safe to bring them back to class?

UNICEF warns of a ‘lost generation’ and finds school closures are ineffective.

Statement – Situation update on COVID-19: doing our share, a new horizon with technological and pharmaceutical development, and preserving the rights of childrenCopenhagen, 19 November 2020, Dr Hans Henri P. Kluge, the Regional Director of WHO Europe

CDC director: Covid ‘not acquired in schools’ but ‘in the household'CDC Director Robert Redfield said at the White House coronavirus task force briefing that the organization did not recommend closing schools in the spring, nor does it recommend it now. Redfield stated that research showed Covid-19 was not typically acquired in schools, but at students’ homes.

October, 2020

What We Know about COVID-19 Transmission in Schools

The latest on the COVID-19 Global Situation & The Spread of COVID-19 in Schools

World Health Organization

21 Oct 2020

Schools should be the last to close and first to reopen

September, 2020

W.H.O FAQ

Coronavirus disease (COVID-19): Schools

July, 2020

Sweden & Finland Joint Statement

Sweden's health agency says open schools did not spur pandemic spread among children

The Price Students Pay When Schools Are ClosedSeven ways children, and the nation, lose out when school buildings do not open

American Academy of Pediatrics

COVID-19 Planning Considerations: Guidance for School Re-entry

Statement from National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, Medicine

(ADMIN NOTE: Link will not display correctly. Click on the heading, above,to be taken to the appropriate site)

June, 2020

American Academy of Pediatrics president says schools should reopenDr. Sally Goza believes schools should reopen, with a host of safety guidelines, because they provide things "you just can't get with online learning."

Getting Back to School: An Update on Plans from Across the Country

Center on Reinventing Public Education (CRPE), Aug 2020. Report finds that schools in high-poverty areas are significantly more likely to open/remain in distance only learning models, while wealthier districts resume some form of in-person learning.

Statement from American Academy of Pediatrics

(This link does not display correctly - to read it, click on the title, above, which will take you to the correct link)

May, 2020

Schools For Health: Risk Reduction Strategies for Reopening Schools

Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health &

Healthy Buildings

Royal College of Pediatrics and Child Health (UK)

Statement on schools re-openingRCPCH, along with the Academy of Medical Royal Colleges, responds to the debate about re-opening schools.

Projecting the Potential Impacts of COVID-19 School Closures on Academic Achievement

Brown University, May 2020

Guidance for full opening: schools

Expert Opinions

February, 2021

Hygiene Theater Is Still a Huge Waste of TimeToo many people imagine the fight against COVID-19 as a land war to be waged with sudsy hand-to-hand combat against grimy surfaces.

Hundreds of physicians, psychologists call for Ann Arbor Public Schools to reopen More than 350 area medical professionals have signed a letter and petition urging Ann Arbor Public Schools to offer an in-person learning option by March 1.

Pediatricians: schools must reopen now to relieve children’s suffering‘What we’re seeing is frightening because it is hard to see these faces. They are just empty,’ one pediatrician said

CDC: Schools can safely reopen even if teachers are not vaccinated for the coronavirusThe Director of the CDC says schools can safely reopen even if teachers are not vaccinated for the coronavirus.

Kids don't need Covid-19 vaccines to return to school - STATSome say that public school students need to be vaccinated against Covid-19 before they return to in-person learning. That's wrong.

January, 2021

When should UK schools reopen for all pupils? There's no simple answer | Devi SridharThe question isn’t whether schools are safe from Covid, but how we balance the risks, says professor of global public health Devi Sridhar

Fauci, addressing teachers, urges a speedy return to school.

ADMIN NOTE: This article specifically references the reopening metrics decided by the DJUSD Board of Trustees

The Ethics of Vaccinating Teachers—and Keeping Schools ClosedEducators have lobbied to be prioritized for the Covid-19 vaccine, but they've also made the ethically questionable call to continue to wait to reopen.

Infectious disease scientist with 4 kids in public schools calls for classroom reopening | WTOPA Montgomery County, Maryland, infectious disease scientist and mother with four children in the public schools says it’s time to reopen school buildings to in-person learning.

Fauci backs CDC's plan to reopen schools: 'We need to try'“It's less likely for a child to get infected in the school setting than if they were just in the community,” Fauci said.

Pediatric Infectious Disease Journal - European Society for Pediatric Infectious Diseases

SCHOOLS CLOSURES DURING THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC: A... : The Pediatric Infectious Disease JournalAn abstract is unavailable. This article is available as a PDF only.

Is it safe to send your kids to school?Health experts worry the issue has become politicized, and argue it's safer than one might think — with a catch

Pandemic puts K-12 education on downward slideU.S. K-12 schools are struggling through a difficult school year, with a significant number of children who are learning remotely becoming chronically absent, a Harvard education experts said Tuesday.

UK Children's welfare becoming 'national emergency', health experts warnA letter to the Observer calls for an urgent review of the long-term impact of lockdowns and school closures on a generation

Will Kids Be Safe When They Return to School? Will Everyone Else?A UCSF pediatrician who is researching methods to control the spread of coronavirus shares why she’s optimistic that schools can reopen safely.

Op-Ed: Public Schools Should (Almost Always) Stay OpenIt does the least harm to kids and adults

December, 2020

Fauci's 2021 COVID California forecast: School reopenings, vaccines and some normalcy by fall The nation's top infectious disease expert weighs in on what 2021 might look like amid the coronavirus pandemic.

ADMIN NOTE: Dr. Michael Osterholm is now an advisor to President Joe Biden on COVID-19 issues

Expert explains why elementary schools are allowed to reopen in JanuaryDr. Michael Osterholm explained the reasoning, and the science, behind a major change to Minnesota's Safe Learning Plan.

(Professor, Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health & Chair, Task Force on Safe Work, School & Travel for the Lancet Medical Journal, Dr. Joseph Allen)

(Former CDC Director Dr. Tom Frieden)

(Director, University College London Genetics Institute Prof. Francois Balloux)

(Assoc. Professor of Epidemiology, UCSF, Dr. Vinay Prasad)

How schools can reduce coronavirus risks to near zero, experts sayNew guidance from a group of experts at Harvard, Tufts, Boston and Brown universities says the key to opening schools safely amid the coronavirus is high-quality infection control — not community-s…

COVID task force member says kids should return to school without vaccine

Reopening Schools Before a Children’s VaccineExperts say we may not need to wait.

Fauci puts priority on getting teachers vaccinated and a return to in-person classesCSU Chancellor White and Dr. Anthony Fauci optimistic about vaccinations and reopening in 2021.

November, 2020

“Try as best as possible to keep the schools open,” Fauci saysDr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, told CNN’s Jim Sciutto on Tuesday that, even as some sites close, schools should stay open as much as possible.

Fauci: 'Close the bars and keep the schools open'

'Schools Need to Be Bolder' About Reopening, Public Health Expert SaysFear is driving too many schools to be overly cautious about providing in-person learning, says Dr. Ashish K. Jha.

Expert: Opposing school reopening shows ignorance of science. 'Shame on us' for choosing bars and gyms over schools, Ohl says.People protesting the reopening of Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools are showing a lack of understanding about science, according to Dr. Christopher Ohl, an infectious disease expert with Wake Forest Baptist Medical

October, 2020

Is the slow approach to reopening schools failing kids?Harvard Chan School’s Joseph Allen gives America an “F” on school reopening efforts, and says we’re in danger of losing thousands of virtual dropouts and wasting mild late summer/early autumn weather we could use to boost in-person learning.

Debating the Progressive Case for Opening Schools"When a teacher dies, it's a tragedy. But we have many examples where places have stayed open and there are not cases."

September, 2020

Reopening Primary Schools during the Pandemic | NEJMMedicine and Society from The New England Journal of Medicine — Reopening Primary Schools during the Pandemic

Children 'must be the priority' in Covid-19 planningEngland's Children Commissioner calls for package to tackle a "rising tide of childhood vulnerability".

August, 2020

Schools 'must come before pubs and restaurants in future'The right to an education should take priority over pubs, England's children's commissioner says.

American Academy of Pediatrics

COVID-19 Transmission and Children: The Child Is Not to Blame

July, 2020

Many public health experts say children should return to school in the fall, particularly in states like MarylandTo be sure, these experts say safety precautions will be necessary to reopen schools. But they say an assessment of risks versus benefits points to the wisdom of reopening.

Citing Educational Risks, Scientific Panel Urges That Schools ReopenYounger children in particular are ill-served by remote learning, according to a report issued by the National Academies of Science, Engineering and Medicine.

Back to school? What doctors say about children and the coronavirusEvidence suggests that children aren't as susceptible as adults to COVID-19, but the risks aren't the same for all young people.

School closures ‘a mistake’ as no teachers infected in classroomScientists are yet to find a single confirmed case of a teacher catching coronavirus from a pupil anywhere in the world, a leading epidemiologist has said.Mark Woolhouse, an infectious disease

June, 2020

1,500* paediatricians sign open letter to Prime Minister urging Government to make reopening of schools a priorityRCPCH publishes an open letter from members about the importance of a plan to reopen schools.

May, 2020

UCSF Medical Grand Rounds: The doctor is ready to send children back to school — with care - Mission LocalThe roller coaster of the scientific community’s COVID-19 pandemic response was on full display during UCSF’s 90-minute Grand Rounds Thursday afternoon,

Re-Opened Schools

February, 2021

Rhode Island Kept Its Schools Open. This Is What Happened.Some teachers and students got sick. Principals had to improvise constantly. But it worked — mostly.

New York Was the 1st Big School District to Reopen. Here’s What Happened.Elementary schools have been open for months. As the city prepares to reopen middle schools, problems remain, but there is also cause for optimism.

Many schools have reopened without White House guidance, but can be hard to track how they're teachingCBS News contacted all 50 state education boards and found only a handful of states tracking school instruction methods on a daily or weekly basis.

Nashville students to return to in-person learning starting this weekMetro Nashville Public Schools will begin to reopen in-person on Thursday, Feb. 4.

Roseville High School District Keeps 5-Day Schedule After Surveying Parents and Moving Desks

Sacramento Bee

January, 2021

Dutch primary schools to reopen in first easing of corona measures in months

New York Takes Steps Toward Reopening Middle and High Schools The city’s middle and high schools have been closed for in-person instruction since November as the result of rising coronavirus infection rates across the city.

CDC finds scant spread of coronavirus in schools with precautions in placeResearchers warn that indoor athletics, without masks and with close contact, pose danger.

Covid: Teachers 'not at higher risk' of death than averageThe highest-risk job roles were in restaurants, care work and manufacturing.

Public and private schools show a pandemic learning divideNBC News’ Rehema Ellis gets an inside look at how public and private schools are operating differently during the pandemic. Across the nation, 76% of private schools have managed to stay open for in-person learning, but only 38% of public schools have done so.

Providence Kept Classrooms Open, and the Students Came BackUnlike in many Northeastern cities, a majority of families in Rhode Island’s capital have sent their children back to school.

Data on COVID in Charleston County schools stuns doctor who crunched the numbersSome experts feared in-person school during pandemic would cause surge in cases. Data show that hasn’t happened in Charleston County.

Buried Toronto schools report sheds new light on in-class COVID data

Does reopening schools cause COVID-19 to spread? It's complicatedWhen a community reopens its schools and COVID-19 rates increase, other factors – not the reopening of schools – may still be to blame, new research finds.

Everything We Know Now About Schools, Kids, and Covid-19Researchers are finally getting good data on how severely SARS-CoV-2 affects children and how they transmit it. What does it mean for reopening classrooms?

What Does a More Contagious Virus Mean for Schools?The coronavirus variant discovered in Britain is more easily spread among children, as it is among adults. Current safeguards should protect schools, experts said, but only if strictly enforced.

Baltimore City will expand in-person learning to more schools; teachers union protests return to classroomsBaltimore is planning to reopen more schools for in-person learning despite the spike in COVID-19 cases this winter, the city schools’ leader said Tuesday.

Even after schools reopened, coronavirus cases were lowest among younger children, study saysAs some areas of the country push to reopen school buildings, a new report from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention finds that Covid-19 cases were lowest among younger children even after schools restarted for in-person learning. But to safely reopen schools, transmission in communities must be kept in check.

COVID-19 Outbreaks Aren't Driven by In-Person Classes, CDC Says

Bloomberg News, Jan 13, 2021

How Miami-Dade opened all its public schools -- and kept them openSuperintendent Alberto Carvalho believes there is no substitute for in-person learning, and he says he's been able to open the nation's fourth largest school district with confidence.

More Atlanta students opting for in-person learning than in fallAtlanta Public Schools plans to resume in-person instruction for its youngest students and some special education students starting Jan. 25.

ADMIN NOTE: We don't regularly post YouTube, Podcasts or other material, but this is a 10- minute interview with Eleni Filipattos, an organizer of the "Teachers4OpenSchools" movement. It provides a narrative of how things are going in NYC, and in her classroom, where schools have reopened

Eleni Filippatos on The Larry O'Connor Show 01.05.21 - The Larry O'Connor Show - Omny.fmListen as Larry talks with Eleni Filippatos, Public School Teacher; Teaches4OpenSchools

Fall School Reopenings Didn’t Dramatically Increase COVID-19 HospitalizationsSchool reopenings didn't translate to more hospitalizations in communities with low infection rates. But community spread is higher now.

December, 2020

Austin schools to resume for in-person learning in January; most extracurriculars suspendedAustin school district officials say classes will resume in January but most extracurricular activities are canceled to curb the spread of the coronavirus.

Are schools safe? A growing body of evidence suggests that, with the right measures, they contribute little to virus spread.School districts with contact-tracing data are finding that infected students and teachers are rarely spreading it to others when they wear masks and socially distance.

Schools Rethink Covid Rules. ‘We’re Over-Quarantining Kids Like Crazy.’Some district administrators and parents, armed with new data and fearing more disruptions caused by keeping students out of class and extracurriculars, are pushing to reconsider policies.

SF's In-Person 'Learning Hubs' Had Zero COVID-19 Outbreaks. What Does This Mean for Reopening Public Schools? | KQEDSan Francisco Mayor London Breed is touting the success of the program's first semester as a model for the potential safe reopening of the city's public schools for in-person learning, which have remained shuttered for months.

Is COVID spreading in schools? Ohio study could impact student quarantine protocolsThe study, which ended Friday, could help clarify if students who were exposed to COVID-19 while wearing masks need to quarantine.

In-person classes don’t contribute to community spread of COVID-19, report showsThe report uses data from Michigan and Washington.

Coronavirus: Infections surging, but not at Bay Area’s open schools. Here’s why.Careful monitoring seems to be preventing outbreaks, but teachers are still worried, and additional reopenings look to be unlikely.

PolitiFact - Data shows in-person learning safer than expected, not driving case spikesPolitiFact is a fact-checking website that rates the accuracy of claims by elected officials and others on its Truth-O-Meter.

Cuomo: "If the schools are safer, then leave the schools open."Albany, N.Y. (WBEN) - During a marathon COVID briefing Friday, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo was emphatic that schools, in general, should remain open unless data points to a problematic infection rate.

Coronavirus live updates: Gatherings, not school, linked to more cases in kids: CDCA pandemic of the novel coronavirus has now killed more than 1.6 million people worldwide.

Schools in San Antonio press forward with in-person learning amid new wave of COVID-19 casesThe three largest school districts in Bexar County will allow in-person learners to stay on campus as cases rise and the San Antonio Metropolitan Health District puts the school risk level at “high.”

The risk of getting coronavirus at Bay Area schools is low. So why is fear of returning still so high?

D.C. released data showing outbreaks in schools. It did not show that cases spread in classrooms.The numbers arrived amid debate over whether to reopen.

Illinois schools are not COVID-19 superspreaders, data showsIn all, there were 16 schools statewide in the past month that were identified as having experienced an outbreak of the coronavirus, according to state records. "It’s safe to keep schools open," said Dr. Daniel Johnson of University of Chicago Medical Center.

November, 2020

Positive Test Rate of 11 Percent? France’s Schools Remain Open.Many European nations have managed to flatten the coronavirus surge while keeping schools open, reducing academic and economic disruption.

Why School Districts Are Bringing Back Younger Children FirstNew York City became the highest-profile example when Mayor de Blasio said elementary schools would reopen starting Dec. 7.

The Pendulum Was Swinging Toward Reopening Schools. Then Came the Surge.Schools are safer than originally thought.

Schools Are Retreating to Remote Learning as COVID-19 Surges. Do They Have To?More districts retreat to remote learning or halt reopening, jeopardizing a widespread return to in-person learning in 2020-21.

Europe Keeps Schools Open, Not Restaurants. The U.S. Has Other Ideas.Science increasingly suggests classrooms can be kept open safely. But dining rooms pose a different problem.

In Canada, a Push to Keep Schools Open in Second LockdownLike many places in Europe — and in contrast to New York and other big American cities — school districts in Canada’s largest province and many elsewhere are finding in-class learning outweighs the risks.

October, 2020

Why schools probably aren’t COVID hotspotsYoung children are unlikely to spread the virus — but older kids are more at risk, say researchers.

Not seeing anything above? Rauthenticate

Europe’s Locked Down, but Schools Are Open“We cannot and will not allow our children and young people’s futures to be another victim of this disease,” the Irish prime minister said.

Schoolchildren Seem Unlikely to Fuel Coronavirus Surges, Scientists SayResearchers once feared that school reopenings might spread the virus through communities. But so far there is little evidence that it’s happening.

Why Is Europe Keeping Its Schools Open, Despite New Lockdowns?Europe’s latest wave of restrictions to stop the spread of coronavirus have largely avoided closing schools. We take a look at why and how they are being kept open.

Lessons From Europe, Where Cases Are Rising But Schools Are OpenAmid a new wave of coronavirus restrictions, France, the U.K. and Germany are keeping schools open. The U.S. has taken a different approach.

Surprising Results in Initial Virus Testing in N.Y.C. SchoolsThe absence of outbreaks, if it holds, suggests that the city’s efforts to return children to classrooms could serve as an influential model for the nation.

California sees no link between school reopenings and COVID-19 spreadA health official says California has not seen a link between the reopening of K-12 schools for in-person learning and increased coronavirus transmission. Dr. Mark Ghaly, the state’s top public hea…

ADMIN NOTE: This article, by Prof. Emily Oster, seems to have changed the public debate on school reopening. Much more attention was given to the subject after this article appeared.

Schools Aren’t Super-SpreadersFears from the summer appear to have been overblown.

Florida schools reopened en masse, but a surge in coronavirus didn't follow, a USA TODAY analysis findsA USA TODAY analysis shows the state’s positive case count among kids ages 5 to 17 declined through late September after a peak in July.

Are The Risks Of Reopening Schools Exaggerated?New research has found few links between in-person K-12 schooling and COVID-19 case rates. "There is not a consistent pattern," one study author said.

Inside the Schools Open Full Time Right NowWhat the data really tells us about COVID-19 transmission and safety in the classroom.

U.S. schools in suburbs, small cities reopening without COVID spike; big cities up nextU.S. schools from kindergarten to high school have avoided a spike in COVID-19 cases, early data show, but medical experts say the real test is coming as students in large densely-populated cities such as New York and Miami return to classrooms.

September, 2020

No link between schools and coronavirus infection rates, global analysis suggestsBut 711 million children globally remain out of school, the majority in lower-and middle-income countries

France eases Covid restrictions in primary schools despite rising casesFrance’s government has decided to ease rules on pre-school and primary school closures as of Tuesday, after health advisors said children were at low risk of serious illness or of transmitting the v…

Europe stays committed to in-person classes as school outbreaks remain rareSome countries have seen a few infections in primary and secondary schools, but officials say the benefits outweigh the risks.

Forget Zoom Kindergarten. Put Kids Back in School.Given everything we now know about the spread of COVID-19, there’s a strong case for reopening elementary schools. But can an appeal to the head sway the heart?

The New York City Schools That Didn’t CloseWhat can we learn from regional enrichment centers, which hastily opened just before the peak of the coronavirus pandemic?

Feared coronavirus outbreaks in schools yet to arrive, early data showsThousands of students and teachers have become sick, but there is little evidence that the virus is spreading inside school buildings.

How One District Got Its Students Back Into ClassroomsCajon Valley in California is doing something that many lower-income districts have postponed: offering in-person instruction.

Virus or not, it's time for class again across EuropePARIS (AP) — Tugging on their masks or dashing to hug long-unseen friends, millions of children returned to school across Europe and beyond Tuesday in a mass experiment aimed at bridging...

August, 2020

School openings across globe suggest ways to keep coronavirus at bay, despite outbreaksScience explores reopening strategies from South Africa to Finland to Israel

Reopened schools in Europe and Asia have largely avoided coronavirus outbreaks. They have lessons for the U.S.There is enduring worry about the susceptibility of teens.

Coronavirus: Little evidence of Covid transmission in schools, says WilliamsonThe education secretary says a new coronavirus study supports the government decision to reopen schools.

Masks, no assembly and no choir: the science behind reopening schools safelyThe data shows that most countries in the world have not seen major outbreaks as a result of reopening their education systems

July, 2020

Schools have low coronavirus infection rate, German study findsThe results showed that out of 2,045 blood samples collected from students and teachers from across 13 secondary schools in the region only 12 samples were found to contain antibodies against Covid-19.

How other countries reopened schools during COVID-19—and what the U.S. could learnWe should take cues from Uruguay, not Sweden.

June, 2020

COVID-19 in primary schools: no significant transmission among children or from students to teachers

May, 2020

Schools reopening has not triggered rise in Covid-19 cases, EU ministers toldFrance’s education minister says it is more of a risk keeping children at home

Political & School Responses

Biden wants to reopen schools. California could hold him backAlthough New York City and Chicago have reached deals to reopen schools, similar agreements in California have been elusive, jeopardizing President Biden's push to get kids back in the classroom.

The Union Leader Who Says She Can Get Teachers Back in SchoolsIn cities and suburbs where schools remain closed, teachers unions are often saying: not yet. Can Randi Weingarten change that?

Some S.F. teachers are ready to go back to the classroom. But they've been too scared to speak up until nowSome San Francisco public school teachers say distance learning is a disaster and...

Schools plan for potential of remote learning into the fallParents of schoolchildren learning from home shouldn't necessarily count on reclaiming the dining room table any time soon. After seeing two academic years thrown off course by the pandemic,...

Biden says women dropping out of workforce, closed schools are "national emergency"The president said in an exclusive interview with CBS News that the Trump administration's handling of the COVID crisis was "even more dire than we thought."

L.A. Councilman Buscaino announces plan to sue L.A. schools to reopenA planned resolution by Los Angeles Councilman Joe Buscaino would direct the city attorney to sue the Los Angeles Unified School District to reopen campuses. He says the effort would be modeled on similar litigation in San Francisco.

Newsom says vaccinating teachers is not required for safe reopening

'We have educators who are dying': Teachers still fear COVID-19, but calls to open schools grow louderEven though teachers fear for their safety, lawmakers and parents are demanding that schools take advantage of declining infection rates to open.

What Districts are Reopening Around Sacramento?

Sacramento Bee

(San Francisco Mayor London Breed)

Facts about reopening

(CNN Anchor Jake Tapper)

Illinois lawmakers call on Chicago mayor to compromise with teachers to avoid a CPS strike. But Lori Lightfoot says her patience has run out.“Our parents want to know what’s going on and ... we need to get a deal done today," the CPS chief said.

San Francisco sues its own school district, board over reopening: 'They have earned an F'San Francisco’s public schools have been shuttered for nearly 11 months, and many kids...

D.C. public schools planned to reopen Monday but weather will keep classes virtual, mayor saysMeanwhile, an arbiter’s ruling Saturday cleared the system to reopen school buildings.

California Governor and Unions Clash Over School OpeningsAn effort to reopen California schools is foundering, stoking frustrations across America’s most populous state from parents eager to get their children back in classrooms and a governor who wants them there.

Don't Call It A Comeback: School Districts That Never Opened Are Having Trouble NowAbout a third of U.S. students haven't had a single day in a classroom since March 2020. Coming back now — with the virus still spreading and teachers pushing back — hasn't been easy.

"Our schools are safe": Chicago mayor orders teachers to be in the classroom starting MondayOngoing debate rages over Chicago Public Schools and the Chicago Teachers Union amid the coronavirus pandemic.

California teachers union wants schools in ‘purple’ counties to stay closed for 100 days; vaccinations for staffThe teachers union wants most California schools to remain closed for 100 days while the state comes up with a plan to slow the spread of the virus and vaccinate school staff.

Push to reopen schools could leave out millions of studentsPresident Joe Biden says he wants most schools serving kindergarten through eighth grade to reopen by late April, but even if that happens, it is likely to leave out millions of students, many of them minorities in urban areas.

California Teachers Association wants vaccines before schools reopenThe union is calling on Gov. Gavin Newsom to improve the state vaccination rollout program to further prioritize teachers and to turn schools into vaccination sites.

Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee calls on Nashville, Memphis schools to offer in-person class by Feb. 15Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee this week spoke directly with the leaders of the state's two largest school districts in Memphis and Nashville.

USA TODAY: Biden wants to reopen schools, but teacher's unions have other ideas

The Debate Over Reopening California SchoolsFriday: Education leaders and teachers have openly criticized the state’s reopening plan. Parents and legislators are not backing down.

Newsom: California schools won't reopen 'if we wait for the perfect'The vast majority of California's 6 million public schoolchildren haven't been on campuses since March.

(CA Assemblymember Phil Ting [D- San Francisco], introducing AB10 - legislation to require schools to offer in-person learning options)

(Statement from Governors of 7 NE States)

Why most California schools won't reopen anytime soon | CalMattersState government officials, schools and teachers unions still cannot agree on a framework to reopen California’s public schools.

Chicago Teachers Strike Could Upend Reopening PlansEducators in the nation’s third-largest district have been negotiating with the city over how to reopen the schools safely amid Covid-19.

Science says schools are safe, so what’s keeping them closed?Evidence suggests that schools can be reopened without causing major coronavirus outbreaks. But there are still a number of forces keeping students out of the classroom.

S.F., Oakland and other large districts say Newsom's cash incentive to reopen schools falls shortSuperintendents from California’s largest school districts called on the state to amend an incentive plan to reopen schools and take a strong lead on how and when classrooms can bring back students.

Will California campuses reopen this school year? It depends on vaccinating teachers, infection ratesThe current school year ends June 10, and a parent group is pushing for campuses to reopen, but it depends on how quickly teachers can be vaccinated.

New Mexico Governor: Schools Will Reopen in February

New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan says the state will soon reopen schools to students of all ages.

US News & World Report

Biden Is Vowing to Reopen Schools Quickly. It Won’t Be Easy.The slow vaccine rollout, and local fights between districts and unions, could make it hard for the president to fulfill his promise.

Gov. Inslee: Asking educators to return isn't 'asking more than we've asked for our grocery clerks'Gov. Inslee believes schools in Washington state can open safely right now, and should, even before all educators and staff are able to be vaccinated.

COVID task force member says kids should return to school without vaccine

Gavin newsom says he won't compel schools to reopen if teachers' unions refuse to go back

SF Gate, Jan 8, 2021

Calls to reopen classrooms grow as teachers get vaccinatedState leaders around the U.S. are increasingly pushing for schools to reopen this winter — pressuring them, even — as teachers begin to gain access to the vaccine against the raging...

More school organizations urge revising Gov. Newsom’s reopening planSome school boards and administrators predict there’ll be few takers for extra funding due to the burdens of testing and labor negotiations.

'The science is clear': Gov. Hogan calls on every Md. school system to reopen by March 1

Gov. Ducey tells schools to end virtual classrooms or lose moneyGov. Doug Ducey says Arizona schools that have closed because of the pandemic must end virtual learning and return students to the classroom or lose money.

Newsom pushes February school reopening plan in CaliforniaThe centerpiece is a $2 billion mid-year budget request that would channel money toward getting kids back in classrooms.

Moving California teachers to the front of the vaccine line might not be enough to reopen schoolsHealth officials are expected to approve the next in line any day, meaning teachers, school staff and child care workers will get the vaccine before bus drivers, postal workers and retail clerks. But that should only happen if educators are heading back to classrooms, said many health officials, education advocates and public officials.

How D.C. and its teachers, with shifting plans and demands, failed to reopen schoolsA lack of trust between officials and the teachers union fueled failure at every turn.

As public health experts advise keeping schools open, superintendents grapple with logistics, politics, and the second wave - The Boston GlobeMany are facing pressure from frayed parents on both sides of the argument, and are choosing to take what they see as the safer path, limiting children’s time in school.

Utah will relax COVID-19 guidelines for public schools, Gov. Gary Herbert says Gov. Gary Herbert announced that the state will no longer instruct public schools to quarantine students just because they’ve been in close contact with a classmate who tests positive for COVID-19.

Baker announces coronavirus pool testing to be made available to all Massachusetts public schools - The Boston GlobeThe new testing program utilizes pool testing, which involves mixing multiple samples together, and then testing the pooled sample, rather than testing each person’s swab individually. This approach increases the number of individuals that can be tested, officials say.

School districts slow to follow New York City’s lead on reopening schoolsOfficials in other districts continue battles with unions over the science and politics of reopening or remain wedded to their own approaches — and teaching remains largely online.

Minnesota elementary schools can open January 18 for in-person instructionThe state will leave the decision to reopen to local school districts.

Schools Must Reopen - San Francisco Bay Times

Opinion by CA Assemblymember Phil Ting (D-San Francisco)

If Teachers Get the Vaccine Quickly, Can Students Get Back to School?Teachers’ unions largely support plans to put educators near the front of the line, but given availability and logistics, that might not be enough to open more schools in the spring.

Trump opens up federal dollars for private school vouchers amid pandemicThe White House said that the order would give states new flexibility in how they use federal block grant programs.

S.F. public schools don't have a timeline for reopening. But pressure is building to plan for a returnParents have been pushing the San Francisco school district for answers on reopening for months, to little avail. Politicians and public health experts deride the district and the teachers union for failing families.

Maryland schools chief urges systems to bring back small groups of students, despite virus surge“The risks to our children of keeping them closed are far greater,” said Maryland State Superintendent Karen Salmon.

'Closing schools last spring was probably a bad idea’: Amid new restrictions, Baker says he won’t close schools - The Boston GlobeGovernor Charlie Baker said Monday his administration does not plan to order schools closed because research has shown that academic buildings have not been super-spreading locations for the coronavirus.

Biden vows to reopen most schools after 1st 100 days on jobWASHINGTON (AP) — Joe Biden pledged Tuesday to bring the coronavirus pandemic under enough control to open most of the nation's schools during his first 100 days as president — going much further...

Teachers Are Wary of Returning to Class, and Online Instruction TooUnions are threatening to strike if classrooms reopen, but are also pushing to limit live remote teaching. Their demands will shape pandemic education.

San Francisco schools can reopen safely. But it will take all of the city to make it happenThe job of reopening San Francisco’s schools cannot rest solely on the district’s shoulders. The district must spell out exactly what it needs to safely welcome children back to classrooms, and the city must help achieve it.

Gov. Kate Brown changes course, allows local districts to decide on opening schoolsThe governor said it'll be up to local districts and schools to decide whether or not to reopen.

Washington state urges schools phase in classroom learningSEATTLE (AP) — Washington Gov. Jay Inslee is loosening school reopening guidelines amid...

‘State-sanctioned segregation’: California’s school closure debate boils overLeaders in the governor's own party are turning on him, saying the status quo has left the state with crisis-level inequity.

Baker instructs schools to reopen classrooms, even in communities with surging COVID-19 cases - The Boston GlobeLamenting that too many Massachusetts communities have their kids learning remotely, Governor Charlie Baker said Friday that the state was upgrading its metrics for determining COVID-19 transmission risks, with an eye toward getting more students back in classrooms.

Mayor Lightfoot Defends Decision to Bring CPS Students Back to ClassroomsChicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot defended the decision to bring Chicago Public Schools students back to classrooms beginning next year even as coronavirus cases continue to spike, prompting new mitigations across the state.

Statement by Mayors of CA's 13 Largest Cities

"When the history of this pandemic is written, it will reveal that school shutdowns imposed far greater harms to our children than COVID-19 ever did--particularly for children from low-income families. The lost years of education, mental and emotional anguish, social isolation, limited access to exercise, play, and nutritious food will have impacts that will be felt for a generation, and we need a statewide commitment to get our schools open safely,”

School reopening plans linked to politics rather than public healthIs partisanship playing a role in school reopening?

Distance Learning / Closed Schools

February, 2021

Their teen killed himself. Now they want to save others struggling during the pandemic.“Covid’s not just killing people by the disease. It’s killing people by depression and suicide,” Dylan Buckner’s father said, adding that no one should feel ashamed if they need help.

Child Psychiatrists Warn That The Pandemic May Be Driving Up Kids' Suicide Risk — NPRA cluster of suicides in Las Vegas, plus a troubling rise in youth suicide attempts observed in ERs nationwide, is raising fears that the pandemic is fueling a children's mental health crisis.

What impact is 'the COVID slide' having on students?The questions around when to re-open more schools for in-person classes remains front and center for millions of Americans. Data show about 42 percent of all students between kindergarten and high school are in virtual-only schooling right now. Christopher Morphew, dean of the School of Education at Johns Hopkins University, joins Stephanie Sy to discuss.

Students' mental health deteriorating during pandemicStuck at home and glued to screens, students face anxiety, depression and even abuse, experts say

Coronavirus doctor's diary: We're getting self-harming 10-year-olds in A&EMore children are self-harming or taking overdoses, and at younger ages, says doctor John Wright.

January, 2021

S.F. schools see learning gaps widen during pandemicLearning gaps are widening in San Francisco’s school district as the pandemic wears on....

Covid-19 Pandemic Takes Social and Emotional Toll on Washington's Youngest Learners

Seattle Times

Covid: The devastating toll of the pandemic on childrenThe virus poses little risk to them, but young people are being harmed in many other ways.

Longer days and Saturday classes: States explore costly ways to heal learning lossEducators and state policymakers say recovering from a year of disrupted class time will be costly and time-consuming.

Your kid might not return to a classroom this year. Are teachers unions to blame?President Biden's team must tackle the politics of school reopening: Research suggests it's safe, but teachers unions are wary and parents are complaining.

Not seeing anything above? Reauthenticate

Debate over reopening schools rages as CDC finds low COVID-19 spread if precautions takenThe CDC announced there's little evidence of coronavirus transmission in schools if precautions are followed.

Initial data for California confirm early grades, low-income children hit hardest by ‘learning loss’A study of 50,000 students from 18 districts reaffirm that those who have traditionally struggled fell farther behind academically.

Coronavirus: California data show substantial learning loss, inequityStudy based on STAR and MAP assessment scores in 18 California school districts from fall 2020 and prior years.

Analysis: The reckoning over the nation's schools and Covid is comingThe national reckoning over where and how schoolchildren should be educated as the pandemic drags on is finally here -- or at least it should be.

California public schools suffer record enrollment drop | CalMattersThe COVID-19 pandemic has led to a record one-year enrollment drop of 155,000 students at California public schools, per state projections.

Experts Express Concerns Over Mental Health Of Some Kids In The PandemicA year into the pandemic, emergency rooms nationwide are seeing a rise in kids experiencing mental health crises. Educators and doctors are concerned that many of those kids are turning to suicide.

Surge of Student Suicides Pushes Las Vegas Schools to ReopenFirmly linking teen suicides to school closings is difficult, but rising mental health emergencies and suicide rates point to the toll the pandemic lockdown is taking.

Failing grades spike in Virginia’s largest school system as online learning gap emerges nationwideThe most vulnerable students in Fairfax County — those with disabilities and English learners — are struggling the most.

Parents With Disabilities Face Extra Hurdles With Kids' Remote SchoolingParents with disabilities often face extra issues with remote learning. A deaf mom whose first language is American Sign Language is navigating the challenge of monitoring her hearing child's work.

'This is too much': Art shows children's struggles during COVID-19 pandemic - CityNews Toronto

Partly hidden by isolation, many of the nation’s schoolchildren struggle with mental healthThe pandemic makes it harder for students and counselors to address mental health problems.

Parents' stress and depression 'rise during lockdowns'Many parents struggle to meet their children's needs during the pandemic, say researchers.

For schoolchildren struggling to read, COVID-19 has been a wrecking ball - The Boston GlobeKids in need of remedial reading support were already vulnerable before the pandemic. Now they’re facing educational ruin.

'I've Tried Everything': Pandemic Worsens Child Mental Health CrisisWhen schools closed last spring, children with severe mental illnesses were cut off from the services they'd come to rely on. Many have since spiraled into emergency rooms and even police custody.

Children’s Screen Time Has Soared in the Pandemic, Alarming Parents and Researchers“There will be a period of epic withdrawal,” warned one addiction specialist, once schools, activities and social life return to normal.

Portland doctors see physical, mental toll of coronavirus pandemic on young people Portland doctors are concerned about a trend toward unhealthy coping mechanisms they are seeing in young patients.

Haspel & Thornton: Every State & District Needs to Create a Learning Recovery Task Force — Now. Here Are Some Reasons WhyThe damage wrought to American education by the COVID-19 pandemic beggars description, and so we are reduced to metaphor: Schools have been hit by an earthquake, a hurricane, a war. There is a need for disaster relief for children who have lost precious time in school and are traumatized by the effects of COVID-19 on […]

What It’s Like to Attend School on a PhoneFrom the basement apartment she shares with her mom, Taniya Ria is one of tens of thousands of students who spent time trying to navigate remote learning on a phone.

Covid-19 worsened an already dire childhood obesity epidemicTwo pediatricians fighting the childhood obesity epidemic say the weight gain they are seeing in kids during the Covid-19 pandemic is neither trivial nor can it wait -- and kids from Black and Brown communities have been disproportionately affected.

Jordan’s story: Isolated, anxious and failing online classes, an 11-year-old Texas boy considered suicideMonths of remote learning were hard on the Frisco ISD student. Like other schoolchildren across the state, he experienced mental health issues, in large part due to social isolation during the pandemic.

1 in 5 Newark Public Schools students were chronically absent this fallAbout 22% of district students were chronically absent from September through November. Teachers say even more students missed class but were marked present.

U.S. Department of Education Launches Civil Rights Investigation Over Seattle's Special Education Services During Pandemic

Seattle Times, Jan 12, 2021

Children's mental health referrals hit record high as lockdowns and school closures bite Royal College of Psychiatrists says situation threatens crisis that could plague children’s mental health for years to come

13,000 School Districts, 13,000 Approaches to Teaching During CovidTo assess how public schools have navigated the pandemic and the impact on students, The Times examined seven representative districts. The answers were strikingly different.

In Los Angeles, Teachers and Students Struggle With ‘No Human Contact’The nation’s second-largest district has kept classrooms closed since March. The superintendent acknowledges it is “disproportionately hurting students who can least afford it.”

Parents having to wait weeks to seek mental help for their kidsChildren are experiencing isolation and feelings of depression and anxiety but it is difficult for parents to get them professional help in a timely manner.

Why America has done such a poor job of keeping schools openHow a cocktail of knee-jerk partisanship, local control and Donald Trump have conspired against school-age children

What it’s like to learn online from inside a homeless shelterIt is easier than ever for homeless children to slip through cracks in the educational system.

76,000 struggling students will be asked to return to schoolParents soon will receive letters saying their children are failing with virtual learning during the COVID pandemic, It's still up to parents whether their children continue their educations at home.

New data show more San Diego Unified students are failing, receiving “in progress” gradesParents' group points out 1,000 more high school students failed a course than at same time last year

More than 10,000 North Carolina students unaccounted for At least 10,000 North Carolina public school students are unaccounted for amid the coronavirus pandemic.

December, 2020

Westchester Parents Concerned by Steady Decline in Children's Mental HealthWestchester parents said children's behavior has changed.

Facing a spike in Fs, winter break isn't a vacation for many teachers and studentsTeachers are used to going the extra mile. But the pandemic has made it hard to reach struggling students, even as a last-minute grading policy change offers a lifeline.

Newsom acknowledges shortfalls in special education services during pandemicThe pandemic has presented problems for many of California’s nearly 800,000 students with special needs.

A Quiet And 'Unsettling' Pandemic Toll: Students Who've Fallen Off The Grid"People don't realize how much we need to see these kids," says one teacher, noting they're often the first to see signs of child abuse or food insecurity. The problem spans rural and urban areas.

Schools Face A Massive Challenge To Make Up For Learning Lost During The PandemicFormer Education Secretary John King Jr. thinks a national tutoring program would help students make up for lost learning during the pandemic. He talked with NPR about the challenges facing schools.

How the Pandemic Has Been Devastating for Children From Low-Income FamiliesIn communities struggling with poverty and gun violence, the coronavirus has only inflamed the difficulties that many families already were enduring.

'We've left behind the children': the countries where schools have been closed the longest Experts say that while children in rich countries are mainly back in school despite Covid, those from poorer countries are generally not

Amid the pandemic, exodus from America’s public schoolsFamilies are fleeing public schools across America — because those schools, especially union-dominated ones, have failed children so horribly in the face of the pandemic. Data collected from 33 sta…

Calls keep soaring at Philly and national crisis hotlines: ‘It spiked and hasn’t stopped’The steady increase in people reaching out to crisis hotlines and text lines across the country sends a sobering message about the overall impact of the pandemic on mental health.

Disadvantaged Students More Likely to Be Learning Remotely, Study FindsResearch from Columbia University suggests that less effective instruction will widen the achievement gap.

As pandemic grinds on, Texas students increasingly feel alone and scared, and some are thinking about suicide

Remote learning risks widening the achievement gap for disadvantaged U.S. students.

Some New Mexico students go to Texas for in-person educationNew Mexico schools have ranked at the bottom for years and parents, lawmakers and others are concerned the state is worse off now with no in-person learning due to the pandemic.

Affluent Families Ditch Public Schools, Widening US Inequality

Bloomberg News

Failing grades are way up in the Twin Cities’ public schools, especially for students of colorBecause of the coronavirus pandemic and distance learning, failing grades--and racial disparities--are rising in Minneapolis and St. Paul public schools.

Los Angeles: The County That Cried Wolf On SchoolsIf L.A. County had allowed schools to open this fall, it would have preserved the option to close schools in an actual crisis, shocking the community into action. But throughout the summer and fall, L.A. County cried wolf.

Akron, Summit County schools see increase in failing grades amid pandemic and remote learning“This should be an alarm for us."

Public Schools Face Funding ‘Death Spiral’ as Enrollment DropsCongress is sending more relief money to schools, but coronavirus-related costs and declining state funding tied to student enrollment are driving districts toward a financial crisis.

US public school enrollment dips as virus disrupts educationFearful of sending her two children back to school as the coronavirus pandemic raged in Mississippi, Angela Atkins decided to give virtual learning a chance this fall. Almost immediately, it...

Low-income students lose ground

Youth suicides on the Eastern Plains spark political protest, “7 is too many” social media campaignTeens are criticizing Gov. Polis’ policies, but mental health experts say it’s too simple to blame the suicide deaths solely on the pandemic

Shutting schools has hit poor American children’s learningEvidence is trickling in that this year’s cohort have fallen behind

L.A. teachers surveyed express dismal views of distance learningA recent survey of Los Angeles public school teachers showed their dim view of distance learning nine months into the pandemic shutdown

The Concerning Case of Cleveland’s No-Show Students: More Than 8,000 Kids Are Missing From City’s Online Classes as Absenteeism Rates Double

New Mexico probes for pandemic's 'missing students' Public education officials are presenting the results of a survey about students who have disappeared from New Mexico public schools without explanation during the pandemic, in which nearly all teaching has been conducted online.

An overwhelming toll: What America’s children have lost during the pandemic“We’re going to almost need a New Deal for an entire generation of kids to give them the opportunity to catch up,” one advocate said.

State superintendent on Michigan enrollment drop: 13,000 students ‘are a significant concern’Michigan’s public school enrollment is down by 53,000 students this school year.

Students are falling behind in online school. Where's the COVID-19 'disaster plan' to catch them up?Students nationwide are falling behind and teachers are stressed as schools go online. But there's still no grand plan to improve virtual learning.

As teen suicides rock local sports communities, concerns grow over athletes’ mental healthThe absence of sports has left many youth athletes isolated. In some cases, it has led to tragedy.

More than 1 in 5 Portland high schoolers did not complete at least one course in the fall quarterPortland Public Schools had a slight bump in the number of high schoolers who earned failing grades and dispatched counselors, social workers and substitute teachers to help students get back on track.

In Virtual School, More Oregon Kids Are Getting "Incompletes" On Their Report CardsAttendance and grading data show gaps widening for BIPOC students

Students' Reading Losses Could Strain Schools' Capacity to Help Them Catch UpPhonemic awareness, letter sounds, and other early reading skills took a big hit during the pandemic, a new study finds.

Failed by distance learning, more students plan to return to schoolSchools are trying to persuade parents that schools are safe places in the age of COVID-19 and that online learning may not be their best option.

Nearly a quarter of Boston public high school students not logging into classes daily as course failure rates rise - The Boston GlobeAmong students in grades 6-12, failure rates for the first academic quarter, which concluded last month, jumped to 18 percent in English, from 12.4 percent the previous year. Increases in failure rates in other subjects were similar.

The ‘COVID slide’: More South Florida students are failingMore South Florida students are getting F's on their report cards and performing poorly district assessments, especially math, according to data.

All-remote learning is failing many students all across the country: "These children are struggling"New studies suggest the disruption to in-person education is taking a heavy toll, from higher rates of failing grades to increased mental health incidents

Suit Filed Against LAUSD on Behalf of Students with Special Needs | Alliance for Children's RightsSchool closures have disrupted education for all of our children. But for vulnerable students with special needs, distance learning is impossible—resulting in learning loss, emotional damage, and irreparable harm, leaving families struggling to address one of the most fundamental needs of the ch ...

The empty gradebook: As students struggle with remote learning, teachers grapple with FsMore students are failing classes. But teachers say they’ve tried to keep an even larger number from falling off track.

Here’s how many more students have left Salt Lake City schools, likely due to online learningHundreds of students have left the Salt Lake City School District just since October, with an enrollment drop of 300.

San Diego County Students Are Failing Classes At Higher Rates Amid PandemicEarly numbers from some large districts in the county show a jump in D's and F's during the first full semester of distance learning.

‘A lost generation’: Surge of research reveals students sliding backward, most vulnerable worst affectedHardest hit are Black, Hispanic, low-income students and children with disabilities.

When Covid-19 closed schools, Black, Hispanic and poor kids took biggest hit in math, readingAn analysis of 4.4 million student test scores showed most children fell short in math — and the most vulnerable students likely fell further behind.

ER visits, long waits climb for kids in mental health crisisWhen children and teens are overwhelmed with anxiety, depression or thoughts of self-harm, they often wait days in emergency rooms because there aren’t enough psychiatric beds. The problem...

Schools confront 'off the rails' numbers of failing gradesThe first report cards of the school year are arriving with many more Fs than usual in a dismal sign of the struggles students are experiencing with distance learning. School districts from...

Even beloved public schools may lose students foreverEnrollment has fallen at schools across the country as virtual tuition takes a toll. That could spell future financial difficulties for districts as well as trouble for students.

This entire second-grade D.C. class fell behind in reading. Now what?In a critical year for the young students, the achievement gaps are widening.

California is failing to provide free and equal education to all during pandemic, suit allegesCalifornia has failed during the COVID-19 pandemic to provide a free and equal education for all California students, violating the state Constitution, according to a lawsuit.

November, 2020

Illinois teachers say COVID-19 struggles are mounting and they’re ‘acutely worried about the safety and well-being’ of studentsTeachers say they're working longer hours but worry their lessons aren't as “engaging and rigorous.”

Unseen risk of COVID-19 and children: Anxiety, depression and suicideEmergency room visits for mental health issues have skyrocketed since the COVID-19 pandemic began. And doctors say the very rules to keep people safe from the virus are doing great damage when it c…

U.S. public school enrollment drops as parents, frustrated by lockdown, pull their children out.

Remote school is leaving children sad and angryThe Washington Post asked parents nationwide to share stories and artwork produced by youths participating in the home-school experiment.

Schools are seeing COVID-19 cases in South Florida — but little spread among studentsWhile COVID-19 has upended many students’ education, due to quarantines and an erratic mix of in-person and remote learning, it’s not creating as many health concerns as feared, district officials said.

School districts saw unprecedented drop in enrollment during pandemicAs school started this fall during the pandemic, some of the largest school districts saw an unprecedented decrease in student enrollment. Sharyn Alfonsi reports on how districts mobilized to get kids in school this fall.

Mental Health–Related Emergency Department Visits Among ...This report describes the proportion of children’s mental health-related emergency department visits among all pediatric emergency department visits.

‘Remote Learning Is Not Working’: Shutdown Hurts Children, Parents SayAs schools close again, frustrated and angry parents say the decision does not make the city safer.

Disappointing grades, technology glitches and glimpses of learning funFirst report cards of this most unusual school year jolted many of the families participating in EdSource’s special project to chronicle how families are coping. For many, lower-than-expected grades just reinforced how much they are struggling with learning from home.

Many Texas families say remote learning isn’t working and they want it fixedA summer of delay and inconsistency from state political and education leaders left Texas schools little time to prepare for an academic year with millions of students learning from home. Now many of those kids are failing through no fault of their own.

Families jump to private schools as coronavirus drags onAs the coronavirus crisis continues on through the fall, more families are considering a switch to independent schools, despite the cost.

Distance learning report: Carlsbad Unified giving out more than 300% more 'F' grades"A" grades are down nearly five percentage points. "F" grades have gone from 787 last year to 3,239 this year, which is an increase of over 300%.

Who's learning at school and who isn't? Data show private-public school divide in San Diego CountyLess than a third of San Diego County students are attending school in-person to some degree, while 84 percent of private school students are

Are We Losing a Generation of Children to Remote Learning?Leaving children to teach themselves from a sofa might be the greatest untold tragedy of the pandemic.

Mid-semester, many L.A. students are drifting, beset with anxiety and struggling in class During the COVID-19 pandemic, teachers are being tested like never before. Many students are drifting, struggling with anxiety and are bedeviled by bad internet connections.

Ds and Fs surge, attendance slips among L.A.’s poorest students amid distance learningFailing grades among Los Angeles middle and high school students in L.A.'s poorest neighborhoods are much higher, compared with last year.

October, 2020

Report Estimates 1 to 3 Million Students Missing From School Since March, But Data on Disrupted Learning is ‘At Best a Moving Target’

In D.C., achievement gap widens, early literacy progress declines during pandemic, data showCity officials originally released inaccurate data showing learning loss among kindergartners.

How Parents of K-12 Students View Online LearningAs school districts across the United States continue to grapple with the best way to provide instruction amid the coronavirus outbreak, most parents of students in K-12 schools express concern about their children falling behind in school because of disruptions caused by the pandemic.

Davis Joint Unified School District Enrollment Down, Pandemic Partially To BlameFewer schools in person inadvertently may mean fewer students sticking around. Schools in Davis are reporting an enrollment drop since last year, with the pandemic partially to blame.

The Failure of K-12 Remote Learning Education in California - California GlobeWith California school districts being two months in to a new semester of COVID-19 forced distance learning, many educators, parents, students, and

Online learning contributes to 5% drop in Berkeley public school enrollmentFed up with distance learning, a few Berkeley families are finding alternative ways to educate their children, including leaving the state.

As Schools Go Remote, Finding ‘Lost’ Students Gets HarderEarly data for the new school year suggests that attendance in virtual classrooms is down, possibly because students are working or caring for siblings.

CPS Enrollment Drops By 15K Students Amid Pandemic, Remote LearningThe school district announced Friday morning that its citywide enrollment had fallen from 355,156 in the 2019-20 school year to 340,658 this year.

Enrollment Is Dropping In Public Schools Around the CountryMany parents appear to be keeping their children out of public school, especially from kindergarten. The declines could mean less state funding for school districts.

Private Schools Hold New Attraction for Rich ParentsSchools offering in-person teaching are seeing a rise in applications — even when tuition is $50,000 a year or more.

Zoom School's Mental Health Toll on Kids

Academic and social development are likely to slip during online learning for many students.

American Psychological Association, Oct 13, 2020

This Devastating School YearWhat might this period of prolonged remote learning mean for kids?

September, 2020

Waiting lists for home-school programs as parents grow weary of distance learningHome-schooling programs have seen a surge of interest since campuses closed in March. Parents are looking for flexibility and control.

Few California public schools pursuing elementary waivers | CalMattersAlmost every waiver application for in-person instruction for grades K-6 has been approved by the state for schools in counties deemed a high risk.

August, 2020

What Happens When Private Schools Reopen and Public Schools Don't?Some experts say this school year will reveal an educational divide "like we’ve never seen before"

The American school year is a mess — so these families decided to move abroadAs September looms and U.S. case numbers of the novel coronavirus continue to climb, second passports have given some kids a chance for in-person schooling.

The Black-White Wealth Gap Will Widen Educational Disparities During the Coronavirus Pandemic - Center for American ProgressLess wealth makes it more difficult for African American parents to get reliable access to the internet and devices for remote learning.

A 'generational catastrophe': 24 million children will never return to school post-Covid, UN warnsSchool closures 'could waste untold human potential, undermine decades of progress, and exacerbate inequalities'

Perspective | Remote school is putting kids under toxic stressOur pediatric patients are suffering. We need a way to open schools safely.

'Everyone’s Freaked Out': Parents Across the U.S. Are Agonizing About the Fate of Public SchoolsThe absence of a national strategy to reopen schools safely has led parents with financial resources to seek alternatives to public schools.

July, 2020

The Coronavirus Seems to Spare Most Kids From Illness, but Its Effect on Their Mental Health Is Deepening"Nobody is immune to the stress that comes with a pandemic, but children may be at a particular risk"

'Some People Will Think That I'm Crazy': Parents Move Out Of State, Change Schools To Get Kids Back Into Classrooms For FallLAUSD has not yet released any information on childcare for working families this upcoming school year, but Superintendent Austin Beutner has said it was going to be part of the district's plans.

Why Online Learning Is Failing Our Nation’s Most Vulnerable StudentsWhen the Lawrence Township, New Jersey School District began distance learning in March due to Covid-19, Shannon Morales, a single mother of three young daughters — in the first, second and fourth grades— faced a difficult dilemma.

June, 2020

How did America’s remote-learning experiment really go?Surveys of teachers and parent validated fears that remote learning would exacerbate inequities. Still, most parents gave their children’s schools high marks.

Why a Pediatric Group Is Pushing to Reopen Schools This FallGuidelines from the American Academy of Pediatrics encourage “having students physically present in school.” Dr. Sean O’Leary, an author of that advice, explains why.

Research Shows Students Falling Months Behind During Virus DisruptionsThe abrupt switch to remote learning wiped out academic gains for many students in America, and widened racial and economic gaps. Catching up in the fall won’t be easy.

The Results Are In for Remote Learning: It Didn’t WorkThe pandemic forced schools into a crash course in online education. Problems piled up, including lack of access to technology and trouble keeping students and teachers connected.

May, 2020

Will Months of Remote Learning Worsen Students' Attention Problems?Many children have trouble concentrating on school work, but problems with sitting still, focusing, or organization are especially hard for some—and experts predict the disruption and stress of the pandemic will make it worse.

April, 2020

Online School Demands More of Teachers. Unions Are Pushing Back.Educators say they want to teach from home during the pandemic, but are fighting to limit work hours and counter demands that they consider unreasonable.

At Height of the 1918 Pandemic, NYC and Chicago Schools Stayed Open. Here's WhyAmid fierce controversy, public health officials in both cities decided children would be better off in classrooms.

Editorials, Opinions and Letters

February, 2021

Seattle Times

A Lost Generation of Learners

Wall Street Journal

Opinion | Where’s Biden on Opening Schools?So far he’s buckling to the unions that won’t return to classrooms.

The Hill

Biden's Education secretary must seize the bully pulpit — and quicklyAdvocates have watched, with increasing despair, isolated kids being jerked around by school districts that are failing in their central responsibility.

Wall Street Journal

Opinion | The Tragedy of the SchoolsMany parents are losing faith in their closed public schools—and are looking for alternatives.

Wall Street Journal

Opinion | Catholic Schools Are Beating CovidWill Joe Biden speak up for those he credits with making him the man he is today?

Washington Post

Opinion | Public education’s two afflictions: Covid-19 and teachers unionsUnions prioritize ideological goals over science and children’s health.

January, 2021

Los Angeles Times

Editorial: To get vaccine priority, teachers should agree to return to the classroomTeachers, rightly, are high priority for vaccines. But even vaccination isn't enough to make some teachers unions ready to return to campuses.

San Francisco Chronicle

Editorial: What's keeping California's schools closedThe union’s hard line that teachers can’t return to classrooms until they’re...

Yahoo!

Teachers' unions should just admit they don't want to come back to school until the pandemic is overPolitically powerful teachers' unions should just say it: "We're not going back to school, and you can't make us."

Oregonian

Editorial: Gov. Brown must ensure teachers’ vaccines lead to schools reopeningNo matter how compelling the reasons, Gov. Brown's decision to prioritize teachers for vaccines sold out older Oregonians. She must take responsibility for ensuring that schools reopen or risk selling out younger Oregonians as well, the editorial board writes.

Bloomberg

Opinion: Covid is Making the Case for More School Choice

Bashing teachers unions (and they deserve it) for ignoring children isn't going to reopen classrooms. Shifting power to parents just might.

City Journal

Don’t Wait to Reopen Schools | City JournalAbundant evidence makes clear that in-person learning poses little health risk—and that keeping children home is doing serious damage to them, their parents, and the economy.

EdSource

COMMENTARY: The perilous politics of opening California schoolsMany parents are calling for a safe and swift return to live in-person instruction as soon as possible.

Bloomberg

Opinion: Teachers Make it Tough on Biden to Revive Unions

The refusal to reopen schools despite the proof that they're safe will linger in the minds of parents.

San Francisco Chronicle

How San Francisco's school board is infected by politicsThe SFUSD board’s incompetence isn’t just impacting San Francisco’s kids — it’s...

San Francisco Chronicle

Editorial: San Francisco's school board in name onlyThe trouble is that the board and its emissaries have treated great and minor figures and...

New York Times

Opinion | Children Need to Be Back in School TomorrowTeacher resistance is a disaster for the most vulnerable.

Chicago Sun-Times

Teachers, do what’s best for your profession and your students and vote ‘no’ on a strikeTo vote in favor of an effective strike could lead to disaster during the pandemic for public education in Chicago.

Washington Post

Opinion | The covid-19 danger does not lie in the classroom, but in the communityHalt the community spread, and schools can be safe.

Education Week

We Are Pediatricians. Here's How to Reopen Schools Safely (Opinion)A partnership between North Carolina school districts and pediatric researchers from Duke University offers guidance for reopening schools.

Washington Post

Opinion | Fairfax County should open schools or stop vaccinating teachersIt’s time to open the schools full time or get new administrators. Really, we should do both.

Bloomberg

School Reopenings are Biden's First Big Test

There's little risk of coronavirus transmission in classrooms. There's immense risk for students stuck at home.

Education Post

I’m Glad To Be Back in the Classroom. My Students Need Me.November 12th was our first day of school in-person since March of last year. On my drive to school, I was excited and grateful—thinking about

Atlantic

The Whole Truth About Kids, School, and COVID-19We’ve known for months that young children are less susceptible to serious infection and less likely to transmit the coronavirus. Let’s act like it.

Seattle Times

A Needed Legislative Push to get Kids Back in Classrooms

Seattle Times Editorial Board

Baltimore Sun

’Virtual’ school is ‘almost’ school, and that’s not good enough | COMMENTARYTrue to its name, virtual school is almost school. And in a city as long-troubled as Baltimore, almost school isn’t enough. It is, instead, another deprivation.

Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA)

To Spread or Not to Spread SARS-CoV-2—Is That the Question?The severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) pandemic has upended society in many ways. The tragic and rising number of deaths we continue to see throughout the world, the overloaded hospitals, the devastated economies1—all of these appropriately garner daily front-page...

Washington Post

Opinion | Teachers are vital public servants. Time for them to start acting like it.All of those other public servants who we can’t do without have been back on the job for months or never left.

CalMatters

Newsom, Legislature must urgently prioritize kids and reopen schools | CalMattersWe cannot afford to wait any longer to address the impact the shutdown is having on kids – our leaders must work together to safely reopen schools now.

Seattle Times

We are ready to get students back in classrooms

The Executive Director of the Washington Association of School Administrators, representing 1,600 school Superintendents, Administrators and Principals makes the case that students can safely return to campus.

Marin Independent Journal

Editorial: Governor should push forward on school reopenings in some parts of the stateNewsom needs to spend more time getting California kids back to school – and less time appeasing the school establishment, which seems most intent on using the pandemic to secure public dollars.

Washington Post

Opinion | Montgomery schools are failing minority studentsSchools are a safe and necessary place for children.

San Francisco Examiner

UCSF health professionals call for February 1st school reopening - The San Francisco ExaminerBy Dr. Jeanne Noble and other UCSF department leaders

Chicago Tribune

Editorial: A plea to Chicago teachers: Your kids need you. Show up.Teachers must decouple from CTU’s self-serving, reckless agenda and show their commitment to their students with a singular, vital act—showing up for work.

Richmond Times-Dispatch

Siobhan Dunnavant, Joe Morrissey and Chap Petersen column: It's time to open Virginia's schoolsBy Siobhan Dunnavant, Joe Morrissey and Chap Petersen

Baltimore Sun

Mandate masks, not metrics, to reopen Maryland schools | COMMENTARYThose who argue schools should remain closed claim they are protecting the well-being of teachers and students, but they simply do not have the evidence on their side.

Telegraph (UK)

ADMIN NOTE: The UK Closed its schools again on Jan 4th, until Feb 15th, after having them open as normal during the fall. It is/was a hugely controversial move, and by Jan 27th, PM Johnson had stated he planed to reopen schools by March 8th; meanwhile, schools in CA have been closed for 300 days as of Jan 6th

With schools closed again, have we written off a generation?Our children face untold psychological damage now that the classroom, with its daily routine and stimulation, is once again off limits

Washington Post

Perspective | Yes, there’s risk in opening schools. But we can find ways to manage it.Children can transmit the virus, but education is too important to keep all-remote.

Oregonian

Opinion: Put kids’ needs first by opening schoolsAs pediatricians, we have dedicated ourselves to ensuring the health and well-being of children and adolescents, write Drs. Ben Hoffman and Alex Foster from OHSU. Not only do kids need schools to reopen, but returning to in-person school can be done in a way that minimizes the risks to them and to school staff.

Telegraph (UK)

Children’s lives can’t be put on hold while we wait for vaccinationWe cannot furlough young people’s learning or their wider development

December, 2020

San Francisco Chronicle

Editorial: Newsom offering a sensible incentive to reopen schoolsNewsom’s $2 billion plan to restart schools should help end the delays over bringing students back to class.

Washington Post

Opinion | Yes, the new variant of coronavirus is alarming. But kids should stay in school.The science is clear: Kids are just not as much at risk.

Los Angeles Times

Editorial: Helping poor schools reopenWithout a mandate from Sacramento that requires schools to reopen when infection rates are low enough, rather than encouraging them to, many will stay closed.

Chicago Sun Times

Move forward with reopening schools come JanuaryThe Chicago Teachers Union has tried twice before the state labor board as it sought to stop a reopening. CTU insists that the reopening plan is unsafe, but where’s the science to back that up?

Chicago Sun-Times

As medical doctors, we believe reopening Chicago’s schools is essential and safeWe cannot understate the serious psychological harm that prolonged virtual school has had on many children.

Mercury News

Opinion: Oakland must negotiate schools reopening plan immediatelyKeeping schools closed poses a major risk to kids’ health and wellbeing.

Chicago Tribune

Editorial: CTU and embarrassing conduct. When will teachers rise up?This week CTU tweeted, “The push to reopen schools is rooted in sexism, racism, and misogyny.” With that single sentence, CTU blew a gaping hole in its own credibility.

STAT

Let's put the straw man of pandemic denial out of his misery - STATClaims that pandemic denial is widespread are wrong. Most Americans understand the threat posed by Covid-19, and are taking precautions.

Oregonian

Editorial: Gov. Brown must put schools on path to in-person instructionWith increasing research showing that schools aren't superspreaders of COVID-19, Gov. Brown should lead the way in pushing for schools to open as soon as January for in-person instruction of Oregon's youngest students, as Washington's governor did last week.

Los Angeles Times

Editorial: Teachers say remote learning is even less than it's cracked up to beHow is remote education working? Just ask the people who know best: L.A. Unified teachers, who in a survey speak to a downright depressing scenario of missed classes and poor learning outcomes.

Atlantic

Why British Kids Went Back to School, and American Kids Did NotDragging pandemic policy into the culture war has been a disaster for the U.S., particularly its children.

Yahoo! News

The coronavirus closed schools. Our diseased politics is keeping them closed.Evidence is already emerging that online learning is leading to an education gap, one that is almost certainly growing wider by the week.

Las Vegas Review Journal

EDITORIAL: Nation’s Report Card delayedThe nation’s schools won’t be getting their report cards next year.

Boston Globe

Let public health expertise guide school reopenings - The Boston GlobeAs long as schools are taking adequate safety precautions, superintendents should continue steadily reopening school systems.

Brunswick News

Continuing education during COVID-19There’s no doubt that the COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted childhood education. In many countries, kids have physically returned to school. In others, schools were never closed. Yet in the United

Hampshire Gazette

Christine McKiernan, Joeli Hettler and Mary-Alice Abbott: Schools are essential We are regional leaders in pediatrics who care for the children and teenagers of western Massachusetts. We hold open the doors of Baystate’s Pediatric Emergency Department, Pediatric Intensive Care Unit, and Childrens’ Specialty Center. In our roles...

Wisconsin State Journal

Dr. Anthony Fauci sends a message to Wisconsin schoolsOUR VIEW: Students need in-person classes to stop the COVID-19 slide in learning

Davis (CA) Enterprise

Commentary: We should be talking about reopening schoolsBy Mike Creedon Special to The Enterprise As physicians, public health experts, educators and parents, we are calling on parents to join the Davis Joint Unified School District Parent Coalition to demand the DJUSD Board rapidly adopt a plan to provide an in-person learning option for all students, w

Buffalo News

The Editorial Board: As Albany makes it easier to reopen schools, Buffalo’s Cash needs to seize the momentIn Buffalo and elsewhere, districts should do everything possible to be ready to bring back students, writes The News' Editorial Board.

Santa Cruz Sentinel

Editorial | Open schools once it’s reasonably safe to do soThe implications of closed schools will be felt for a generation. Without a doubt, scores of students, from early grades to high school seniors, have fallen behind and it will take years to catch u…

Los Angeles Times

Editorial: Kids are hurting. Reopen California schools as soon as COVID rates dropA mass reopening of California schools with COVID-19 levels where they are is impossible. But it's time to start planning for reopening.

Detroit News

Opinion: As a teacher, I know school closures are not the answerWhile many students come to school with plenty of home supports, there is a large student population that does not, Haack writes

Los Angeles Times

Editorial: Schools are more important than malls. Keep what's open, openL.A. Unified's program that serves about 4,000 students with the greatest needs should stay open if humanly possible.

Buffalo News

The Editorial Board: Cash’s reluctance to open schools sooner is well-intentioned but misses the markKeeping students out of school buildings until February or March does not square with statistics about the low incidence of Covid spread in schools, writes The News' Editorial Board.

Washington Post

Opinion | It’s time to admit it: Remote education is a failureIn the vast majority of cases, remote learning is a poor substitute for in-person education.

San Francisco Chronicle

Editorial: California should be ashamed of its shuttered schoolsThe Bay Area and the state’s relatively responsible approach to the pandemic has saved many lives. The success is marred, however, by a glaring failure to educate children.

San Francisco Chronicle

Pediatricians to San Francisco: Children are suffering, so reopen schoolsEvery month of inadequate education can have cumulative and long-term health consequences for a child and will widen racial inequities. Distance learning is wholly inadequate to meet the educational needs of elementary age children, and this is exacerbated for children living in poverty.

CNN

To open schools safely, mask up and close bars and mallsWe can protect our society from coronavirus and at the same time prioritize schools to yield more effective overall public health. Teachers are making huge sacrifices, and they need families to support them and follow safety protocols for community well-being.

Washington Post

Opinion | Students have already lost too much time. They need to be back in classrooms.Fauci is right: “Close the bars and keep the schools open.”

EdWeek

Biden's Victory Will Complicate Union Resistance to School Reopening (Opinion)If Biden says kids should be back in school, unions can no longer insist school reopening is just a Trumpian rush back to business as usual.

November, 2020

Cal Matters

Commentary: School closures may be killing our kidsWith grades falling and absenteeism rising, a new study says that school closures may cause more deaths than leaving them open.

New York Magazine

The Cost of Closing NYC’s Public SchoolsTalking through the effects of an irrational decision.

Las Vegas Review Journal

EDITORIAL: Follow the science: Reopen CCSDThe evidence overwhelmingly supports reopening schools. Too bad, a majority of district Trustees aren’t willing to follow the science.

Sacramento Bee

ADMIN NOTE: Link will not display correctly or by linked to the title, but works, below. This commentary from San Jose, CA Mayor Sam Liccardo originally appeared on Nov 18th, as part of a joint statement issued by the Mayors of CA's 13 biggest cities, urging CA to reopen schools as soon as the current surge in cases abates

www.sacbee.com/opinion/op-ed/article247248024.html

Washington Post

Opinion | Why three feet of social distancing should be enough in schoolsThe six-feet requirement is keeping kids out of school. We need more reasonable guidelines.

Chicago Tribune

Editorial: Chicago schools set reopening plan. Will the teachers be there?During remote learning at Chicago Public Schools, attendance and grades have worsened. What’s the answer? A safe, phased reopening early next year.

Atlantic

Why Are We Closing Schools?Keeping kids out of the classroom will make recovering from the pandemic harder in the long term, while not keeping us any safer in the near term.

San Francisco Chronicle

The third wave is here, but we still need to reopen our schoolsIt borders on incredulity that schools did not rapidly reopen when granted permission to do so by the state. And yet that is exactly what happened in the counties of San Francisco and Alameda.

Washington Post

Opinion | Schools are not spreading covid-19. This new data makes the case.An analysis of data from New York shows that stopping community spread — not canceling in-person schooling — is the way to protect students and teachers from covid-19.

Salt Lake Tribune

Tribune Editorial: Schools are more important, less dangerousGetting an education is both more important and less dangerous than getting a cheeseburger, a beer or a turn on the treadmill.

The Hill

Failing the children: Keep primary public schools openIt is estimated that 24.2 million public school-age children across the country are getting remote learning and have been placed in this position.

New York Times

Opinion | Keep Schools Open, New YorkCity and state officials should prioritize children’s education and bring back restrictions on indoor dining, gyms and more.

New York Times

Opinion | Are We Seriously Talking About Closing Schools Again?That’s exactly the opposite of what we should be doing right now.

New York Times

Opinion | When Trump Was Right and Many Democrats WrongChildren have suffered because many mayors and governors were too willing to close public schools.

Los Angeles Times

Editorial: California needs standards for when schools must reopenOnce it’s safe to do so, schools should open for at least some in-person learning. Unions will resist this, so the state must intervene.

Chicago Sun-Times

Kids belong in school — the real thing — and Chicago can make it workFor proof that Chicago’s public schools can be reopened safely, look no further than the successful example of the city’s Catholic schools.

October, 2020

San Diego Union Tribune

Editorial: San Diego schools need a reopening planParents have right to be frustrated that other districts have already partially reopened

Wall Street Journal

Opinion | Covid and the Catholic SchoolsThey’re showing that classroom learning is safe for students.

Washington Post

Opinion | U.S. schooling during covid-19 doesn’t deserve a passing grade. Here’s the way forward.Both conservatives and liberals are failing on evidence-based policymaking for education.

Oregonian

Opinion: Oregon’s strict school reopening guidelines put COVID-19 burden on kidsOregon's standards for reopening schools, which are stricter than many states' including Washington and California, are putting the health and welfare of students at risk, writes Bend pediatrician Kate Broadman.

Chicago Sun-Times

Getting kids back in school must be America’s first priorityBut right now, as best we can tell, the country is more upset about closed bars than closed classrooms.

Wall Street Journal

Opinion | End the School ShutdownIn-person classes turn out not to cause spikes in cases or fatality. But keeping kids home has a high cost.

Pittsburgh Post Gazette

Opening the schools Recognizing that each situation is unique and that a school’s circumstances can change on a dime is certainly a step in the right direction.

Washington Post

Opinion | It’s past time for schools to reopenWe are not only not protecting our children; we are also destroying their futures.

September, 2020

ProPublica

The Students Left Behind by Remote LearningHas a desire to keep the coronavirus out of schools put children’s long-term well-being at stake?

Journal of American Medical Association

It’s Time to Put Children and Young People First During the Global COVID-19 Pandemic

Colorado Springs Gazette

EDITORIAL: Closing schools does more harm than good

New York Times

Opinion | ‘Remote Learning’ Is Often an OxymoronWe need to try harder to get kids back in school.

USA Today

Coronavirus: Some school districts are willing to open up public schools — for a priceInstead of opening safely, some public school districts are double dipping from taxpaying parents by selling child care.

New England Journal of Medicine

Reopening Primary Schools during the Pandemic | NEJMMedicine and Society from The New England Journal of Medicine — Reopening Primary Schools during the Pandemic

August, 2020

USA Today

Reopen schools and let parents decide how to educate their children in COVID-19 pandemicChildren can be harmed by lack of education, nutrition and mental health care. We cannot ignore the casualties of all other conditions to contain COVID.

Chicago Tribune

Editorial: CTU allies bellyache as Catholic schools openEditorial: Chicago Teachers Union allies bellyache as Catholic schools open

New York Times

ADMIN NOTE: This piece was written by Dr. Naomi Bardach in Aug; on Dec 30, she was appointed to head CA's "Safe Schools for All" team

Opinion | Kids Aren’t Big Covid-19 Spreaders. Really.We’re so used to thinking of snotty-nosed kids as germ propagators. But that’s just not how Covid-19 works.

Atlantic

I’m a Nurse in New York. Teachers Should Do Their Jobs, Just Like I Did.Schools are essential to the functioning of our society, and that makes teachers essential workers.

Boston Globe

Listen to the data on school reopening - The Boston GlobeWhether and how to reopen is (or at least, should be) a fluid decision, responsive to changing conditions and an evolving understanding of COVID-19.

Toronto Sun

EDITORIAL: Hard truths about reopening schools

July, 2020

San Diego Union Tribune

Editorial: Listen to pediatricians on school reopening. They say kids are suffering.Keeping students at home is also a public health crisis

San Francisco Chronicle

Editorial: Of everything California could reopen, schools should come first

Tampa Bay Times

Re-open Florida’s schools responsibly, but re-open them | EditorialLots of little solutions and innovative, flexible approaches could make it safe enough to re-open public schools.

USA Today

The best place for children during the pandemic? It may actually be in schoolData shows that children are at the lowest risk for catching or spreading COVID-19 so its time to get them back to school.

Boston Globe

Listen to the science and reopen schools - The Boston GlobeAdding months more to this toll will be an educational disaster that some children may never recover from.

Toronto Globe & Mail

Globe editorial: Bars are reopening before schools. That doesn’t make senseThere are enormous costs to keeping kids out of the classroom, and the risk of community transmission in elementary schools appears to be lower

Oregonian

Opinion: A public health case for reopening schoolsPediatrician and epidemiologist Alex Foster writes that research shows that with the right precautions, schools can fully reopen this year.

Economist

The risks of keeping schools closed far outweigh the benefitsMillions of young minds are going to waste

Schools Beat Earlier Plagues With Outdoor Classes. We Should, Too.A century ago, children in New York City attended classes during a pandemic. It seemed to work.

NY Post

Science says (again): Open the schoolsGov. Andrew Cuomo and Mayor Bill de Blasio constantly tell us they’re following “science” and “the experts” as they decide on New York’s reopening. Well, more and more experts agree on one thing: K…

Wisconsin State Journal

Schools should follow science, strive to open this fallOUR VIEW: Advice from pediatricians shows need for in-person classes with precautions

Seattle Weekly

Editorial: Reopen schools in fall, but do it safely | Seattle WeeklyDon’t bully schools into reopening. Protect our students.

Bloomberg

Reopening Schools Is Critical. Teachers Should Do More to Help.

Vox

"I’m an epidemiologist and a dad. Here’s why I think schools should reopen."Six questions about the safety of kids, teachers, and families, answered.

Wall Street Journal

Opinion | The Case for Reopening SchoolsThe harm from lost instruction outweighs the Covid-19 risks.

Atlantic

These 8 Basic Steps Will Let Us Reopen SchoolsIf we move too fast, ignore science, or reopen without careful planning, this will backfire.

June, 2020

Washington Post

Opinion | Yes, kids should be going back to school in the fallWe must forge a path forward with the reality we have, not the one we want.

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Schools need to reopen: Continued closures will only widen the divide in learningThe key to reopening schools will be in establishing safety protocols.

May, 2020

Wired

The Case for Reopening SchoolsLots of other countries have decided that it's time to take this step. Why is the US holding back?

Chicago Tribune

Editorial: Aim higher: CPS, Pritzker should be focused on reopening schools, not extending e-learningRemote learning helped Chicago, Illinois and the rest of America tackle a critical mission — teaching our children in the midst of a pandemic. This fall, however, students need to be back in their schools, face to face with their teachers, in an environment that maximizes learning.

Colorado Springs Gazette

EDITORIAL: Keeping schools closed is not a viable optionIn most parts of America, children have been out of school since the middle of March, and in-person learning has been canceled for the rest of the academic year. With

April, 2020

Economist

When easing lockdowns, governments should open schools firstThe costs of keeping them closed are too high

Sacramento Bee

Rapid Closing of Elk Grove, CA Schools Draws Questions

Sacramento Bee

Reopening Efforts / Parent Activism

California, Sacramento Parent Groups Want Schools to Reopen

Sacramento Bee

Dozens of Davis parents, students rally to reopen campuses for in-person learningDozens of parents and students held a rally Saturday to encourage the Davis Joint Unified School Board to reopen campuses for in-person learning.

'I sob at night': San Francisco families, beyond frustrated at school reopenings, take to streetsHundreds of parents and children marched on San Francisco City Hall and school district...

Parents and teachers clash over when to resume in-person learningParents in Fairfax, Virginia, are angry that even as teachers are getting vaccinated there, there are still no plans to return to full-time in-person classes. A new CDC study recommends a return to in-person learning “as soon as possible.”

Coronavirus: Some Bay Area schools to reopen under new state rulesFew public school districts jumping at chance to reopen under revised state rules.

Ann Arbor parents rally for students to return to the classroomAnn Arbor Reasonable Return rallied Saturday for the public school district to return kids to the classroom by March 1

Virginia parent chastises school board officials over coronavirus shutdown A Virginia dad, frustrated with the lack of options to send his children to school during the coronavirus pandemic, stood before a county school board delivering a passionate speech.

Should students return to school for in-person instruction?Divisions among parents and teachers form as pressure mounts in California to bring back elementary school students to school for in-person instruction.

Ann Arbor parents will rally to advocate for in-person schoolThe rally will is noon on Saturday, Jan. 30.

Newly formed California-wide parent group turns up the pressure to reopen schoolsState officials should push harder for safety measures that could allow schools to reopen, a newly formed parent group says.

Schools Were Set to Reopen. Then the Teachers’ Union Stepped In.Students didn’t return to elementary schools in Montclair, N.J., as planned after a tense week of debate and a boycott of prep sessions by some educators.

‘I Want to Meet My Teacher’A war over reopening schools has upended the progressive politics of the New Jersey suburbs.

Douglas County parents launch recall petition against school board membersA handful of Douglas County parents are announcing plans to attempt to recall multiple members of the Douglas County School Board.

Calls to reopenThis slideshow requires JavaScript. Demonstrators gathered at Davis’ Central Park on Saturday morning called on the Davis Joint Unified School District to establish a plan to reopen schools. Local public K-12 students have been distance learning for the past 10 months while area private schoo

Want kids back in school? There’s a PAC for thatA group of suburban Philadelphia parents has started a political action committee aimed at getting students back into school buildings.

Arlington parents for Education rally to protest over 300 days of virtual learning

Allegations of racism cloud debate over school reopeningsOne side genuinely believes that opening schools will harm minority students, and the other says keeping schools closed will harm them. And once you introduce the R-word, it’s harder to come to any kind of truce.

‘Kids Are Not Thriving': San Ramon Parents Fed Up With Distance LearningParents in a Contra Costa County school district are fed up, saying distance learning during the pandemic is not working. Not only do they want their children back in school, they want school board members out who they think are standing in the way.

Protesters Upset With Phased Approach To Bring Back BPS StudentsProtesters in Boston said the district’s plan to bring students back to the classroom falls short.

'What we want is dialogue': Alexandria couple frustrated with virtual learning planHakan and Ania Ozsancak say daughters Leyla, 11 and Sylvie, 5 once loved attending school, but that's no longer the case. "The day starts with arguments because the kindergartener doesn't want to go to school because she doesn't want to be stuck in the same place," Ania said. The couple's older daughter, who has special needs, is also having trouble focusing. "There's no reason for her not to be after 10 months back in school, at least with her personal aide," said Hakan.

Recall effort targets three SRVUSD board members over remote learningA group of San Ramon Valley parents has initiated the process to start collecting signatures for a recall petition to oust three members of the local school board over their decision to reverse course on in-person learning amid COVID.

Parents to stage 'sit-in' for reopening schools at VP-elect Harris' old elementary schoolThe sit-in is framed by advocates for reopening schools as a call against

North County parents unite to form group to expedite school reopeningOrganization plans to advocate for students in five school districts

Beaverton parents frustrated, call for reopening plan from school districtOregon parents are fighting for schools to reopen. On Saturday, the education group called ED300 held a rally at a Beaverton High School, but their calls for reopening have changed since the last time they organized. Over the last week, school districts in Oregon and Washington have announced their plans with set dates on when they plan to start getting students back in the classroom.

Push to open public schools in February thrills some parents, terrifies some teachers, as COVID surges“The science and data show that serious cases among kids are rare. Everyone recognizes that in-person learning is far superior to online learning, and it’s long overdue.”

SRVUSD: Resident challenges postponement of in-person learning, alleges Brown Act violationThe San Ramon Valley school board is set Tuesday to discuss an allegation it violated state public meeting laws after a resident accused the board of skirting the Brown Act by failing to adequately give notice to the community...

While schools have reopened in much of the country, many Maryland students remain onlineThroughout the pandemic, few students in suburban Maryland counties have been back inside a school building, despite months when COVID-19 rates were relatively low and and cities across the nation — such as New York City and Providence, Rhode Island — were opening back up.

What obstacles schools must overcome to offer in-person instructionGov. Newsom’s “Safe Schools for All” plan offers hope for reopening more schools for in-person instruction, but school districts have to traverse many obstacles to get there, with little time to do it.

School District Finalizing Plans as Local Group Pushes for Reopening Now, The Canby CurrentThe Canby School District says it is working to finalize a plan for gradually reopening classrooms, starting with students from kindergarten to third...

Snoqualmie parents rally for return to in-person learning

DCPS parents sign petition to reopen schools, stick to plan

Parent groups in six counties ask Maryland leaders to prioritize reopening public schools

Parent suing school system over lack of in-person learning options

Parents Hold Demonstration In Annapolis, Call For Maryland Schools To Reopen

Parents, Students Plan OMSI March to Demand Schools Reopen, The Canby Current

Adrian parents, kids speak out in protest | Malheur EnterpriseA group of parents organizing around the slogan "Get our Adrian kids back in school" hosted a rally and then, a few days later, a "Parent Force Open" in which they dropped their kids off for the length of a full school day, even though the schools were only open for limited in-person instruction.

Parents in the San Dieguito Union High School District rally to reopen schoolsThe district, which includes only middle and high schools, said last week it will continue distance learning through the second quarter of the 2020-2021 school year.

Parent group to SFUSD: Prepare to open our schoolsThis is the biggest educational crisis of our lifetime. SFUSD enrollment dropped by roughly 10% since the pandemic began.

Vaccines, dollars and Biden ratchet up pressure on teachers to return to schoolThe CDC is recommending that states prioritize teachers for the coronavirus vaccine.

ADMIN NOTE: We are making this a featured article, as it resembles what is currently occurring in Davis

How the School Reopening Debate Is Tearing One of America’s Most Elite Suburbs ApartIn a district where parents are epidemiologists and health policy experts, the meltdown happened one Zoom meeting at a time.

Meet the NYC moms who helped lead the fight to reopen schools amid Covid-19As a founding member of the “Keep New York City Schools Open” movement, Daniela Jampel and a handful moms went from Googling “how to make a petition” to garnering more than 15,000 signatures in effort to reopen the city's schools.

London Breed and parents rage after SFUSD again delays school openings

Parents, children rally at Rath Building to reopen schoolsSome parents and children are continuing their call to reopen schools to in-person learning, holding a downtown rally Sunday to press their case.

Parents Launch Campaign to Show Negative Impacts of Distance LearningThe petition calls for the district to reopen schools.

More than 120 physicians join push for in-person classes in Ann Arbor Public SchoolsThe physicians endorsed a letter urging the district to begin in-person classes for some students next month.

Parents protest remote learning | Homer NewsPeople held signs and glow sticks in Soldotna to protest remote learning

Utah parents sue to allow students to return to classrooms - East Idaho NewsSALT LAKE CITY (AP) — A dozen parents have filed a civil rights lawsuit against the Salt Lake City School District after it refused to open schools and relied on remote learning, claiming the decision represented a “historic deprivation of rights.” The lawsuit, filed Monday, claims the district’s decision stripped about 21,000 students of their …

Berkeley Community Members Rally to Reopen SchoolsOn December 5, Berkeley parents and students gathered at MLK Civic Center Park to protest the continued closure of Berkeley Unified School District (BUSD) schools. The event began at 10 AM as…

'Save our kids, open our schools:' Huron Valley parents rally for face-to-face instructionParents want to return to face-to-face instruction immediately after the holiday break.

Montclair And Nutley Parents Protest, Demand Schools ReopenDozens of people rallied in Montclair and Nutley to demand that schools reopen for in-person classes amid the coronavirus pandemic.

Students, parents protest against remote learning, demand a reopening plan from BCPSBALTIMORE COUNTY — Baltimore County Public Schools has no plan to resume in person learning for all students this year and not everyone is happy about that.

'Shocked and extremely upset' parents protest Matawan-Aberdeen school closuresLearning is now all-virtual until at least Jan. 19 in the district. Two state lawmakers voiced support for the parents.

District 65 Parents Call for the District to Implement In-Person Learning, Question Metrics

Many students choose in-person classes at Hawaii’s Catholic schoolsHawaii’s Catholic schools were among the first to open their doors to students for in-person classes in August, and the verdict as the semester draws to a close is “so far, so good.”

WSD enrollment drops, parents push for schools to reopenThe Washougal School District estimates it is 200 students short of the 3,010 students expected to attend school in the district during the 2020-21 school

California parents sue Gov. Gavin Newsom to open schools for in-person learningThe governor announced last month that a majority of schools in the state would not meet the criteria to reopen for in-person learning.

North Allegheny parents rally against district’s remote learning planA group of North Allegheny parents are planning to rally Monday against the district’s latest COVID-19 plan.

Boston parents rally at City Hall for school reopening - The Boston GlobeThe vast majority of Boston’s 51,000 public school students have been learning remotely since March.

Parents Protest School ClosureThousands of Oregon parents unite in an effort to re-open schools by Jan. 6

Clark County parents rally for in-person learningParents from multiple school districts in Clark County are rallying today in an effort to open schools for in-person classes soon.

ADMIN NOTE: We don't ordinarily post letters from other parents' groups, but this one, from Decatur, GA, is a notable exception. It's co-signed by Nancy Messonier, Director of the National Center for Immunizations and Respiratory Diseases at the CDC. She's is and was leading the COVID-19 effort for the CDC at the time

Dear Decaturish - City Schools of Decatur should offer in-person learning option for all students

Orange schools parents protest after district cancel plans for return to school buildingsA group of Orange schools parents protested outside the Board of Education on Friday morning after Cuyahoga County's "red" status prompted school officials to flip a decision to return to school buildings.

Advocates call on Boston Public Schools to expand in-person learning for high-needs students - The Boston GlobeRally organizers say the district's current plan excludes many students whose education and developments are being hampered without the attention, care, and services they would receive at school.

'The kids are so disengaged': NJ families rally to reopen schools in Montclair, NutleyParents in Montclair and Nutley said children were falling behind because of remote learning and demanded that schools reopen.

Students, parents demand Green Bay public schools return to in-person learningParents and students held a rally Saturday two days before the Green Bay Area School Board is set to discuss its gating criteria and the possibility of loosening credit requirements for graduation.

'Our kids are the sacrifices': Parents push schools to openLAKE OSWEGO, Ore. (AP) — The activism of Jennifer Dale began when she watched her third grade daughter struggle with distance learning, kicking and screaming through her online classes. The...

Parents push for full-day, every day in-school learningAmid a second COVID-19 surge and many school districts on a county-recommended "Holiday Pause," some parents have had it with remote learning.

Atlanta, DeKalb parents rally for schools to reopenMore than 100 parents and students rallied at Piedmont Park on Sunday and urged Atlanta and DeKalb County to reopen schools and resume in-person classes.

N.J. Governor Wants Schools Open. Local Officials Have Other Ideas.The tensions point to the difficulty governors across the Northeast have had in persuading districts to reopen — decisions that often require school boards to buck powerful unions.

‘Open the damn schools’: Parents call for return to in-person learning in Carroll County Public Schools

In San Francisco, Virus Is Contained but Schools Are Still ClosedA debate over reopening classrooms pits the mayor against the Board of Education, cutting across class, party and racial lines.

Parents protest Montgomery County COVID-19 temporary school closuresParents said they fear the two-week closure because of a COVID-19 spike could stretch into months.

My son 'needs more than a screen' mom says as LAUSD taken to court to partially reopen schoolsChildren's advocacy groups filed a petition to the California Supreme Court to ask the state’s highest court to require the system to partially re-open some services.

East Bay parents rally for district to reopen schoolsLivermore parents and their children held a rally Tuesday afternoon to put pressure on the school district to stay true to their word and reopen schools as soon as legally possible.

‘We want choices!’ Protesters in N.J. rally to re-open schools for in-person instructionProtesters in separate rallies in Maplewood and Montclair raised concern about how remote learning was impacting the development of their kids.

Oregon parents demand in-person learning from lawmakersPORTLAND, Ore. -- A group of parents in Oregon are frustrated and they're looking to local lawmakers to make a change. These parents are demanding state leaders to get their kids back into an actual classroom. About 30 parents rallied together in southeast Portland on Sunday to express their demands and concerns. Some parents said having their child at home instead of at school is hurting them. As of Monday, students have been out of the classroom for 270 days.

Bay Area parents rally urging leaders to reopen schools: 'Remote learning, a cruel joke'"I'm a stay-at-home parent. We have reliable WIFI. My son still doesn't know how to read. He's in kindergarten. Remote learning, it's cruel joke," said Kotzin.

Hundreds of parents protest district's decision to start school year with online learningMERIDIAN — A group of West Ada School District parents who say they are unhappy with the decision to start the school year with remote learning protested outside of the

Temecula parents, students protest school closures, want campuses reopenedA small group rallied outside Temecula Valley Unified School District on Friday, Nov. 6, to support a return to in-person education

'We're exhausted and we're frustrated': Fairfield parents rally to reopen schoolsDozens of families came out with handwritten signs, calling for transparency and a...

How a Group of Moms Fought to Reopen New York City Schools—And WonTurning private freak-outs into public protest.

Parents wanting Elmhurst schools open for hybrid learning to hold peaceful protest outside District 205 officesAn Elmhurst woman who started a Facebook page in support of Elmhurst Unit District 205 keeping hybrid learning with an in-person component has organized a peaceful protest for Tuesday evening outside the district offices.

Parents protest to reopen Spokane schools sooner - KXLYSome concerned parents are rallying to fully reopen Spokane schools.

Some Parents Want Schools Reopened as the Pandemic Drags OnParents voiced frustration with remote learning, even as coronavirus cases rise across much of the country

Laguna Beach parents protest for reopening of secondary schoolsThe Laguna Beach Unified School District is set to implement hybrid learning for its elementary schools next week. Laguna Beach parents of secondary school students protested at Main Beach on Friday for their kids to have the option to return to in-person learning.

'This just isn’t plausible anymore': Parents push schools to open as COVID-19 surgesParents unhappy with distance learning are taking increasingly vocal roles in calling for more in-person instruction through grassroots organizing and legal challenges.

Some CPS parents organize rallies calling for reopening classrooms despite Chicago Teacher's Union pushback, coronavirus surgeChicago Public Schools parents organized rallies Wednesday morning, ahead of the CPS board meeting, calling for classrooms to reopen.

Parents rally at Plano ISD building to protest in-person learning delayAbout 20 students and their parents rallied outside Plano ISD’s administration office Thursday, protesting the district’s decision to delay in-person...

Parents group protests CCSD’s use of distance educationThe protest, organized by Nevada nonprofit Power2Parent, took place outside the Clark County School District’s Administrative Center on West Sahara Avenue in Las Vegas.

Students and parents protest school closures at Carlsbad UnifiedSchool board approved plan for middle and high school reopening; parents say part-time, in-person education isn't enough

New York City Will Reopen Elementary Schools and Reduce Hybrid LearningMayor Bill de Blasio announced an abrupt shift in managing schools during the pandemic. Officials had faced criticism that they prioritized activities like indoor dining over children’s well-being.

Denver Public School Parents Protest Return To Remote Learning Amid Rising COVID-19 CasesDistrict officials say they are as frustrated as parents and would prefer all children to be in school.

Virtual classes 'not cutting it': Hundreds of parents, teachers rally to reopen schoolsSome Oregon parents, teachers are advocating for an in-person school option, with rallies held Monday and a petition gaining thousands of signatures.

Back to school: Many large districts are opening their doors againRising coronavirus infection rates may change plans, but for now many systems are aiming to reopen.

In San Francisco, Closed Public Schools, Open Private SchoolsAs the results of the 2020 election hang in the balance, we’re focusing on a district that epitomizes the heated debate over reopening schools.

Parents Rally To Re-Open Schools In Communities With Fewer COVID-19 Cases The protest comes after DESE sent a letter Tuesday to Massachusetts school superintendents, offering a directive on how a new color-coded map should play a role in their reopening decisions.

Watch now: Parents, students, teachers protest for in-person school in Pima CountyParents, students, teachers and other concerned citizens protest in support of in-person teaching outside the Pima County Administrator’s Office at 130 W Congress Street on Tuesday evening, Sept. 9, 2020.

West U parents protest online learning for 2020-21 school year Some parents believe online learning is counterproductive and students need in person learning. Do you agree?

Parents in a county with one of Georgia's highest coronavirus rates are protesting to get children back in schoolCoronavirus cases are surging in Gwinnett County, Georgia, where the numbers are among the highest in the state and also where parents and students are demanding schools reopen their doors for the new school year.

‘This is not good enough.’ Chicago-area parents rally to get kids back in school, and some districts are making it happen.Parent rallies across the suburbs are calling for kids to get back in the classroom and into athletics.

Parents, students rally to reopen Baltimore County Public SchoolsA group of frustrated Baltimore County parents and students took a break from learning Wednesday to call for a new districtwide school reopening plan.

Parents' Group Rallies for In-Person Schooling in MassachusettsA group of parents gathered outside the State House Wednesday to call on Gov. Charlie Baker to bring students back to the classrooms this fall. A “Make Way for Education” protest, organized by the group Bring Kids Back MA, started at 3:30 p.m. Demonstrators are demanding that the Baker administration develop a “transparent, metrics-based” guide for school districts to reopen…

East Bay families march, demand schools resume in-person classesSchool administrators say if COVID-19 case numbers continue on their current trend, schools could be allowed to reopen in four weeks.

Tri-Cities parents, teachers protest virtual learning at Open Our Schools RallyPASCO — About 30 educators, parents and students rallied in Pasco late Monday afternoon, demanding that kids be allowed back in classrooms.

Parents protest calling for Birmingham Schools to offer in-person learningTuesday evening the Birmingham School District Board of Education is expected to decide what options it plans to offer families this fall. The district’s superintendent is recommending the district start the school year fully virtual.

Some Parents Want Schools Reopened as the Pandemic Drags OnParents voiced frustration with remote learning, even as coronavirus cases rise across much of the country

Broward Parents Who Want Students in Class Full Time in Fall Hold DemonstrationA group of parents in Broward County protested Tuesday at the county’s school board meeting with what they say is a simple demand: a return to full time school, five days a week inside buildings across the county despite the coronavirus pandemic. The group, Broward Parents for the Return to School, created a Facebook page with over 3,000 members and held a…

‘Schools are essential’: Laguna Beach parents protest for reopening of classesAs the Laguna Beach Unified School District prepares to welcome back its elementary school students for in-person learning as part of a hybrid model next week, parents with children in th…

Watch now: West Seneca parents protest to get children back in schoolWest Seneca parents protested Tuesday evening, calling for their children to return to in-person learning.

Stillwater parents plan protest against virtual schooling for Tuesday school board meetingParents of students in the Stillwater school district are planning a protest against virtual schooling at Tuesday’s school board meeting.

Parents, teachers stage dueling protests over reopening Harford schools at HCPS headquarters

Hundreds 'go green' in support of getting kids back in the classroom in Gilbert"It's not safe for them to be behind a screen all the time," one mother said.

California pediatricians question school reopening guidelinesState guidelines released Friday encourage facial coverings and temperature checks for students.

Oak Creek-Franklin school district families protest, demanding in-person learning optionOAK CREEK, Wis. (CBS 58) -- As we reported, some Oak Creek-Franklin school district parents were heated over the announcement of school day camps for a fee. On Thursday, families took to the district of

Parents, Educators, Doctors Push to Reopen Schools | RealClearHealthParents, Educators, Doctors Push to Reopen Schools | RealClearHealth

'We simply must educate our kids': NoVa parents protest virtual-only school reopening decisionParents in northern Virginia are urging officials to offer in-person schooling options through the pandemic.

Hundreds of West Ada parents protest online learning decisionThe protesters outside the West Ada district office said they are unhappy with the decision to start the school year with remote learning.

Parents, students protest after flip-flop on schoolsELKHART — Some parents are relieved. Others are frustrated and dumbfounded. Students in Elkhart County should not start the school year with in-person learning, the county's top health official says.

Hundreds demand Georgia school district allow in-person classesGWINNETT COUNTY, Ga. -- Parents, teachers, and students in Georgia have been protesting a decision to start the school year completely online. Gwinnett County Public Schools is the largest school district in the state, but the area also has one of Georgia's highest coronavirus rates. During a typical summer break, children aren’t usually running toward a school building demanding to go to class.

Parent protesters urge full reopening of Douglas County schoolsParents rallied in Castle Rock Friday, calling for Douglas County schools to fully reopen this school year.

Parents protest to demand in-person school classesThe protesters from Wisconsin Lutheran and Marquette University high schools said they were supporters of school choice.

Children have lessons in woods as parents protest school not reopeningThey didn't lack the necessary equipment either: there were whiteboards, tables and even hand sanitiser.

Parents protest to reopen TUSD schoolsTurlock Unified School District students will kick the school year off from home next week due to the coronavirus pandemic, but a group of parents hoping to see campuses reopen sooner rather than later took to this week’s Board of Trustees meeting to protest the decision.

Broward Parents Protest Distance Learning During School Board MeetingThey made their point with signs, chants and by explaining their own experiences as parents. They want their kids to physically attend school five days a week. “The kids being at home, that’s not working, they‘re not learning,” said Lorin Corrales, who is also a teacher. “And they need to learn face to face with the teacher,” added Valeria de…

Parents protest at school district HQ, demand return to classrooms* TO OUR READERS: The Palm Beach Post is providing essential coverage of the coronavirus for free. You can have...

Parents call on Ontario government to ensure full-time learning in school this fall | CBC NewsScores of parents called on the Ontario government on Saturday to reopen schools for full-time classes this fall with safety measures in place amid the pandemic.

Parents, students protest Salt Lake City School District’s decision not to hold in-person classesAbout 150 parents and students protested the Salt Lake City School District’s announcement that it will not hold in person classes or allow athletic competition this fall when schools reopen amid the coronavirus pandemic.

California / Davis Specific

Sacramento Bee Editorial: Teachers and Vaccines

Sisson encourages elementary schools to reopenUrges caution on resuming high school sports Gov. Gavin Newsom this week promised revised plans as soon as Friday on returning elementary school students to the classroom and possibly expanding the number of high school sports that can resume competition. But school districts and county health offic

Davis, Sacramento Parent Groups Want Schools to Reopen

Sacramento Bee

'Zoomers and Roomers:' Los Gatos elementary schools resume in-classroom learningExactly a week after the regional stay-at-home order was lifted, students will be heading back to the classroom Monday in Los Gatos.

Parents and Teacher Unions at Odds Over When to Reopen SchoolsTeacher unions have said it’s too unsafe to return.

ADMIN NOTE: This NYT article covers the extensive testing available in Davis

A California University Tries to Shield an Entire City From CoronavirusThe University of California, Davis, is providing free testing, masks and quarantine housing to tens of thousands of people who live nearby.

ADMIN NOTE: Neighboring city Woodland responded entirely differently to the advice of the Yolo County Public Health Officer, choosing to follow it and began to move forward with reopening K-6

Even more students could return to Woodland schools soonWhile only special education students are set to arrive on Woodland District campuses for the first time in nearly a year on Monday, more students, specifically the K-6 population, could soon be on…

ADMIN NOTE: This article specifically discusses DJUSD's metrics for a return to campus, and in the hybrid model

ADMIN NOTE: The DJUSD Parent Coalition is a founding member of the "Open Schools California" organization

Letter: Listen to the expertsArgumentum ad passiones is a logical fallacy characterized by the manipulation of the recipient’s emotions in order to win an argument, especially in the absence of factual evidence. Failures at the highest levels of government to heed the experts has led to the pandemic’s incomprehensible toll in o

School board lays down parameters for reopeningDuring marathon meetings on Tuesday and Thursday, Jan. 19 and 21, the Davis school board burned a bit of midnight oil as the trustees approved a series of motions, as well as special instructions to staff regarding further work, that provide much of the framework regarding what school will be like w

Manteca Unified opens back up for in-person learning, investing in mental healthManteca Unified officials say that mental health and students' emotional well-being was a huge factor in deciding whether students should come back in person.

Gavin Newsom says he won't compel schools to reopen if teachers unions refuse to go back

SF Gate, Jan 8 2021

North County parents unite to form group to expedite school reopeningOrganization plans to advocate for students in five school districts

Schools, COVID-19 key focus in Gov. Newsom's $227B budget proposalGov. Gavin Newsom on Friday unveiled his proposed $227 billion budget for California, a plan that would turn a $15 billion windfall into economic relief as the state confronts a surge in coronavirus cases and deaths.

Newsom pushes February school reopening plan in CaliforniaThe centerpiece is a $2 billion mid-year budget request that would channel money toward getting kids back in classrooms.

Newsom acknowledges shortfalls in special education services during pandemicThe pandemic has presented problems for many of California’s nearly 800,000 students with special needs.

Teachers and school staff in California increasingly likely to get vaccine in next roundState and federal health officials say prioritizing teachers and school staff will allow schools to reopen sooner for in-person instruction.

California teachers unions mobilize against Democratic school reopening billThe unions urged lawmakers to avoid rushing to reopen K-12 schools as Capitol momentum builds to address learning loss and education inequities.

Roseville, Rocklin push forward with reopening school campusesRocklin Unified and the Roseville Joint Union High School Boards voted early Tuesday morning to expand in-person classes in January.

Legislators increase pressure to open schools | CalMattersA group of California lawmakers have proposed legislation that would require schools to reopen if their county is outside the purple tier.

London Breed and parents rage after SFUSD again delays school openings

Proposed legislation would require California public schools to reopen in March if case counts are lowA proposed state bill by Assemblyman Phil Ting would force public schools across California toreopen within two weeks after state and local health officials give the go ahead, which would generally mean the county is in the red, orange or yellow tiers.

Lawsuit Seeks To Force LAUSD To Reopen Campuses For Small Groups Of At-Risk StudentsAmid a surge in COVID-19 cases, two organizations are taking their case against LAUSD directly to California’s highest court.

School district submits letter of interest to open schools - The San Francisco ExaminerThe San Francisco Unified School District has taken the first step in the approval process before reopening some schools to in-person instruction, school district officials said Wednesday.

'It's Offensive' – Mayor London Breed Says SFUSD Must Focus On Reopening Classrooms Over Renaming SchoolsMayor London Breed pushed back on plans by the San Francisco Unified School District to rename dozens of schools over namesakes deemed objectionable, saying reopening classrooms should be the top priority.

Breed urges SFUSD to ‘do what needs to be done’ to reopen schools - The San Francisco ExaminerMayor warns ‘the achievement gap is widening’ as private schools return to in-person learning

'We've got to do everything we can:' Oakland mayor pushes to reopen schools in January"But I am very hopeful and working in deep partnership with school officials to try and get our schools open by this January. We know these kids will never get this year back in terms of their education. But we've got to do everything we can." -- Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf

ADMIN NOTE: This article heavily quotes Dr. Naomi Bardach, who was named as the lead for CA's 'Safe School's for All' plan on Dec 30th by CA Gov. Gavin Newsom

'This is the right time': UCSF pediatrics professor explains why SF schools could reopen nowNew York City became the first major U.S. city to reopen all of its public schools for...

Quick Guide: What California’s color-coded county tracking system means for schoolsAs of December 15, 55 of the state's 58 counties are in the purple, or highest risk, tier.

East Bay families march, demand schools resume in-person classesSchool administrators say if COVID-19 case numbers continue on their current trend, schools could be allowed to reopen in four weeks.

Students and parents protest school closures at Carlsbad UnifiedSchool board approved plan for middle and high school reopening; parents say part-time, in-person education isn't enough

Students getting in-person instruction at accelerating pace in CaliforniaThere are wide variations in how students are being taught across California, as most of state’s largest districts stick with distance learning.

Newsom sends his children back to private school classrooms in CaliforniaThe admission that his own children are back in classrooms could ramp up pressure on Newsom to do more to reopen schools.

California pediatricians question school reopening guidelinesState guidelines released Friday encourage facial coverings and temperature checks for students.

School board hears conflicting suggestions about reopening schoolsThe Davis school board heard an update on the COVID-19 pandemic in Yolo County during Thursday evening’s meeting — which, like other recent school board meetings, was an online affair, with the trustees participating from a variety of different locations. Associate superintendent

UCD rolls out free saliva-based COVID testing for Davis communityAs promised, UC Davis brought its saliva-based COVID-19 testing to the broader community last week and hundreds of Davis residents turned out to be tested at the Davis Senior Center.

In San Francisco, Virus Is Contained but Schools Are Still ClosedA debate over reopening classrooms pits the mayor against the Board of Education, cutting across class, party and racial lines.

How One District Got Its Students Back Into ClassroomsCajon Valley in California is doing something that many lower-income districts have postponed: offering in-person instruction.

Statement from Mayors of CA's 13 Biggest Cities

“When the history of this pandemic is written, it will reveal that school shutdowns imposed far greater harms to our children than COVID-19 ever did--particularly for children from low-income families. The lost years of education, mental and emotional anguish, social isolation, limited access to exercise, play, and nutritious food will have impacts that will be felt for a generation, and we need a statewide commitment to get our schools open safely,” said San Jose Mayor Sam Liccardo.

American Academy of Pediatrics - California Chapter - California Policy Statement

(ADMIN NOTE: Link will not display correctly - click on the title to be taken to the correct file)

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