Governor Newsom announces schools will remain closed for the school year

In response to the rising number of confirmed COVID-19 cases, Governor Newsom announced today that schools will remain physically closed until the end of the school year.

OF CONFIRMEDCOVID-19 CASES - GOVERNOR GAVINNEWSOM ANNOUNCEDTODAY THAT SCHOOLS WILL REMAINPHSYICALLYCLOSED UNTIL THE END OF THESCHOOL YEAR.23ABC'S IMANI STEPHENS IS LIVEIN NORTHWEST BAKERSFIELD,WITH THE KERN COUNTYSUPERINTENDENT OF SCHOOLS'PLAN FOR TRANSITIONING TODISTANCE LEARNING.... IMANI.JESS - IT'S BEEN CLOSE TO TWOWEEKS - AS KERN COUNTY SCHOOLSHAVE TRANSITIONED FROM IN-PERSONINSTRUCTION TOONLINE.

THE KERN COUNTYSUPERINTENDENT OF SCHOOLSANNOUNCED TODAY THAT THROUGH APARTNERSHPWITH CANVAS, LOCAL SCHOOLDISTRICTS WILL BEGIN USING THISPLATFORM TO CREATE A VIRTUALCLASSROOM ENVIRONMENT FORSTUDENTS.CANVAS IS CUSTOMIZABLE TO MEETTHE SPECIFIC NEEDSOF TEACHERS AND STUDENTS, ASWELL AS INTEGRATED WITHZOOM TO PROVIDE STUDENTS THEOPPORTUNITY TO INTERACT INREAL-TIME WITH THEIR TEACHER ANDCLASSMATES.

USER SUPPORT ISAVAILABLE AT NO-COST TO SCHOOLDISTRICTS.

THE PLATFORMALLOWS TEACHERS TO SHARERESOURCES,CURRICULUM, LESSONS ANDCOLLABORATE.

STUDENTS CANACCESS CANVA ON ANY MOBILEDEVICE, SUCH AS A PHONE, TABLETOR COMPUTER.AND WHILE CANVAS IS BEING MADEAVAILABLE TO ANY KERNCOUNTY SCHOOL DISTRICT THATWISHES TO USE IT AT NO-COSTTHROUGH JUNE 30TH, 2020THE GOVERNOR ISSUED AN EXECUTIVEORDER ENSURINGFUNDING FOR SCHOOLS, TO PROVIDERESOURCES ANDACCESS TO STUDENTS AND EDUCATORSAS THEY MAKE THISTRANSITION TO ONLINE LEARNINGDUE TO COVID -19"GOOGLE HAS ANNOUNCEDTHOUSANDS OF CHROMEBOOKS THATTHEY'LL ALSO BE MAKING AVAILABLEFOR THOSE THAT MAY SAY, WELL,THAT'S WONDERFUL.

I HAVE ACCESSTO THEINTERNET NOW, BUT I DON'T HAVEANYTHING TO CONNECT IT TO.

UH,AND SO THEY WILLBE PROVIDING, UH, THOSE, UH,CHROMEBOOKS IN ADDITION TOPROVIDING MINIMUM THREE MONTHSUNLIMITED, UH, CAPACITY AT AHUNDRED PLUS THOUSAND SITESTHROUGHOUT THE STATE OFCALIFORNIA."IN A MEDIA PRESS BRIEFING THISAFTERNOON, TONY THURMOND, THECALIFORNIA STATE SUPERINTENDENTOF PUBLIC INSTRUCTIONRECOMMENDED THAT ALL SCHOOLDISTRICTS CONTINUE TO USEDISTANCE LEARNING, AND THERE ARETRAININGOPPORTUNITIES AVAILABLEVIRTUALLY FOR TEACHERS TOBETTER UNDERSTAND HOW TOCONTINUEEDUCATING THEIR STUDENTS ONLINE.THE STATE SUPERINTENDENT SAYSDECISIONS WILL BE MADE ONTHE LOCAL LEVEL AS TO WHENSCHOOLS CAN BE ABLE TO RE-OPEN,AND STRESSED THAT THE MAINCONCERN IS TO CONTINUE SAFELYEDUCATING STUDENTS IN THE STATETHROUGH DISTANCELEARNING, UNTIL IT IS SAFE TORETURN.REPORTING IN NORTHWESTBAKERSFIELD, I'M IMANI STEPHENS,23ABC NEWS, CONNECTING YOU...AND THE KERN COUNTYSUPERINTENDENT OF SCHOOLSANNOUNCING THAT DISTANCELEARNING EFFORTS ARERAMPING UP FOR KERN COUNTYEDUCATORS.K-C-S-O-S IS TEAMING UP WITH"CANVAS" -- WHICH IS AN ONLINELEARNING PLATFORM.IT IS BEING MADE AVAILABLE TOANY KERN COUNTY SCHOOL DISTRICTTHAT WISHES TO UTILIZE THEPLATFORM AT NO-COSTTHROUGH JUNE 30-TH.ACCORDING TO K-C-S-O-S -- CANVASALLOWS GRADE-LEVELCONTENT TO BE PUSHED OUT TOSTUDENTS AND INCLUDES VIDEOLESSONS... LEARNINGACTIVITIES... DAILY ASSIGNMENTSAND MORE.KERN COUNTY PUBLIC HEALTH