Waivers for in-person teaching

Schools looking to obtain waivers for in-person teaching

LEARNING..

UNDER GOVERNOR GAVINNEWSOM'S ORDER.

SOME ELEMENTARYSCHOOLS MAY BEABLE TO HOLD IN PERSONINSTRUCTION...THAT'S BECAUSE A NEW WAIVERGIVES THEM A CHANCE TO DO SO.23ABC'S KYLIE WALKER JOINS USLIVE OUTSIDE KERN COUNTYPUBLIC HEALTH WITH HOW IT WORKS.KYLIE.JESS IN ORDER FOR A SCHOOL TOOBTAIN THIS WAIVER IT WILLHAVE TO BE APPROVED FIRST BY OURLOCAL PUBLIC HEALTHDEPARTMENT.

AND I SPOKE WITHTHEIR DIRECTOR AND HE TELLS METHAT THEIR FIRST AND MOSTSIGNIFICANT CONCERN IS THESAFETY OF THE KIDS.."COVID-19 IS HERE AND OUR CASESARECONTINUING TO INCREASE..

AND OURHOSPITALS ARE BEING TASKED WITHPATIENTS..

SO IT PRESENTS A BIGRISK IN OUR COMMUNITY."MATT CONSTANTINE - THE DIRECTOROF KERN COUNTYPUBLIC HEALTH - SAYS HE BELIEVESTHE SAFEST WAY TO START THESCHOOL YEAR WOULD BE WITH FULLDISTANCE LEARNING..

BUTTHEY WILL REMAIN OPEN TOAPPROVING WAIVERS FORELIGIBLE SCHOOLS.."I THINK THE STATE HASINTENTIONALLYLEFT THIS OPEN SO WE CAN EXPLOREUNIQUE CIRCUMSTANCES INEACH AREA"IN RECENT WEEKS GOVERNOR GAVINNEWSOM SAID SCHOOLS CANPHYSICALLY RETURN TO IN PERSONINSTRUCTIONONCE THE COUNTY THAT THEYOPERATE IN HAS BEEN OFF OFTHE STATES MONITORING LIST FOR14 CONSECUTIVEDAYS..BUT NOW WITH A WAIVER..ELEMENTARY STUDENTS FROMKINDERGARTEN TO FIFTH GRADE CANRETURN TO THE CLASSROOM IF ITIS APPROVED .AND ACCORDING TO THE STATESWEBSITE ..

" A WAIVER MAY ONLYBE GRANTED IF ONE IS REQUESTEDBY THESUPERINTENDENT, IN CONSULTATIONWITH LABOR, PARENT, ANDCOMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS."AND THE DIRECTOR OF KERN COUNTYSUPERINTENDENTOF SCHOOLS ..

SAYS HE BELIEVESTHERE WILL BE SOME LOCALCANDIDATES.."ESPECIALLY FOR SOME OF OURRURALDISTRICTS..

OUT IN OUR MOUNTAINCOMMUNITIES AND DESERTCOMMUNITIES.."BUT WITH LITTLE COMMUNICATIONFROM THE STATE ..

MEZAROS SAYSTHEY HAVE TAKEN IT UPONTHEMSELVES TO FORM A LOCALTASK FORCE."WE THOUGHT IT WOULD BEIMPORTANTTO BRING SOME STAKEHOLDERSAROUND THE TABLE TO TRY TO COMEUP WITHAN ACCEPTABLE PROCESS FOR USLOCALLY..

IN THE EVENT THAT WEDON'TGET ANY CLEAR GUIDANCE FROM THESTATE"ONCE THE PROCESS IS COMPLETE..IT WILL GO ONTOOUR LOCAL HEALTH DEPARTMENT .AND THE STATESWEBSITE SAYS QUOTE ." LOCAL HEALTH OFFICERS MUSTREVIEW LOCAL COMMUNITYEPIDEMIOLOGICAL DATA, CONSIDEROTHER PUBLC HEALTHINTERVENTIONS, AND CONSULT WITHCDPH (THE STATE) WHENCONSIDERING A REQUEST."WHILE THERE HAS BEEN INTERESTFROM LOCAL SCHOOL... THEHEALTH DEPARTMENT SAYS NO ONEHAS FORMALLYREQUESTED THE WAIVER.BOTH MESAROZ AND CONSTANTINETELL ME THEY HAVE RECEIVEDVERY LITTLE GUIDANCE FROM THESTATE..

I REACHED OUT TO THESTATE HEALTH DEPARTMENT WITHQUESTIONS AND THEYFORWARDED ME DIRECTLY TO THEIRWEBSITE.

IN BAKERSFIELD IM KYLIEWALKER 23ABC CONNECTING YOUAND 23ABC WANTS TO HELP YOU ANDYOUR KIDS PREPARE