Newsom pushes school reopening as many districts resist

Doug Johnson reports

GOVERNOR IS STRONGLYENCOURAGING A RETURN TO INPERSON LEARNING, HE'S NOTMANDATING IT.THIS IS THE WEEK WE'VE BEENWAITING FOR.

WELL WE'VE SEENMASSIVE SCALE OF OUR CHILDRENRETURNING BACK INTO SCHOOLS,SPEAKING AT A SCHOOL IN SANTANEWSOM SAYS SCHOOLS IN THEGOLDEN STATE SHOULD BE A 100%REOPENED.BY THE TIME THE NEW SCHOOLYEAR BEGINS NEXT FALL AND SOTHE BELL HAS RUNG AND THOSETHAT WANT TO HOLD BACK THATPROGRESS, WHOEVER HE HAS NOTMADE ANDY INSTEAD CALLING ITAN EXPECTATION A LOT OFCHALLENGES DISTRICT BUT ALSOWANT TO SUPPORT THEM LOOK I'MMINDFUL OF THE STRESSES THATTHEY'RE UNDER WELL, CALIFORNIASCHOOLS ARE WAY BEHIND WHEN ITCOMES TO RETURNING TO INPERSON LEARNING IN CALIFORNIAIS AT THE BOTTOM OF ALL 50STATES RIGHT NOW DENNIS ROACHIS THE PRESIDENT OF A COMPANYWHICH SINCE AUGUST HAS BEENTRACKING 1200 SCHOOLDISTRICTS, INCLUDING THELARGEST 200 IN THE COUNTRY.

HESAYS THAT REPRESENTS ALMOSTHALF SCHOOL POPULATION ANDTHEN OVER THE PAST YEARCALIFORNIA DID NOT ADJUSTEDSYSTEM FOR SCHOOLS REOPENNEARLY ENOUGH.TO ALLOW SCHOOLS TO BE OPENWOULD MORE TESTING WEREACTUALLY IN SOME CASES THEYWERE CHANGING THE COMMITTEE'STO MAKE IT EASIER TO OPENSCHOOLS, CALIFORNIA DO THATAND ROWE SAYS THE DATA HE'STRACKING SHOWS SCHOOLMANDATES WITH TEETH FROM THESTATE LEVEL ARE MUCH QUICKERTO GET BACK TO IN PERSONLEARNING REALLY NEEDS STRONGPRESCRIPTIVE GUIDANCE, NOTESSENTIALLY NEED A MANDATE TOORDER TO GET GOVERNOR NEWSOMSAID TODAY, CALIFORNIA'SEDUCATION SYSTEM IS LARGER ANDMORE COMPLEX THAN THOSE INOTHER STATES AS A CONSEQUENCEYOU HAVE INDEPENDENTLY ELECTEDSCHOOL BOARDS.COUNTY.LOCAL YOU HAVE A LOT OFVOICE.AND YOU HAVE A LOT OFFLEXIBILITY IT'S DESIGNED INTOTHE SYSTEM.AND SO MANDATES ARE OFTENNOT LOOKED UPON AS FAVORABLY.AS YOU WOULD LIKE TO THINK.AND LAST MONTH THE GOVERNORAND THE LEGISLATURE DID PASS A6 BILLION DOLLAR PLAN TO 6.6BILLION DOLLAR PLAN TO OFFERINCENTIVES FOR SCHOOLDISTRICTS TO RETURN TO INPERSON LEARNING AND TODAYGOVERNOR NEWSON DID ENCOURAGEMANY SCHOOL DISTRICTS TO MAYBESTART SUMMER SCHOOL TO MAKE UPFOR SOME OF THAT LOST TIMEREPORTING LIVE IN SACRAMENTOCOUNTY TONIGHT, DOUG JOHNSON