By Misael Gomez
After almost a year since California schools have shut down, Governor Gavin Newsom has stated that he is ready to slowly reopen schools starting with Kindergarten. Because the Corona virus hasn’t declined and most likely will keep affecting the state for the next few months, California will make sure each school maintains safety protocols so as to not put kids and their families at risk. Newsom states they will allocate around $2 billion in funds to make sure every school has the correct safety protocols. The effects of online learning, however, could change how students feel about going back to in-person classes.
However, COVID cases remain a significant issue in the state . According to Politico, “California is in the midst of a record level of infections and hospitalizations”, leaving many hospitals almost out of space (some San francisco hospitals are almost over 90% bed capacity while around 200 patients needing to go to the hospital a week in the San Mateo County due to COVID, according to The Californian). At the same time, though, many families have increasingly begun complaining about distance learning, saying their children feel unmotivated by school, while teacher unions have collectively agreed a classroom is still an unsafe place for students. It is clear that the situation is torn between two sides that are normally on the same page. For this reason, Governor Newsom is working with the teachers
Online learning has been more complicated for many people than imagined. Every student has had a different experience with it, whether it be positive or negative. Because of this, returning back to in person school will leave each student with a different experience. Isabella Vaka (12), for example, wants California schools to prioritize the health of the students rather than the reopening of schools. “I’m only concerned about safety. As long as we follow state or county recommendations/ guidelines, then returning in february sounds great. If not, I’m uninterested.” On the other end, students like Johnathan Fausto (12), the new vaccine gives optimism about the reopening, saying he feels great “considering the fact that the COVID vaccines are out”. Along with that, he feels he’s been in the house long enough and is “eager to go back” for his last year. It’s clear both students feel that health and safety is the deciding factor when it comes to returning back to in person school.
union to make sure by February, both teachers and students can safely work in a classroom environment with a minimal risk of getting COVID.
With the vaccine slowly being administered across the state’s population, the state is becoming more optimistic that they will be able to reopen schools, despite the high number of reported cases. Governor Newsom’s plan is to reopen schools with the option to continue working from home. However, with the right safety protocols and the vaccination being provided to everyone, many schools might be able to resume classes almost a year after they first shut down a year ago.
