Some of the teachers from one public school in California made it seem so unpleasant if kids were to return that many of them are changing their minds one day after they were given the option to return for in-person instruction.
Parents of students told ABC 7 that Teachers at the Pleasanton Unified School District took time from their zoom classes to describe how unenjoyable it would be if they returned for in-person learning.
“Essentially, I’ll have my desk sort of taped off and I can’t really leave that area,” one teacher said over Zoom, according to a recording ABC 7 obtained.
“If you want to go to school for social reasons, recognize that you absolutely will not have that. There’s no question that you will not be allowed to interact in any fashion. You cannot work with a partner. You cannot speak with anyone in your class if they are closer than six feet away.”
The night before, the school’s Board of Trustees unanimously voted to return students to classrooms after nearly one year of closure. Students in pre-K through second grade would be returning on March 4, and a few days later, third grade through fifth grade students would follow. Parents would be given the option to continue virtual learning if preferred, Pleasanton Weekly reported.
Several parents also claimed on Open Pleasanton Schools!, a public Facebook page, that teachers were trying to “scare” their children out of returning to school. Some students reconsidered whether to return to classrooms after the interaction with teachers, according to ABC 7.
Although there were negative remarks from teachers, leaving students to change their minds about returning, some teachers were excited about the prospect of getting back in the classroom with the students.
CDC Says Teachers Do Not Need To Be Vaccinated To Reopen Schools
Teachers do not need to be vaccinated in order for schools to reopen according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
In cites such as Chicago and Los Angeles, teachers unions are resisting the effort to put teachers back in the classrooms without proper precautions in place, including vaccinations.
According to a Wednesday report from CNBC, newly appointed CDC Director Rochelle Walensky says that teachers do not need to be vaccinated against COVID-19 before schools can reopen.
In statements during a COVID-19 White House press briefing, Walensky said, “There is increasing data to suggest that schools can safely reopen and that safe reopening does not suggest that teachers need to be vaccinated. Vaccinations of teachers is not a prerequisite of reopening schools.”
She also explained that a CDC advisory committee has placed teachers in the “1B” category — the same as essential workers — to receive vaccines, placing them second in line for priority to receive the injections.
The CDC has stated that there is “little evidence” of widespread coronavirus transmission in schools and many schools across the country have been open for in person teaching for a while with little to no issues.
Full story at the Blaze.
New Jersey Passes Bill that Requires "Social Justice" and Racism Education in Public Schools
New Jersey lawmakers would like public schools to be held more accountable when it comes to teaching black history. Last month, lawmakers passed a bill that, if signed by Gov. Phil Murphy, would make it a requirement for schools to learn about racism and social justice in order to graduate.
The Philadelphia Inquirer reports:
“Our children will learn about Black history and not just being a slave,” said Assemblywoman Angela McKnight (D., Hudson), one of the bill’s sponsors. “We will know the contributions that Black people continue to do.”
The new law will complement the state’s Amistad law, which requires public schools to incorporate African American history. Her bill will put the Amistad Commission under the state Department of Education, tighten regulations and oversight, and mandate professional development for teachers.
Students in high schools across the region have been pushing for changes this year after the killing of George Floyd by a Minneapolis police officer. They want schools to address systemic racism and implicit bias among staff and students.
New Jersey and Pennsylvania require history to be taught, but districts decide the content of their courses.
Cherry Hill East, a school system noted by the Inquirer as “predominantly white,” would be the first school in the state to mandate the course on African-American history in order to graduate. The course was proposed by the students after a Black Lives Matter protest in the spring.
Pleasantville first-grade teacher Tamar LaSure-Owens, who has been leading a charge to infuse Black history into everyday lessons, believes the latest legislation would help teachers better present historically accurate and culturally sensitive information about all races.
“We need training,’ said LaSure-Owens, who has helped develop a model Black history curriculum at the Leeds Avenue School. “We need a curriculum that we can put our hands on.”
Full the full story click here.
