The Los Angeles Unified School District is aiming to reopen middle and high schools in late April under a timetable announced Monday by Supt. Austin Beutner. Under L.A. County health rules, local secondary schools could be eligible to open as soon as next week.
Several sticking points, however, could affect the plans, including the time it would take to get teachers and school staff fully vaccinated against COVID-19 and the ability of the district and its teachers union to reach an agreement about school day schedules and working conditions.
Elementary schools are targeted to open in mid-April. Under county health guidelines, they could have opened last month. But in public statements, Beutner and school board members have largely been in agreement with United Teachers Los Angeles, which has demanded that employees receive access to vaccines as well as enough time for maximum immunity to take effect before being required to return to campus.
“We’re making progress in our plans to reopen schools,” Beutner said in remarks prepared for his weekly Monday broadcast. “The target remains mid-April for preschool and elementary school students, as well as students with learning difficulties and disabilities, and the end of April for secondary schools. Our goal is to do this as soon as possible and in the safest way possible. Not in any way possible, the safest way possible.”
Beutner also predicted that an agreement would be reached this week with the teachers union on what a return to campus would look like. And, soon after, parents would be surveyed on whether they wanted to return during the current school year or remain in distance learning.
Last week, the union leadership reiterated that it would oppose a return to campus if it concluded that conditions were not safe enough for employees, students and their families. The union also held a referendum in which it asked members to support its negotiating position.
In a mailing to members, union leaders said a “no” vote — against the union’s position — “means you are willing to physically return to your school or place of work under unsafe conditions.” In the referendum, 91% of those casting ballots said they supported the union’s stand.
L.A. Unified is among the school systems that have fallen behind the more rapid reopening plans of many other districts. Some, including Long Beach, were able to obtain access to vaccines sooner. Others, mostly in more affluent areas, were able to open campuses without full access to vaccines for employees. State and federal guidelines permit schools to open without vaccines for employees, provided that strict safety protocols are followed.
“While other cities in California, like Long Beach, got a head start when local health authorities there started with vaccinations for school staff back in January, we’re working as hard as we can to make up for lost time,” Beutner said.
The district has estimated that 25,000 employees would need to be vaccinated to reopen elementary schools. The district was on track for that goal, Beutner said.
So far, “35,000 of them have received their first dose of the vaccine, are making appointments to do so or have decided they don’t wish to receive the vaccination at this time,” Beutner said. “The further good news is, so far, only about 10% of employees have told us they don’t want to be vaccinated at this time.”
In his remarks, Beutner also sought to build public confidence that campuses are fully prepared right now to operate safely. Union leaders have listed safe operating procedures as another condition for the return of their members.
"middle" - Google News
March 09, 2021 at 12:00AM
https://ift.tt/3ruSvm6
LAUSD aims to reopen middle and high schools in late April - Los Angeles Times
"middle" - Google News
https://ift.tt/2MY042F
Shoes Man Tutorial
Pos News Update
Meme Update
Korean Entertainment News
Japan News Update
No comments:
Post a Comment