On Wednesday, California Governor Gavin Newsom announced the state's schools will remain closed for the remainder of the academic year. The governor also announced a private sector partnership with Google as the state transitions to "distance learning" systems to help educate the state's six million-plus students.
Most California parents had anticipated the announcement that California's 10,000-plus schools will remain closed throughout the current academic year as the state takes more drastic social distancing measures to combat the spread of the Wuhan coronavirus.
The governor said during a Mar. 17 briefing that it was unlikely that school campuses would reopen before the end of the current school year, and Tony Thurmond, the State's superintendent of public instruction, made a similar forecast in a letter to school officials on Tuesday.
Gov. Newsom said "schools will not reopen, but classes are in," before announcing a private sector partnership with Google to expand internet access and provide computers to students throughout the state.
The governor also acknowledged the added stress placed on mothers and caregivers as the need for daycare grows and California residents struggle to contend with the harsh realities of the state's aggressive measures to defeat the coronavirus pandemic.
"To all of the moms, all the teachers, all the caregivers, I know how stressful this is. Trust me,” the governor said. "I know what we are asking of you over the course of the next few months."
Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey announced on Monday that schools in his state will remain closed for the remainder of the school year, and other governors are expected to announce similar decisions in the coming days.