Newsom's Draconian Rules for Reopening Schools Means Many Will Stay Closed in the Fall

On Friday, California Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom issued strict criteria regarding private and public schools reopening throughout the state amid the Wuhan coronavirus pandemic. The new rules make it unlikely that classroom instruction will begin in many school districts throughout the state this fall.

The governor announced that schools in counties on the state's coronavirus watchlist are barred from holding in-person instruction and a county must stay off the monitoring list for 14 consecutive days before in-person instruction can begin.

1) Safe in-person school based on local health data.

Schools located in counties that are on CA’s Monitoring List must NOT physically open for in-person instruction until their county has come off the Monitoring List for 14 consecutive days.
— Gavin Newsom (@GavinNewsom) July 17, 2020

In California, 32 of the state's 58 counties are currently on the coronavirus monitoring list. Several factors determine whether a county ends up on the list, including a case rate of more than 100 per 100,000 residents over a two-week period, a 10 percent increase or greater in the number of COVID-19 hospitalized patients over a three-day average, and the number of available ICU beds and ventilators in the county. A county on the watch list must meet the state's tolerable threshold for three days before the county will be removed from the list, according to the state health department.

When an open school has a confirmed coronavirus case, all classmates and staff who had contact with the infected individual must quarantine for 14 days. The entire school must revert to remote learning if twenty-five percent or more of the school has been closed within 14 days.

The district should revert to distance learning when 25%+ of its schools have been closed due to #COVID19 within 14 days.

Closure decisions should be made with local health officers. After 14 days districts may return to in-person with approval of local public health officer.
— Gavin Newsom (@GavinNewsom) July 17, 2020

Students in the third grade and up, and all staff members, are required to wear face masks. Adults on campus are to remain six feet apart from one another and students are to remain six feet apart from one another "when possible." Anyone entering the campus must also pass a health screening and anyone with a sick member in the household must stay home.

3) Physical distancing requirements & adaptations:

Adults must stay 6 feet from one another & 6 feet from children.

Students should maintain 6 feet of distance when possible.

Anyone entering the school must do a health screen. If a member of your household is sick--stay home.
— Gavin Newsom (@GavinNewsom) July 17, 2020

The governor said school staff must be tested periodically for the coronavirus and schools must have dedicated contact tracing in place. Newsom also said schools must provide devices so that every student can participate in distance learning, including illegal aliens and those who don't otherwise speak English.

5) Rigorous distance learning.

School districts must provide:
-Devices so that every child can participate in distance learning.
-Daily live interaction.
-Challenging and equivalent to in-person instruction.
-Targeted supports for English learners and special education.
— Gavin Newsom (@GavinNewsom) July 17, 2020

With public schools closed in California, parents should use the opportunity to truly educate their children, teaching them about things other than recycling, safe sex, global warming, transgenders or whatever else may be on the left's indoctrination agenda these days.