October 10, 2019. Oakland, San Leandro Police Search For Armed Suspect, Update: Nancy Pelosi's San Francisco Home Vandalized With Graffiti; Vandals Also Deface McConnell's Kentucky Home, Father Drowns, Children Swept Out To Sea On Sonoma County Coast, UPDATE: Kaiser Permanente San Jose Emergency Room COVID Outbreak Linked To Air-Powered Costume, Malnourished Mountain Lion Seen Near Ben Lomond; 2nd Sickly Cougar To Be Spotted In Area, Suit Filed Against San Jose's Valley Christian High, Former Basketball Coach Over Sexual Abuse, UPDATE: COVID Infections At San Jose Kaiser Hospital Blamed On Inflatable Costume Grow To 60, Mother Demands Justice for Daughter Killed in New Year's Eve Hit-and-Run in San Francisco, UPDATE: San Francisco DA Boudin Once Represented Parolee Charged In Double Fatal Hit-and-Run, 2 Santa Clara County Jail Nurses Arrested For Stealing Prescription Drugs, Public File for KBCW-TV / KBCW 44 Cable 12. Take the District's reopening survey! (Photo credit: WCCUSD) All West Contra Costa Unified District (WCCUSD) schools that closed today due to the planned PG&E power shutoff will reopen Friday, as the power was restored earlier than … The Task Force will include the perspectives of staff and parents from multiple schools and classifications. Maybe some, not all? “When I think about me being in a classroom with sometimes 40 students, it does not seem like that would be safe,” said Maimona Afzal Berta, a special education teacher at San Jose’s Fischer Middle School who supports her district’s distance learning plan for the fall, even though “it’s not going to be perfect.”Related Articles “That is not going to work.”. Contra Costa County health officials announced Wednesday they are pulling back on some reopening activities within the county in response to a “substantial” increase in the average daily number of new COVID-19 cases in the county. School administrators across America are trying to re-imagine classrooms _ and the prospect of reopening schools _ in the era of social distancing. Pinterest. Google+. Children must be immunized against 10 serious communicable diseases, including polio, chickenpox and Hepatitis B. The union has agreed to give the district 72 hours notice before they strike. Parents, students and others plan a rally at 5:30 p.m. Tuesday at City Park in support of the reopening of schools. “What that looks like, we’re still working out details and we’re getting input from our community. Post was not sent - check your email addresses! 4.8K likes. In Contra Costa County, the Liberty Union High School District is also pursuing the hybrid approach combining in-class and online learning, while the Brentwood and Oakley union school districts will stick to online distance learning at home. But, if it’s not safe…”. Adding to the confusion, the science surrounding COVID-19 is constantly shifting. “There are more questions,” Parakala said, “than answers.”, Get Morning Report and other email newsletters. 6. McDonald said many districts feel the state is pressuring them through the terms of a recently-passed budget “trailer” bill — AB77 — to offer at least some in-class instruction. The variance allows Contra Costa to move ahead with its roadmap for reopening at a pace that is appropriate for local conditions, which includes hair salons, indoor dining, gyms and schools in coming weeks. The rally, followed by a march on Brentwood Boulevard… … Mister Phillips (Trustee Area 3) was selected Board President by a 5-0 vote and Jamela … All Access Digital offer for just 99 cents! And as the U.S. approaches a national election, public health policy has become politicized, with fierce debate over the value of economically devastating lockdowns and face masks initially called worthless but now deemed crucial to controlling the virus’s spread. The Alameda and Berkeley unified school districts are planning a combination of online and limited in-class instruction, assuming it is cleared by local health authorities. But the politics of school reopening don’t cut neatly across the political divide, with state officials in heavily Democratic California also urging reopening. Oakland also plans to begin the year with online classes and phase in some in-class instruction. Gov. SF State, Contra Costa Schools Set To Reopen Monday October 15, 2017 at 6:17 pm Filed Under: San Francisco State University , West Contra Costa Unified School District , … Whatever it looks like, the implications for families are huge and the stakes are very high. Her district’s plans to combine in-class and online instruction in the fall are lacking in detail, and were thrown into further question Friday evening when news broke that teachers were refusing to return to the classroom. President Donald Trump last week urged schools to return kids to campus this fall, and criticized U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines for school reopening as “impractical.”. So who makes the call? San Jose State football: Members of bowl game travel group still quarantining in Tucson “There’s a huge amount of concern and anxiety among parents,” said Parakala, a parent-teacher association member whose daughters attend Williams Elementary and Leland High School. American schools may look radically different as they reopen “We need to get our kids back to school,” California Gov. Online learning was a fail, coronavirus is surging, time’s running out, San Jose State football: Members of bowl game travel group still quarantining in Tucson, Amid slow federal rollout, some Bay Area counties taking on COVID-19 vaccination of senior care homes, ‘We want to see things go much faster’: California looks to speed Covid-19 vaccine distribution, Former Cal soccer star Alex Morgan contracted coronavirus during holidays in California, Borenstein: Congress vote for Biden could be COVID superspreader event. Plan: Distance learning. This time it’s our hope that we will be more prepared for that.”, By viewing our video content, you are accepting the terms of our. See Contra Costa County Office of Education Press Release (PDF). The San Lorenzo Unified School district is planning to begin with online “distance” learning and phase in partial in-class instruction in October. With coronavirus cases surging anew, the specter of school outbreaks is increasing, and a new round of shutdowns could happen at any time. We will be releasing a framework of our plan tomorrow.” But schools aren’t built to run that way, a factor that motivated some to return to online schooling. The State of California this week granted Contra Costa County a variance that allows more local control over when some activities restricted by the COVID-19 pandemic may resume. What’s clear is school kids will again become lab rats in an educational experiment as grownups grope for a sensible balance to the various risks to learning, health, and the economic needs of working parents. Borenstein: Congress vote for Biden could be COVID superspreader event. Visit www.wdbccc.com. Sorry, your blog cannot share posts by email. But many of the state’s unionized teachers aren’t convinced reopening plans will protect them. So many questions for parents, teachers, and students. OAKLAND (KPIX 5) — Over the next few days, several Bay Area districts are going to be rolling out their plans for what the next school year might look like. Many districts around the state have yet to announce fall plans as they await further guidance from local and state health officials, but will have to make a decision in the next couple of weeks to prepare for a new school year. Newsom is sticking with his mantra of local control, and that means local districts are trying to figure this all out right now. Comments (-1) Newly Sworn-In Board Selects New Board President, Board Clerk at Its First Meeting Since Trustee Area Elections. WhatsApp . All 18 public school districts in Contra Costa County (as well as Contra Costa County Office of Education programs) will be closed on Friday, November 16 … “We’re providing the flexibility, based on local conditions,” Governor Gavin Newsom said again Wednesday when asked about school reopening plans. Find your Contra Costa County School’s calendar for 2020-2021 here: Walnut Creek, WCCUSD, SRVUSD, Pittsburg Unified, LAFSD, OUESD, Antioch and more. “The experience I had with my daughter, she didn’t do good with distant learning,” said Oakland parent Harifa Winston. Teachers who say the next school year should not bring a return to the classroom participated in a caravan in Oakland on Wednesday. But Newsom said Tuesday that when the state’s 6 … West Contra Costa Unified School District COVID-19 Updates and Resources © Other doctors say such a dystopian school environment is unnecessary. Finding and comparing Contra Costa County school district calendars has been difficult — until now. Reopen Bay Area schools? April 7, 2020 - Contra Costa Joins Bay Area Counties in Extending Distance Learning Through End of the 2019-2020 School Year. … Diablo Unified Schools will reopen. West Contra Costa Schools Release Car-Based Graduation Schedule Jeff Arnold 5/20/2020 Appreciation: For John Lewis, a lifetime of making 'good trouble' left scars and a legacy Student Centered Approach. West Contra Costa plans to start with distance learning and return to class “when it is safe.”. multiple school reopening scenarios. Spokesman Scott Roark said the department agrees “the best place for children to learn is in the classroom,” but also that “schools can only reopen for in-person instruction when it can be assured that students, teachers, and staff have the resources and measures in place to protect their health and safety.”. Online learning was a…, Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window), Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window), Click to email this to a friend (Opens in new window), Warnock makes history with Senate win as Dems near majority, Reopen Bay Area schools? A native of New Orleans, he grew up near San Jose. Property Tax information and deadlines, visit www.cctax.us. West Contra Costa Schools, Richmond, CA. ... Contra Costa Workforce Development Board, a bureau of Employment & Human Services, is providing free access to online career training via Metrix E-Learning System. Areas of particular concern include hillside portions of El Sobrante and San Pablo, Kensington, East Richmond Heights, the El Cerrito hills and the west hills of Richmond in West Contra Costa; and Martinez west of Berrellesa Street, and Lafayette north of state Highway 24 in Central Contra Costa. A growing number of studies indicate that children face the lowest risk among age groups for COVID-19 — no Californians younger than 18 have died from it — and are less likely to transmit the disease. But Newsom said Tuesday that when the state’s 6 … Although there is no timeline to reopen, the District is asking for feedback. In West Contra Costa Unified, activists have been calling on the district to dismantle its school resource officer program for years; the teachers union, the United Teachers of Richmond, issued a statement Tuesday urging the district to use the $1.5 million it had budgeted in 2020-2021 for school resource officer contracts to instead be used on to fund programs specifically for African American … In Santa Clara County, San Jose’s Alum Rock Union and East Side Union High school districts announced most students will start the fall school year in virtual classes from home. ©2021 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. Will students go to class? Gavin Newsom’s suggestion on Tuesday that schools could reopen for the next academic year as soon as late July or early August drew mixed reaction from parents, teachers and education officials — raising questions about safety, what classrooms will look like and whether schools have the money to pull it off. San Mateo County has received around 15 applications, mostly from private schools. Located in the East Bay, WCCUSD serves nearly 30,000 K-12 students in the cities of Hercules, Pinole, San Pablo, Richmond, and El Cerrito. Contra Costa County Office of Education. Contra Costa County Resource List. Outdoor dining and swimming pools in the county have been open since June 5. Contra Costa County has 2,294 total confirmed cases of COVID-19 and 62 deaths as of Sunday’s update. City of Hercules Relevant COVID Information. We will be releasing a framework of our plan tomorrow.”, Walton says one central element of the district’s planning is being ready to ditch “Plan A.”, “The health experts are telling us that there will be a second wave,” Walton explained. Amid slow federal rollout, some Bay Area counties taking on COVID-19 vaccination of senior care homes Alameda and Contra Costa counties are likely to move into Stage 2 of California Governor Gavin Newsom's reopening plan next week, meaning every Bay Area county except one will … The West Contra Costa Unified School District is conducting a survey of families to gather thoughts about the eventual return to in-person instruction for students. For information about schools, check with your school district or visit County Office of Education. Parents like Parakala aren’t sold on one plan over another and want more details on how in-class instruction will work, as well as assurance that the online fallback will be better than it was in the spring. “Well, I think it’s pretty obvious that school will not look the same when it gets back into session this August,” said Marcus Walton with West Contra Costa Unified. West Contra Costa plans to start with distance learning and return to class “when it is safe.” In Santa Clara County, San Jose’s Alum Rock Union and East Side Union High school districts … Like many parents, Radhika Parakala is eyeing the calendar with mounting unease over what’s in store for her daughters when their San Jose schools are back in session next month. For health-related questions, Contra Costa Health Services Call Center Call Center: 1-844-729-8410 - Line available 8am-5pm in English/Spanish For questions about childcare and childcare referrals, please visit: www.cocokids.org “We do not want teachers and students returning to school,” said Oakland teacher Mark Airgood.” We should turn our attention to doing the best we can with distance learning for the next period.”. And those that have made an announcement are all over the map. The timeline for reopening schools remains unclear, as it does for reopening California society at large. He also has worked as an editor since 2013. The West Contra Costa Unified School District plans to keep thousands of students at home when the school year starts on Aug. 17, NBC Bay … Twitter. Byron Union School District Superintendent Reyes Gauna said a team of staff and volunteers is working on the reopening. The online-only learning thrust upon them in mid-March to ease the risk of the COVID-19 pandemic went poorly. April 10, 2020 - See Contra Costa Health Services Press Release: Contra Costa Reminds Residents to Observe Religious Practices at Home this Weekend. The Board of Education has the final responsibility to decide how Mt. Former Cal soccer star Alex Morgan contracted coronavirus during holidays in California “What that looks like, we’re still working out details and we’re getting input from our community. “And we need to do it in a safe way.” “There’s no data to support masks or spacing among children when they have no significant risk from this disease whatsoever,” said Dr. Scott W. Atlas, a senior fellow at Stanford University’s Hoover Institution, adding that schools can make accommodations for high-risk students and teachers. “Well, I think it’s pretty obvious that school will not look the same when it gets back into session this August,” said Marcus Walton with West Contra Costa Unified. Gavin Newsom said. John Woolfolk is a reporter for the Bay Area News Group, based at The Mercury News. But there’s little agreement over what a safe reopening should look like. And then, how should these decisions be made? Others have settled on plans that either abandon in-class instruction for now or mix some online learning with some days in the classroom for fewer kids to reduce the spread of the disease. On average, about 5 percent of students were absent in Oakland and 6 percent of students in West Contra Costa before schools shut down in 2019-20. West Contra Costa Unified. West Contra Costa Unified Superintendent Matthew Duffy announced Thursday that he will not seek re-appointment when his contract ends at the conclusion of the school year next June. Special thanks to everyone who played a part in the development of this resource. 931. Guiding Principles STAY SAFE & WELL QUALITY INSTRUCTION COMMITMENT TO EQUITY ADOPT WHOLE SCHOOL … Enrollment: 3,555. It’s not clear how any of that will work. Even so, the California Department of Education is leaving it to local districts and health officials to develop their own models for resuming learning in the fall. One plan calls for staggered scheduling with only half the … And 22 private schools in Contra Costa County have applied to reopen… First day of school: Aug. 17. “My son did okay, but my daughter needs to be in the classroom with the teachers. “We have to expect that when and if that second wave hits that everyone will be again doing remote learning. Health officials suggest schools that reopen adopt measures like those for businesses — face masks, regular testing, temperature checks, disinfecting and hand-washing, desks spaced apart, fewer kids on buses, no eating or playing together. “A big part of our problem is we keep on handing the buck to each school district, to each city,” said Airgood. ‘We want to see things go much faster’: California looks to speed Covid-19 vaccine distribution Both K-12 schools and institutes of higher education are currently set to reopen in the months of July and August, though start dates will vary by district. Three West Contra Costa Unified School District Santa Clauses trade sleighs for school buses to deliver gifts to the kindergartners at one of its San Pablo elementary schools. “There are quite a lot of challenges and no perfect solutions, and time is getting short for coming up with a game plan,” said Michelle Smith McDonald, spokeswoman for the Alameda County Office of Education, where 14 of the county’s 18 school districts had yet to announce a fall plan as of Friday. Las Lomitas board, recently embroiled in racism scandal, welcomes new diverse members, Teen teaches taekwondo to fight child marriage in Zimbabwe, Former student sues private San Jose school, alleging coach’s unimpeded sexual abuse, Santa Clara County Library District eliminates late fines for all overdue materials. The timeline for reopening schools remains unclear, as it does for reopening California society at large. The West Contra Costa County Unified School District and its 30,000 students start school Tuesday. Schools. California School Reopening Guidance. The Contra Costa County Office of Education worked alongside members of 18 school districts and county student programs to develop this Roadmap to Reopening Schoolsdocument. Hold your phone's camera up to this code to access the survey! He is a graduate of the UC Berkeley School of Journalism and has been a journalist since 1990, covering cities, counties, law enforcement, courts and other general news. Facebook. WCCUSD schools to reopen Friday after power restored. The San Jose Unified School District where Parakala’s kids attend was initially planning for “as many students as possible returning to campus for in-person instruction.” But the district is now reassessing after its teachers union said teachers don’t feel they would be safe if they returned to class. The West Contra Costa Unified School District schools and buildings are closed for the remainder of the 2019-2020 school year due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) crisis. WCCUSD offices at 1108 Bissell Ave. in Richmond.