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Pleasanton students went back into the public schools last week in a hybrid program that has two days of in-person instruction and three days of online instruction.
Parents had the option of sending their children or continuing the online instruction. Adding together the different “first days” of instruction, district spokesman Patrick Gannon said there were 7,003 students in classrooms, a little less than half of the 14,442 enrollment. He pointed out that they were the first district in the county to fully reopen. They used the hybrid approach that many districts have followed.
Not surprisingly, significantly more elementary students went back that high school and middle school. Elementary attendance totaled 3,535 out of 5,943, while middle school was at 1,753 out of 3,412. For the high schools, 1,706 students out of 5,087, about one-third showed up in person.
Now that schools are open, it’s time for trustees and district leadership to move ahead with more in-person instruction. They can take a hint from San Ramon Valley where trustees have directed full-day, in-person instruction starting Monday for high school and middle school students, while elementary students start today. The district took the action after the state revised its spacing policies for schools to three feet instead of six feet allowing for more classroom capacity.
For Pleasanton, making a decision this week would be timed nicely. Spring break starts Friday and runs through next week so classrooms can be rearranged to accommodate more students. Monday, April 13 would be an appropriate day to expand the opportunities for students. There will be only seven weeks of school left if students return then, but that would return students to a more normal schedule and allow for additional activities. Pressure on the governor resulted in an “all sports” season that’s ongoing.
Going back to full reopening also will establish that five days of in-person learning will be the routine come August 11 when the new school year starts.
The data is clear on how minimal transmission of COVID-19 is among children and how badly the shutdowns have harmed student outcomes, whether educational or health. Early on, closing the schools before more was understood about the virus was understandable—leaving them closed all year as likely will be the case in the state’s largest districts that are dominated by teachers’ unions demands is simply horrible.
It’s great that the local districts have leadership and teachers working together to try to serve children as well as they can.
could have done this much earlier! No leadership in this valley…..none at all
Tim, I’m concerned the Democrats are gearing up for another series of restrictions. The lip service has begun at the WH and CDC. Let’s see what happens.
Really ? Arn’t you just stating the obvious – the state and county is making good progress on getting the cases down and ramping up vaccinations. Its only obvious that soon things will get back to normal if the current trends continue – we just need to be patient follow guidelines and do our part in stopping the spread and helping those who are impacted.
Now the obvious – This article is implying that schools were closed and restricted for in-person learning un-necessarily, and it will only open up with pressure and that CDC and state medical recommendations can be swayed by such articles and calling on the community to rise up against some unknown oppressions.
Really ? I have to see what Tim was recommending and saying during the first few waves when cases were rising and deaths were in the thousands.
Really ? Arn’t you just stating the obvious – the state and county is making good progress on getting the cases down and ramping up vaccinations. Its only obvious that soon things will get back to normal if the current trends continue – we just need to be patient follow guidelines and do our part in stopping the spread and helping those who are impacted.
Now the obvious – This article is implying that schools were closed and restricted for in-person learning un-necessarily, and it will only open up with pressure and that CDC and state medical recommendations can be swayed by such articles and calling on the community to rise up against some unknown oppressions.
Really ? I have to see what Tim was recommending and saying during the first few waves when cases were rising and deaths were in the thousands.
This is spot on. Our kids deserve to come first and it’s our board’s job to be their voice. Those who are hybrid should have the opportunity to go back the Monday after the break for the 4 days. I have seen a significant improvement in my kids’ mental health and their engagement in school since going back a few weeks ago. It’s time to push forward and give these kids what they deserve.
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Dennis, you are right. Tim is stating the obvious. He has been expressing this opinion for the past 6-8 months. Open the schools, open the schools, …….
He is finally right. Because data supports opening schools.
We should be glad he is not and people with the same opinion (Trumpists) are no longer decision-makers.
A lot of deaths could have been avoided if Trump and his follower had followed science instead of worry about election.
https://news.yahoo.com/birx-says-covid-death-toll-231202986.html
“Two weeks to flatten the curve”
“No masks are needed”
“Masks are needed”
“Two masks might be needed”
“you need an immunization to travel”
– All brought to you by our politicized and very very stupid public health employees.
Hey all you pro-shut down adherents, please explain the success of Florida?
I’ve asked this a down times now and have not received a response.
Dan
“Two weeks to flatten the curve”
“No masks are needed”
“Masks are needed”
“Two masks might be needed”
“you need an immunization to travel”
– All brought to you by our politicized and very very stupid public health employees.
Hey all you pro-shut down adherents, please explain the success of Florida?
I’ve asked this a down times now and have not received a response.
Dan
DHKSK, ver good question! Please look for real data and analysis such as the article below for reasons why Florida apparently did better than other states. Instead of listening to Fox and DeSantis.
https://www.politifact.com/factchecks/2020/dec/02/ron-desantis/florida-doing-better-covid-19-locked-down-states/
– Other states with lax Covid regulations had the worst Covid infections and deaths. So, lax regulations does not explain why Florida had low cases.
– states with very strict regulations such as Oregon and Washington did better than Florida on Covid hospitalization and deaths rates
Bottom line- there are other reasons why Florida did better than simply because they had laxed rules. Don’t listen to biased politicians. Do your own reading.
The world scientists will continue to learn about this virus. We will learn new facts that will replace old wrong assumptions.
I can tell you from personal experience that our medical device manufacturing plant was shutdown many times in the past year because of infections. We are short in product for our European and North American markets that the plant supplies.
Tell the patients without product about How good Florida is.
The manufacturing plant is in Florida.
The B.1.1.7 variant is once turning a lot of what used to be true about COVID-19 on its head, with specific impact on school openings. The new variant, which is both more infectious and more likely to cause severe disease, also more readily affects and is transmitted by school age children. Dr. Osterholm elaborates in this video from this morning.
https://www.foxnews.com/health/fourth-coronavirus-wave-variants-osterholm-fox-news-sunday
DHKSK, did you watch 60 Minutes? It shows how your buddy DeSantis in Florida gave preference to the rich to jump the line to get vaccinated. Private jets flying from all around the world and the US to jump the line while nothing is done to get brown and black poor people vaccinated.
He gave the vaccine business to Publix after the company founder gave $100k to his election campaign.
Oh I know, 60 Minutes is fake news, right? Peel the onion to get the facts!
Kevin,
Re/ Desantis and the 60 minutes interview:
“I watched the 60 Minutes segment on Palm Beach County last night and feel compelled to issue this statement. The reporting was not just based on bad information – it was intentionally false.”
https://discover.pbcgov.org/Lists/Newsroom/NewsDispForm.aspx?ID=3573
Who said that? The DEMOCRATIC mayor of Palm Beach county regarding Publix and the 60 minute interview you quoted.
[Removed]
Dan
DHKSK, let’s be patient so the facts come out. There is now a county commissioner that is saying the mayor is lying.
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/county-commissioner-slams-mayor-after-60-minutes-report-on-vaccines/ar-BB1fkdR3
I never trust the first words out of a politician’s mouth Democrat or Republican- do your own research!
Kevin,
60 minutes deliberately cut Desantis remarks. Had you been keeping up with the story you would have known this.
I suspect you HAVE been keeping up with the story and now conveniently want to pivot to something else. That’s cool bro, I get it.
“My immediate response to you is in the link in my last post.another Florida POLITICIAN is saying the mayor is wrong.”
“I trust 60 Minutes more than any politician.”
The two quotes from you seem to contradict. The fact is you don’t trust ANY politician unless they agree with your opinion.
They have a description for this. It’s called “Cognitive Dissonance”.
Look it up, genius.