Monthly Archives: October 2021

What California’s new student vaccine mandate means for your child – Times-Herald

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By Emily Deruy

Gov. Gavin Newsom said Friday that students will soon need to be vaccinated against the coronavirus to attend school in person in California. Here’s what you need to know about the new vaccine mandate.

Q: What is the new requirement?

A: Children must be vaccinated against the coronavirus to attend schools in person, starting the school term after the vaccines have full approval from the FDA for two different groups. The requirement will be phased in by grade span, first grades 7-12 and then K-6. School staff will also need to be vaccinated by the time the requirement applies to the first cohort.

Source: What California’s new student vaccine mandate means for your child – Times-Herald

New program allows incarcerated students to get bachelor’s degrees – The Vacaville Reporter

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By Meghan Bobrowsky, CalMatters

Fifteen years ago, Kenny Butler was at a low point. He had just been sentenced to life in prison.

Now Butler, 47, is on track to earn his bachelor’s degree through a new program at Pitzer College, a small private liberal arts school in Southern California.

The program, which began last December and which the school says is the first of its kind in the nation, is based on Inside Out curriculum — a type of teaching that brings college students and professors into prisons to learn alongside incarcerated students. Pitzer, a selective school that accepts fewer than 20% of applicants, started the Inside Out program with the goal of helping incarcerated students better engage with coursework and make connections with the outside world — a key factor in reintegrating back into society.

Source: New program allows incarcerated students to get bachelor’s degrees alongside peers on the outside – The Vacaville Reporter

Solano Community College mandates vaccinations or testing – The Vacaville Reporter

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On Sept. 15, the Solano Community College (SCC) Board of Trustees approved a vaccination and face covering mandate for all students, employees and volunteers.

This mandate will go into effect on Oct. 15 and will require those accessing campus to show proof of vaccination or a negative Covid-19 test result. All indoor activities and classes will require face coverings.

The health and safety of SCC employees and students are of paramount importance, officials said in a press statement. SCC understands that steps must be taken to help prevent and limit the spread of Covid-19 and its variants.

Source: Coronavirus: Solano Community College mandates vaccinations or testing – The Vacaville Reporter

SPI Names Statewide Literacy Task Force Co-Chairs – Year 2021 (CA Dept of Education)

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State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond today announced co-chairs for the new statewide literacy task force he launched to help all California students reach the goal of literacy by third grade, by the year 2026. The effort will also include a biliteracy milestone for dual-language learners. The task force co-chairs bring leadership and expertise in the area of improving literacy and are listed below.

“Now is the time in California public education when we have all the resources and conditions in place to make good on a promise of reaching literacy by third grade, a key benchmark in measuring and predicting student success,” Thurmond said. “We also know that when students don’t learn to read by third grade, they are at greater risk to drop out of school, and they are at greater risk to end up in the criminal justice system—and we have to give them the resources to put them on a path for lifelong learning as opposed to a path that increases the likelihood that they will drop out of school or end up in the criminal justice system.”

Source: SPI Names Statewide Literacy Task Force Co-Chairs – Year 2021 (CA Dept of Education)

SPI Applauds Student Vaccine Mandate – Year 2021 (CA Dept of Education)

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State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond applauded Governor Newsom’s action that would add the COVID-19 vaccine to other vaccinations required for in-person school attendance—such as measles, mumps, and rubella—as stated by the Health and Safety Code. It’s anticipated the COVID-19 vaccine mandate would be fully implemented to grades seven through twelve on July 1, 2022. A vaccine mandate for kindergarten through sixth grades would follow at a later date. A vaccine mandate for all kindergarten through grade twelve staff is scheduled to be implemented at the same time as students in grades seven through twelve.

“I have no doubt that today’s announcement by the Governor will lead to safer schools and safer communities,” stated Thurmond. “I look forward to working with the Governor, his administration, school districts, and school communities across the state to implement this important change.”

Source: SPI Applauds Student Vaccine Mandate – Year 2021 (CA Dept of Education)

Fairfield educator to present learning strategies in Dubai – Daily Republic

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Deanna Hurn, founder and CEO of Miracle Math Coaching, has been recognized as one of the Top 100 Visionaries in Education.

The Global Forum on Education and Learning bestowed the honor based on Hurn’s work in brain-based learning, according to a press release.

Hurn is scheduled to present her learning model in February at the organization’s international conference in Dubai.

Source: Fairfield educator to present learning strategies in Dubai

FSUSD Staff Tackle Teacher Shortage Moving Education – Daily Republic

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By Nicole Langarica

It is not irregular to see a school principal or assistant principal in a classroom throughout the school day. Observing new teachers and generally checking in with students and staff is a regular part of their workday. This school year, however, due to a tremendous need for substitute teachers, Fairfield-Suisun Unified School District (FSUSD) administrators are finding themselves in classrooms to cover for absent employees and maintain regular class schedules.

Source: Good News: Fairfield-Suisun Unified School District Staff Tackle Teacher Shortage Moving Education #ForwardTogether

Vacaville schools spend big to fill teacher, para-educator needs – Daily Republic

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By Katy St. Clair

The Vacaville school board unanimously approved a contract with Cross Country Education to hire much-needed teachers and para-professionals to assist in every school in the district.

The decision was made during a special board meeting on Wednesday.

Chris Hulett, assistant superintendent of Human Resources, told the board that the need for substitute teachers is actually down, but unfortunately, so is the job pool of subs, leaving schools scrambling to cover classes. The district’s need for para-professionals is also at an “emergency” status, with only 53% of those positions filled.

Source: Vacaville schools spend big to fill teacher, para-educator needs

California to require public school students age 12-17 to get COVID vaccine – ABC7 Los Angeles

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California will soon require all public school students age 12 to 17 years old to get the COVID-19 vaccine once the shot is fully authorized by the Federal Drug Administration (FDA).

Gov. Gavin Newsom’s announced the new emergency order on Friday while visiting a middle school in San Francisco.

The COVID-19 vaccine will now join a list of 10 other vaccinations required for children to attend school in the state.

The governor said the state will issue the mandate in the next school term following the FDA’s authorization, the earlier being January 1, 2022 and the latest being July 1, 2022.

At that same time, staff members at all California schools will also need to be fully vaccinated. The state issued a mandate in August for teachers and school staff members, but now it has eliminated the option to submit to regular COVID-19 testing in place of getting the vaccine.

Source: California to require public school students age 12-17 to get COVID vaccine – ABC7 Los Angeles