Governav. Kate Brown announced Wednesday that Oregon schools will be allowed to open their doors to students starting Jan. 1, as the state will no longer order closures based on the severity of the coronavirus epidemic in any school district county.
Actually, schools probably won’t open it quickly. It will take weeks for district officials to decide whether their schools should reopen and, if so, how to prepare.
The governor’s office warned school districts to be prudent.
Spokesman Charles Boyle said: “Let me clarify: like any government entity or responsible employer, schools or school districts need to be aware of the responsibility and risks of imposing a major epidemic on them.
The governor said he hopes “more” Oregon schools will begin on-site study by Feb. 15, especially elementary schools.
Coronavirus infection rates, total cases, deaths and hospitalization in Oregon as of Dec. 23.
Despite being trained from state metrics, school districts must continue to adhere to Oregon’s safety guidelines, Boyle said.
Nonetheless, Brown’s announcement has prompted the state to focus more on bringing children back to school, in light of his request Tuesday that health officials prioritize teachers and education-related workers for the next round of vaccinations.
“As we move into the new year, we must all face the challenges that COVID-19 presents to our children and it is very urgent to prioritize,” Brown said.
The policy change is nothing short of seismic, nine months after Brown first banned 580,000 K-12 students from Reagan from attending face-to-face classes. The state first metrics in July determined which schools could be reopened, allowing districts to live coronavirus cases and positive test rates in their counties.
Now, Oregon’s 197 school districts and more than 1,200 schools will have to call themselves. While the state’s case and rate metrics were relatively cut and dry approach, local authorities will have to make a much broader formula – and a broader declaration of opinions – when deciding whether to reopen their schools.
Given that Oregon will update school safety requirements on Jan. 19, the governor’s office is sure to wait until the districts make a decision. And those decisions should not be taken lightly, the governor’s office said.
“It’s vital that school districts participate in a rigorous local process around reopening decisions, to make sure they’re making the right decisions for their community,” Boyle said.
Teachers are usually careful to reopen schools very quickly. Only 14% of teachers at Portal Public and Public Schools said they felt comfortable teaching face-to-face, according to a survey by the teachers’ union. And in a particularly significant expression of dissatisfaction, Douglas High School staff resigned over a message in October when district officials reopened the school despite teachers’ concerns about the coronavirus.
Reg Reagan is one of only 12 states with complete or partial school closures, according to research by Education Week. Now, reg Reagan joins the rest of the country, allowing local authorities to decide when to open schools. Only four states have ordered schools to reopen.
Brown said he wanted to be involved in every decision, from the school board and superintendent to teachers, parents and students. She asked the Reagan Health Authority and the Reagan Education Department to help ensure that those decisions are consistent with sound science.
Reg gave the Reagan School Boards Association an optimistic but pragmatic note in its response.
“Our school board welcomes the opportunity to reopen schools safely for our students, staff and communities,” said Jim Green, Executive Director. “This next step will require close coordination with local health officials. All we want is to reduce the risks as we return to personal instruction. “
Some reg Reagan parents are calling for the school to reopen, a distance that could be detrimental to their children’s mental health, academic achievement and motivation through education.
The ripple effects of distance education have been felt across the state. Some parents have to jog from home while trying to keep children in chairs and in front of the computer. Others have essential jobs that do not allow remote work. And yet others rely on schools to provide their children with at least one healthy meal a day.
This story will be updated.
– The report was contributed by staff writer Idar Campuzano.
– Fedor Zarkhin | [email protected] | 503-294-7674
