California is offering a $ 2 billion incentive as an incentive for personal learning: NPR

More California students could return to self-directed learning after lawmakers promised $ 2 billion to public schools that return to campus before the end of the month.

Most of California’s 6.1 million students and 319,000 teachers have not stepped into the classroom since the pandemic that shut down schools across the state last March. But Governor Gavin Newsom worked with Senate and Assembly leaders to announce A $ 6.6 billion aid package Monday.

Most of these funds come without any connections, but $ 2 billion is earmarked for personal protective equipment, ventilation upgrades and other security measures needed to support personal instruction, and it was announced from the news. By the end of the month, public schools will have to offer personal learning to all kindergartens through second grade students, as well as students with high needs in all grades. Those who do not meet this standard will lose 1% of eligible funds each day when they do not meet them. The remaining $ 4.6 billion will fund learning opportunities such as summer school, teaching, and mental health services to help close learning gaps.

California schools and businesses are currently subject to state color-coded layer system, from widespread infection purple to red, orange and yellow. Lower or lower level schools will need to offer personal instruction to all elementary and at least one middle or high school students to avoid penalties. The guidelines aim to reopen schools as soon as possible to build “trust” in phased reopens, the statement said.

In addition, the budget package stands out 10% vaccine, about 75,000 doses every week for educators.

“Since the peak of the winter rush, we have successfully redirected the conversation from whether schools should be reopened to when,” Newsom said. “It is now our collective task to build on that momentum and local leadership and – equally critically – to do whatever is necessary to meet the mental health and academic needs of our students, including during the summer.”

Returning students to classrooms has been controversial for some time. A month ago the city of San Francisco filed a lawsuit against his own school district in an attempt to bring the children back to campus. Since the beginning of the pandemic, teachers have often quarreled they don’t feel safe return to personal instructions.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recently published guidelines about how schools should go about opening campuses, starting with safe practices in the wider community. “Evidence suggests that many k-12 schools that have strictly implemented mitigation strategies have managed to open up to personal instruction and stay open,” the CDC said.

Although teachers can and should get the COVID-19 vaccine as soon as possible, children under the age of 16 are still not entitled to it. The CDC has advised schools to continue mitigation efforts, which include mandates for masks and social distancing “in due course,” whether teachers and staff are vaccinated or not.