California won’t require school COVID vaccines. Will Fresno-area parents vaccinate anyway?
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Hello, Fresno Bee readers! It’s Lasherica with the Education Lab, and this is the Feb. 7 edition of our weekly newsletter.
California’s kids will not have to get the coronavirus vaccine to attend schools, state public health officials confirmed Friday to the Associated Press.
So let’s go back in time for a moment.
In October 2021, Gov. Gavin Newsom announced a COVID vaccine would be added to the list of required immunizations for the state’s approximately 6.7 million school-aged children.
In April, the requirement stalled until summer 2023 because the vaccine lacked full FDA approval. The initial plan was for the mandate to start in 2022.
Like much of the debate around COVID-related safety measures, the mandate was contentious, drawing mixed feelings from parents and elected officials.
While many parents in Fresno and Clovis supported Newsom’s announcement, more than 200 Fresno parents joined statewide protests, which included keeping their kids home from school to oppose the mandate.
Clovis Unified parents and community members even urged the school board to defy the state order.
Some board members said that though they believed in the science behind the vaccines, they disagreed with the mandate and said parents should have a choice.
Now as the state’s emergency declaration ends on Feb. 28, EdSource’s Diana Lambert looked at the things that have changed since October 2021. For example, more than a third of children ages 5 to 11 and 67% of 12- to 17-year-olds have received their primary series of vaccinations, EdSource reported, noting even higher percentages for adults.
Newsom reportedly hasn’t responded to school districts asking about the mandate and hasn’t announced anything about the mandate with the declaration soon ending.
The mandate is technically the California Department of Public Health’s policy. And with the health department abandoning the mandate, schools and families know their kids won’t be required to get the COVID vaccine to attend class.
I want to know what you think. Should the governor and the legislature continue to try to implement the coronavirus vaccine as a mandate, like the District of Columbia is doing this fall? Or should there be no mandate?
You can let me know by taking our survey here!
HERE’S THE LATEST FROM THE EDUCATION LAB
Clovis Unified school psychologist union pushing district to beef up pay — and hiring
“We’re not just asking for more money.”
Clovis parents urge schools to transport medically fragile students to therapy in Fresno
Clovis Unified officials say the request is more complicated than it might sound.
What to do when your child’s school is on lockdown. Lessons from tragedy near Selma campus
“People need to understand when there’s a lockdown ... we cannot release the students.”
What should Clovis Unified name its new elementary school? Decision expected soon
It may be “safer” to name it after an object rather than a person, a school board member said.
Celebrating Black History Month
Fresno Unified hosted its ninth annual Black History Month Program, marking the start of cultural and educational activities throughout February.
With the theme “Our History, Legacy, Strength,” the Feb. 1 program included a tribute to African drumming, poetry, dancing, history about tap and the Harlem Renaissance, and other historical and cultural education, the district said.
The program and the rest of the district’s Black History Month activities have been organized by Black Student Union members and students across the district.
To commemorate 50 years of Black Studies, Fresno State’s Africana Studies Program is hosting Secretary of State Shirley Weber on Thursday.
The 6 p.m. event, taking place at the Peters Educational Center Student Rec Center, is free and open to the public.
Weber taught Black Studies at San Diego State for over 40 years and sponsored numerous bills to protect civil rights and promote racial equality in California during four terms as an Assembly Member, the group’s flyer reads.
Weber will also meet the university president and other faculty during an invite-only reception the same day.
MORE FRESNO-AREA EDUCATION NEWS
Fresno Pacific is partnering with Madera County’s Chawanakee Unified to offer qualified students guaranteed admission and a minimum financial aid package – the university’s second such partnership.
The university plans to have financial aid workshops and on-the-spot admission days for the students from Minarets High School, Minarets Charter High School and Chawanakee Academy Charter.
Fresno Pacific recently partnered with Chaffey Joint Union High School District in Ontario, California.
But the agreement with Chawanakee Unified also includes a teacher pipeline program to support students who are interested in becoming teachers; FPU offers programs that can lead to teacher credentials and degrees in education.
“Once they graduate from FPU, some of those students could come right back to Minarets or other schools in the Chawanakee Unified School District system,” Jon Endicott, vice president for enrollment management and student services at FPU, said in a media release.
Safe Kids Central California, a coalition led by Valley Children’s Hospital, recently recognized Fresno Unified for its work to prevent injuries, the district said in a media release.
Through awareness and training, FUSD has provided trauma training for high school students, pedestrian and car safety education for students and parents, safety presentations to the district’s Parent University and car seat checkup events on its campuses.
“Our injury prevention events do not happen without partnerships like we have with Fresno Unified School District.,” said Dr. Shannon Castle, trauma medical director at Valley Children’s Healthcare. “For years, their enthusiasm in providing venues for events and training students to teach others has allowed safety training to stretch throughout and beyond the district.”
The Fresno County Superintendent of Schools expects more than 1,000 students to attend the 16th Annual African American Student Leadership Conference on Tuesday.
The conference, which is closed to the public, will be in person for the first time since the pandemic. Under the theme “BE Black Excellence,” the event will feature a college and career fair, the opportunity for students to rotate between workshops on self-esteem and character development and a keynote address from Christopher Emdin, a professor and author from the University of Southern California.
“Our ancestors knew nothing short of excellence and left that expectation for all of us to pursue and achieve,” conference coordinator Angelia Barfield said in the program booklet. The time is now to ‘BE Black Excellence’ in all you do.”
STILL WANT MORE EDUCATION NEWS? HERE’S WHAT WE’VE BEEN READING
The College Board Strips Down Its A.P. Curriculum for African American Studies
Following pushback from Florida Governor DeSantis, the College Board released a revised curriculum for a proposed AP African American Studies course that omitted scholars affiliated with critical race theory and made covering topics like Black Lives Matter optional. | The New York Times
California bill would ban ‘willful defiance’ suspensions in all grades
A bill introduced by State Senator Nancy Skinner, D-Berkeley, would eliminate a type of school suspension that’s been found to disproportionately affect Black male students in California. | EdSource
USDA announces rigorous new school nutrition standards
Starting in the fall of 2024, schools will have to shift toward primarily offering whole-grains. In the fall of 2025, new limits will be placed on added sugars and sodium content. | The Washington Post
What one NYC educator’s grief reveals about teachers’ struggles
And while the youth mental health crisis mounts, so does the toll for educators on the frontlines — especially as clinical shortages force teachers like Modeste to manage alone. Traction is building for student supports, but some worry teachers are being left behind — a direct hit to learning recovery. | The 74
What’s Behind the Push for a $60K Base Teacher Salary
The bill’s supporters are hopeful it could be a major step forward in bolstering the teacher pipeline and preventing school staffing shortages. | Education Week
Meet the 5 Teachers Being Considered for National Teacher of the Year
The teacher who receives the national honor will be granted a yearlong sabbatical to represent the profession and advocate for an issue of choice.| Education Week
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