L.A., San Diego schools to resume online-only instruction in August
Fox News medical correspondent Dr. Marc Siegel and former White House physician Dr. Ronny Jackson provide insight into political leadership surrounding reopening communities and schools amid the coronavirus outbreak.
(Reuters) - The Los Angeles and San Diego unified school districts announced plans on Monday to resume instruction in August with online teaching only, citing “skyrocketing” coronavirus infection rates in California during the past few weeks.
Los Angeles and San Diego rank as the two largest public school districts in California, with about 706,000 students and 88,000 employees combined on more than 1,500 campuses overall. Los Angeles is the second-largest school district in the United States.
The two districts closed their schools and shifted to online instruction in mid-March as the coronavirus outbreak was spreading in California, days before Governor Gavin Newsom issued the nation’s first statewide stay-at-home orders and mandatory workplace closures.
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In Monday’s joint announcement, the Los Angeles school district said it will resume online instruction for the new academic year on Aug. 18, and San Diego will follow suit on Aug. 31.
Both districts said they would continue planning for a return to in-classroom lessons during the upcoming 2020-21 academic year, as soon as public health conditions allow.
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The joint statement said that much of prevailing scientific research and public health guidelines regarding the coronavirus pandemic are “vague and contradictory.” It also pointed to the countries that have safely reopened their schools, saying they have done so with declining infection rates and on-demand testing available.
“California has neither,” the statement said, adding, “The skyrocketing infection rates of the past few weeks make it clear the pandemic is not under control.”