With the Delta variant surging, most of this week’s education news understandably centered on COVID-19 protocols, including the new public health order requiring school staff to verify they’re vaccinated against COVID-19 or get tested regularly.
But on a lighter note, high school football is coming back, and the Orange County Register published its annual prep preview, featuring a preseason ranking of the county’s top 25 squads. The newspaper also offered a look at the top 150 impact players coming into the new season.
And here are some of the stories we’ve been tracking this week:
- California became the first state in the nation to announce that all teachers and school employees must show proof of vaccination against COVID-19 or get tested weekly. Schools will have until Oct. 15 to be in full compliance with the public health order.
- In Orange County, reactions to the state health order ran the gamut, according to the Register. While some parents called it a necessary step to protect students, others assailed the order as an example of government overreach.
- Meanwhile, the Voice of OC notes that COVID-19 vaccine verifications are becoming more common across Orange County. In addition to school staff, the state requires state employees and workers in the health care sector to show proof of vaccination or submit to regular testing.
- Some colleges and universities are also requiring proof of COVID-19 vaccination before students can attend in-person classes. But there are fresh concerns over fake CDC cards for those who refuse to get the shot.
- The Newport-Mesa Unified School District announced two new principals for Whittier Elementary School and the Cloud Campus virtual school.
- A petition seeking to nix the “Colonists” as Anaheim High School’s official symbol and mascot has collected more than 5,100 signatures, with some saying the name is insensitive to indigenous populations.
- The surge in coronavirus cases has sapped the joy out of back-to-school season for many families who are feeling uncertain and anxious about the new year, the Los Angeles Times reports.
- Meanwhile, the OCDE Newsroom has posted a rundown of all school start dates in Orange County for the 2021-22 academic year.
- With every school district in California gearing up for on-campus instruction five days a week, LAist has published a concise roundup of new state rules and how some districts intend to follow them.
- Gov. Gavin Newsom and state public health officials haven’t publicly discussed standards for closing campuses if they become hotspots for COVID-19 transmission, the Voice of OC reports.
- And finally, Spectrum News 1 reported on the four clean-energy electric buses that were recently added to the Anaheim Elementary School District’s transportation fleet. The acquisition was made possible by a grant from the California Energy Commission, and four more electric buses are coming to the district in the fall.
This is the part where we encourage you to keep up with local education news stories by bookmarking the OCDE Newsroom, subscribing for emailed updates and following us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.