California Schools Put to the Test: COVID-19 Testing and Safely Reopening Campuses

Despite the pandemic, California students are beginning to return to campuses for in-person instruction. In this episode, we connect with education leaders in San Diego and Napa counties to explore how schools in their regions are addressing key guidelines for reopening safely, including partnering with their county health departments to test employees for the COVID-19 virus.

OUR GUESTS:  

• Dr. Paul Gothold, San Diego County Superintendent of Schools. Dr. Gothold was appointed County Superintendent in 2017, after four years leading Lynwood USD in Los Angeles County. He has more than 25 years of experience in K-12 education with a focus on building school systems with equity at the core.  
• Josh Schultz, Deputy Superintendent and Chief Business Official for the Napa County Office of Education. Josh has served in the Napa COE  for the past 12 years. Prior to that he served as a director in the office of research at Sonoma State University. He also taught high school for seven years in Napa County. 

When and how best to safely reopen our schools for in-person instruction remains top of mind for students, families, educators, communities, and the whole state. It has also become highly politicized. Under California's color-tiered monitoring system, schools in many counties across the state are now eligible to resume in-person classes, as long as they follow guidelines for safety and physical distancing -- and many students are indeed back on campuses. Josh and Paul share challenges to reopening in their counties, strategies being utilized to address them, and protocols in place for when positive cases occur. 

Also, series host Paul Richman shares a few highlights from recent informational hearings in the state legislature.

• Assembly Budget Subcommittee No. 2 On Education Finance, Tuesday, October 27th, 2020
• Senate Joint Hearing Education and Special Committee on Pandemic Emergency Response Committees

JUST OUT: To help organizations, including schools, increase COVID-19 testing capacity, on Nov. 4 the California Department of Public Health issued a letter to school leaders and a Playbook regarding the new Valencia Laboratory state partnership.

MORE RESOURCES

• California’s COVID-19 website – COVID-19.ca.gov
• California Department of Education Coronavirus Response and School Reopening Guidance – CDE.CA.gov

ABOUT the CALIFORNIA ASSOCIATION OF SCHOOL BUSINESS OFFICIALS

CASBO is the premier resource for professional development and business best practices for California's school business leaders. Be sure to visit CASBO.org and check the “Learn” tab for more information about our many valuable professional development programs; @CASBO

Your series guide Paul Richman is a public education advocate and consultant; @pjr100.

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