News & Views: Schools Reopen, Masks & Vaccinations Still Differ by District.

News 

One big thing: Most districts have already welcomed students back to school! 

• President Biden and Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona spoke publicly and sent letters to the Governors of Texas and Florida emphasizing the need to allow students and teachers to wear masks while at school. (NY Times, USA Today, Politico, Politico)

• • Tennessee specifics: Chalkbeat TN, Commercial Appeal, The Tennessean 
  • Texas specifics: Wall Street Journal, Fox News, ABC News, Texas Tribune, Washington Post, Beaumont Enterprise, Houston Chronicle, The Dallas Morning News, Texas Tribune, CNN

 

• California is the first state to require Covid-19 vaccinations or require weekly Covid-19 testing for school-related staff and students. (NY Times, NBC LA, CBS LA, LA Daily News, CalMatters). LAUSD also issued a vaccination mandate for all employees. (LA Times, NBC LA, Fox LA)

 

Views

• Commercial Appeal (Laura Testino): How will parents know about COVID-19 outbreaks in Memphis-area schools? They might not.  AND Chalkbeat (Marta Aldrich & Annie Fu): Tennessee’s pandemic test scores dropped, but especially in Memphis and Nashville

 

• LA Times (Laura Newberry, Howard Blume, Melissa Gomez): $350 million. 500,000 weekly tests. Inside LAUSD’s virus testing effort

 

• Washington Post (Greg Sargent, Opinion Columnist): A Trumpist governor’s anti-mask campaign just got worse. Biden must respond. 

 

• NY Times (Claire Miller, The UpShot Reporter): Reopening Plans for the 100 Biggest School Districts Are Changing Fast 

 

• Politico (Juan Perez Jr. & Daniel Payne, Education Reporters): Inside the vaccination fight that’s dividing teachers unions