COVID-19 Policy Update #247
COVID-19 Policy Update
TUESDAY 5/4
May the 4th Be With You
TOP THREE
Pfizer: FDA could approve the Pfizer vaccine for teens 12-15 this week or early next week.
SEL: Via Fordham: Developing students’ social and emotional skills may be more important now than ever
The Liberals Who Can’t Quit Lockdown: Via Emma Green at The Atlantic
"But this is a different story, about progressives who stressed the scientific evidence, and then veered away from it."
"For many progressives, extreme vigilance was in part about opposing Donald Trump. Some of this reaction was born of deeply felt frustration with how he handled the pandemic. It could also be knee-jerk. “If he said, ‘Keep schools open,’ then, well, we’re going to do everything in our power to keep schools closed,” Monica Gandhi, a professor of medicine at UC San Francisco, told me."
"Even as scientific knowledge of COVID-19 has increased, some progressives have continued to embrace policies and behaviors that aren’t supported by evidence, such as banning access to playgrounds, closing beaches, and refusing to reopen schools for in-person learning."
"Consider the experience of Somerville, Massachusetts, the kind of community where residents proudly display rainbow yard signs declaring in this house … we believe science is real. In the 2016 Democratic primary, 57 percent of voters there supported Bernie Sanders, and this year the Democratic Socialists of America have a shot at taking over the city council. ... A group of moms—including scientists, pediatricians, and doctors treating COVID-19 patients—began to feel frustrated that Somerville schools weren’t welcoming back students. They considered themselves progressive and believed that they understood teachers’ worries about getting sick. But they saw the city’s proposed safety measures as nonsensical and unscientific—a sort of hygiene theater that prioritized the appearance of protection over getting kids back to their classrooms."
"In Somerville, a local leader appeared to describe parents who wanted a faster return to in-person instruction as “fucking white parents” in a virtual public meeting; a community member accused the group of mothers advocating for schools to reopen of being motivated by white supremacy."
"In March, Erika Uyterhoeven, the democratic-socialist state representative for Somerville, compared the plight of teachers to that of Amazon workers and meatpackers, and described the return to in-person classes as part of a “push in a neoliberal society to ensure, over and above the well-being of educators, that our kids are getting a competitive education compared to other suburban schools.”
COVID-19 RESEARCH
AAP: State-Level Data Report as of 4/29
3,782,724 total child COVID-19 cases reported, and children represented 13.8% of all cases
Children were 1.2%-3.1% of total reported hospitalizations, and between 0.1%-1.9% of all child COVID-19 cases resulted in hospitalization
Children were 0.00%-0.21% of all COVID-19 deaths
$100 as an Incentive to Get a Shot? Experiment Suggests It Can Pay Off: Via NYT
"A cash reward works best with Democrats, and relaxing safety guidelines seems to motivate Republicans, a survey study shows."
"The U.C.L.A. project, which is still going on, has interviewed more than 75,000 people over the last 10 months. This collaboration between doctors and social scientists at U.C.L.A. and Harvard measures people’s pandemic experiences and attitudes along political and economic dimensions, while also charting their physical and mental health and well-being."
STATE
California:
LAUSD staff scraps plan to extend 2021-22 school year by two weeks
75% of teacher voted to keep the schedule as is.
San Diego school districts still face deficits despite flood of COVID funds
"COVID relief funds may be masking structural budget deficits, county office says"
"Of the county’s 42 school districts, 27 are expecting to spend more than they take in this school year, according to interim budget letters sent by the San Diego County Office of Education to school districts in mid-April."
"The county office noted that at least two districts — Mountain Empire Unified and San Ysidro Elementary — are using a significant portion of their COVID relief money to pay for salaries and benefits of existing employees.
"In some cases the COVID relief money may simply be masking those deficits and giving districts more time to make cuts rather than having to cut a lot all in one year, Simonson said."
Maryland: Baltimore County Public Schools will offer virtual learning this fall.
New York:
NYC Public Schools will have remote learning instead of snow days next school year
Diocese of Brooklyn to offer in-person or online learning options for the fall
Oklahoma: The state us investing $14 million in summer learning to recover from disruption of pandemic.
"Summer programs should take a “whole child” holistic approach to aid student recovery, Hofmeister said. They should address academic loss and provide food, extracurricular activities and mental health support."
INTERNATIONAL
Canada:
Students in Ontario will continue to be offered the option of virtual learning next year
Ontario students to receive year-round mental health support during pandemic
"Education Minister Stephen Lecce is set to announce an $80 million fund for school boards to hire up to 1,000 additional mental health workers for the next two years."
UK: ONS released updated COVID numbers for schools:
During March 15-31 0.34% of secondary school pupils tested positive for current infection compared with 0.19% of secondary school staff
ECONOMIC RECOVERY
Mother's Day Stimulus: Americans plan to spend an average of $220.48 on Mother's Day this year, up $16 from last year, and 83% of consumers plan to celebrate the holiday, according to a survey from NRF and Prosper Insights & Analytics.
Nearly 1.5 Million Mothers Are Still Missing From the Workforce: Good piece from the WSJ
"A Wall Street Journal analysis of Census Bureau data shows that mothers are re-entering the labor force—defined as people 16 and older who are working or actively looking for work—more slowly than fathers."
"Factors including access to child care, a lack of attractive jobs, the demands of home and virtual schooling, and health concerns are likely affecting mothers’ employment. The participation rates of women with children under the age of five have fluctuated the most, Census Bureau data show."
LEARNING PODS
Wilmington Pods: Will stay open over the summer.
"The Delaware Racial Justice Collaborative (DRJC), a statewide group of community-based organizations committed to eliminating systemic racism in Delaware and overseen by the United Way of Delaware, has announced that some of those pods, including the five in high-needs Comcast Lift Zones, will continue to serve students after the school year ends."
RESOURCES
Parent Polling: Good summary of the various polls by Public Impact
New Tutoring Coalition Launches Effort to Reach 4 Million Children: Announcement. Proventutoring.com.
Participating organizations include: AARP Foundation; Future Forward; Lesley University and The Ohio State University; Lindamood-Bell; Benedict Silverman Foundation; University of North Carolina; Success for All; Foundation; University of Oregon; Reading & Math, Inc.; Fuchs Tutoring; and Saga Education.
All These Balls: Are the same color