skip to main content
skip to newscasts

Friday, March 29, 2024

Public News Service Logo
facebook instagram linkedin reddit youtube twitter
view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

The latest on the Key Bridge collapse, New York puts forth legislation to get clean energy projects on the grid and Wisconsin and other states join a federal summer food program to help feed kids across the country.

view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

Republicans float conspiracy theories on the collapse of Baltimore's Key Bridge, South Carolina's congressional elections will use a map ruled unconstitutional, and the Senate schedules an impeachment trial for Homeland Secretary Mayorkas.

view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

Historic wildfires could create housing and health issues for rural Texans, a Kentucky program helps prison parolees start a new life, and descendants of Nicodemus, Kansas celebrate the Black settlers who journeyed across the 1870s plains seeking self-governance.

Teachers' Unions Critical of Bill to Require Schools to Reopen in March

play audio
Play

Friday, December 18, 2020   

SACRAMENTO, Calif - Teachers' unions want to see significant changes to a proposal they say would force schools in California to reopen in March as long as they're out of the "purple" tier, or most stringent level of COVID-19 restrictions.

Assembly Bill 10 will be taken up as an emergency measure when the California Legislature returns in January. California Federation of Teachers President Jeff Freitas wrote to state legislative leaders this week to oppose what he describes as a blanket mandate to reopen.

"The one line that we don't want to cross is to remove that authority of local control," said Freitas, in an interview. "Our school boards, our local stakeholders, our parents, our educators should have the right, the control and the data to make the decisions for themselves."

The letter notes that teachers want to return to class, but worry it may not be safe.

It calls on California to establish a statewide tracking system for outbreaks at schools as they reopen. It also points out that AB 10 contains no benchmarks for things like testing and contact tracing in schools.

Casey Carlson, a special-education teacher who serves as president of the Greater Santa Cruz Federation of Teachers, said she believes AB 10 fails to address many important issues.

"Funding is needed for adequate PPE," said Carlson. "Funding is needed for safe ventilation in school buildings, and for extra intervention that might be needed for students who have to catch up."

The bill is sponsored by several prominent Democrats in the Legislature.



Disclosure: California Federation of Teachers contributes to our fund for reporting on Civic Engagement, Early Childhood Education, Education, Social Justice. If you would like to help support news in the public interest, click here.


get more stories like this via email
more stories
The U.S. Supreme Court heard arguments this week about the popular abortion pill Mifepristone and will weigh in on whether the U.S. Food and Drug Administration was correct in how it can be dosed and prescribed. (Ascannio/Adobe Stock)

Health and Wellness

play sound

Missouri residents are worried about future access to birth control. The latest survey from The Right Time, an initiative based in Missouri…


Social Issues

play sound

Wisconsin children from low-income families are now on track to get nutritious foods over the summer. Federal officials have approved the Badger …

Social Issues

play sound

Almost 2,900 people are unsheltered on any given night in the Beehive State. Gov. Spencer Cox is celebrating signing nine bills he says are geared …


A 2022 report finds failing to speed up transmission beyond the current pace will increase 2030 U.S. greenhouse-gas emissions by 800 million tons per year. (Adobe Stock)

Environment

play sound

New York's Legislature is considering a bill to get clean-energy projects connected to the grid faster. It's called the RAPID Act, for "Renewable …

Health and Wellness

play sound

A recent report examined how some rural Tennessee hospitals have managed to stay afloat despite financial challenges. The report includes interviews …

Many factors affect a customer's bill amount, including energy usage, weather, and the number of days in a billing period, according to Arizona Public Service. (Jason Yoder/Adobe Stock)

Social Issues

play sound

Earlier this month, a new Arizona Public Service rate hike went into effect and one senior advocacy group said those on a fixed income may struggle …

Social Issues

play sound

Michigan recently implemented a significant juvenile justice reform package following recommendations from a task force made up of prosecutors…

Health and Wellness

play sound

Medicare and Medicaid are key sources of health coverage for many Americans and some people qualify for assistance under both programs. With lagging …

 

Phone: 303.448.9105 Toll Free: 888.891.9416 Fax: 208.247.1830 Your trusted member- and audience-supported news source since 1996 Copyright © 2021