Many California students returned to class this week. For some, it was the first time inside a classroom in over a year. 

August 20, 2021
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The typical back-to-school-day excitement and anxiety went into overdrive this week, when many California kids returned to the classroom for the first time since March 2020.

The Los Angeles Unified School District, as well as districts up and down the state, reopened their doors, providing students much-needed in-person instruction. And while the return was hardly normal and included many hiccups — particularly in Los Angeles, where a crashed health pass app created lines wrapping around buildings and forced students to miss morning classes — it was a positive step for parents and students who’ve felt increasingly ignored and dismissed by their public schools.

And while parents deserve much credit for their determination to reopen schools, now is not the time to let up. This week alone showed a school ignoring a student’s mask exemption ([link removed]) and suspending him when he could not wear one; a district extending vaccine mandates ([link removed]) to eligible students; and schools struggling to followsafety protocols that are more confusing ([link removed]) than even those of the previous year.

As Celeste Fiehler, the newest member to join the Parent Union’s growing team, explains, parents may feel helpless in today’s public school system, but there are concrete steps they can take to counter the might of teachers unions.


Support the California Policy Center. Donate Today. ([link removed])

“As I prepare my family for this school year and potential turmoil that might follow the Sept. 14 recall election, I know there are things I and other parents can do to take back control of our children’s education, and influence it for the better,” she wrote in an opinion piece for the Desert Sun. ([link removed])

She encouraged parents to attend school board meetings, organize rallies, pen op-eds, and join one of the many growing grassroots movements of parents in California, such as the Parent Union ([link removed]) .

“Teachers' unions have shown us over the past year how much control they have over politicians and our schools.I hope you’ll join me at the Parent Union ([link removed]) to start taking back control over our schools.”

Hear from September 14 recall candidates:

New responses have been addedto our candidate questionnaire ([link removed]) . Learn where the candidates vying to replace Governor Gavin Newsom stand on important issues, from school reopenings to union influence in Sacramento. Read here ([link removed]) .

More from CPC
* Updated: Recall Newsom candidates weigh in on top issues ([link removed])
* Newsom’s true opponent? Water and fire ([link removed])
* America’s automotive future ([link removed])
* What would a centrist do? ([link removed])
* Listen: Where there’s smoke, there’s COVID-19 ([link removed])

CPC and allies in the news
* Teachers have their unions. The pandemic shows why parents need one, too. ([link removed])
* Public service should be a noble calling, not a road to riches ([link removed])

Classroom headlines
* LAUSD orders all teachers and staff to be fully vaccinated by Oct. 15 ([link removed])
* California needs to focus more on finding - and paying - effective teachers ([link removed])
* Culver City Unified to require eligible students, teachers to get vaccinated ([link removed])
* California’s kids continue to be used as political pawns ([link removed])
* High school suspends student for no mask despite medical exemption ([link removed])
* LAUSD’s health screening system fails on first day but can’t snuff out excitement ([link removed])
* Pandemic lockdowns caused huge student learning losses and widened achievement gaps ([link removed])
* Some San Diego County schools are breaking the state’s K-12 mask mandate ([link removed])
* Schools’ quarantine protocols are a lot more confusing than last year ([link removed])
* How parents are holding schools accountable for politicizing public education ([link removed])

Union news
* California unions for firefighters, blue collar workers challenge Newsom’s vaccine rules ([link removed])
* OC Sheriff’s Department, Fire Authority unions oppose coronavirus vaccine mandate ([link removed])

Other things we’re reading
* Irvine becomes first city in O.C. to pledge carbon neutrality ([link removed])
* California fishermen say a new air quality rule could put them out of business. Here’s why ([link removed])
* Southern Californians need affordable energy options, not bans ([link removed])
* California enacted a groundwater law 7 years ago. But wells are still drying up - and the threat is spreading ([link removed])
* Another big S.F. company is vacating its corporate headquarters ([link removed])

Connect with CPC

Want to keep up with CPC and our partners during the week? Follow us on Twitter ([link removed]) , join our Facebook ([link removed]) community, and sign up to be part of the growing Parent Union ([link removed]) .


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