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 and suspending him when he could not wear one; a district extending vaccine mandates to eligible students; and schools struggling to follow safety protocols that are more confusing 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.

“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. 

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. 

“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 to start taking back control over our schools.”

Hear from September 14 recall candidates: 

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

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Classroom headlines

• LAUSD orders all teachers and staff to be fully vaccinated by Oct. 15

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• Culver City Unified to require eligible students, teachers to get vaccinated

• California’s kids continue to be used as political pawns

• High school suspends student for no mask despite medical exemption

• LAUSD’s health screening system fails on first day but can’t snuff out excitement

• Pandemic lockdowns caused huge student learning losses and widened achievement gaps

• Some San Diego County schools are breaking the state’s K-12 mask mandate

• Schools’ quarantine protocols are a lot more confusing than last year

• How parents are holding schools accountable for politicizing public education

Union news

• California unions for firefighters, blue collar workers challenge Newsom’s vaccine rules

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Other things we’re reading

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Connect with CPC

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