Health issue
joint guidance
on the coronavirus to school districts.
Colleges in California and nationally
move to
online instruction in response to the coronavirus. The California
Department of Education
receives
a USDA waiver that enables districts to feed students during
coronavirus-related closures.
Newsom signs
executive order
assuring closed schools remain funded as schools throughout the state
announce closures and distance learning
begins.
State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond
advises districts
to plan for providing distance learning through the end of the school
year.
Colleges
begin to announce
plans not to resume classes in person. CSU, UC later
announce
decision to keep most fall classes online.
EdSource analysis
shows wide disparities in how much school districts will receive
through federal CARES Act.
Newsom projects a $54 billion deficit and $19 billion less in
Proposition 98 funding over two years for schools and community
colleges. Proposed budget
slashes funding for preschool and child care plans, teacher development
programs.
Superintendents of urban California districts pen
open letter to lawmakers saying proposed budget cuts will
set back restarting school.
College graduates forced to abandon the traditional celebrations and
ceremonies associated with graduation
turn to
families or even video games to mark their accomplishments.
In Los Angeles,
Oakland, West Contra Costa County
, Sacramento and San Francisco, K-12 officials
reconsider
whether police should be in schools and activists urge for their
removal in the wake of the George Floyd killing.
A spike in Covid-19 cases
prompts
more districts to plan for online education for the beginning of the
2020-2021 school year.
State
imposes
strict regulations for school opening and closing based on counties on
state’s monitoring list. Establishes
waiver process
to allow some elementary schools to reopen.
In response to new regulations, many school districts
abandon plans
for fall hybrid learning and in-person classes.
Los Angeles Unified
reaches deal
with teachers over distance learning while other districts struggle to
finalize plans.
State health officials release first health and safety
guidance
for how colleges and universities can reopen, but most classes must be
offered remotely and have other restrictions in place.
State-issued
guidance
permitting limited openings will apply to districts in counties on the
coronavirus watch list, where schools are shut down, followed by
guidance
allowing small cohorts of 14 students and two adults for special
education, homeless and foster students.
Los Angeles Unified announces
plan
to offer coronavirus testing to all students, staff.
Power outages
due to a heat wave hit California as school resumes virtually across
the state.
Almost all colleges and universities
open
with few in-person classes, but dorms still house students and some
campuses plan for testing and contact tracing.
Newsom
introduces
four-tiered color coded county tracking system to replace the previous
monitoring list for counties. The “Blueprint for a Safer Economy”
tracks counties by the number of Covid-19 cases recorded each day and
the percentage of positive cases out of the total number of tests
administered, both averaged over seven days. The system has had a
major impact on a school’s ability to reopen for in-person
instruction.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture
reverses
earlier plans, allows schools to continue offering free grab-and-go
meals to any student, regardless of eligibility, as they did over the
summer.
Lucerne Valley Elementary in San Bernardino County is one of the first
public schools in the state to get approval to
reopen
under state’s waiver program.
“Leading school superintendents
call on Newsom
to impose a “common standard” for reopening schools in California.”
Joe Biden is elected 46th president of the United States, with
arguably the most ambitious education agenda of any president.
California voters
reject
Proposition 16 to restore affirmative action as well as
Proposition 15
to raise commercial property taxes denying schools more revenue from
this source in the future.
As Newsom “sounds the alarm,”
pandemic surge
puts 28 more counties in the “purple” tier, putting opening of regular
classrooms on hold for millions of California students.
Assembly leaders
press
for all districts to resume in-school teaching in the spring.
Congress
approves
$900 billion Covid-19 relief package, including $82 billion for K-12
and colleges, plus $22 billion for Covid-19 testing that could help to
reopen schools. Of the $82 billion, $6.5 billion went to California
for K-12 schools.
Newsom announces
“Safe Schools For All” plan
, which allowed in-person instruction in counties in “purple” tier
with daily case rate of less than 25, and a $2 billion
incentive program
to bring back in-person instruction for elementary grades and students
with special needs in prioritized categories by mid-February.
Supporters of former President Donald Trump storm the United States
Capitol in a riot. California educators
condemn and reflect
on what many call an “insurrection.”
Gov. Gavin Newsom proposes a new state budget increasing funding to
California colleges to stabilize tuition rates, provide emergency aid,
and “re-engage” students who have dropped out due to the Covid-19
pandemic. The budget also proposes $4.6 billion for summer school
programs.
Teachers and other school employees in Mariposa County are among the
first in the state to be vaccinated against Covid-19.
announces plans
to create a permanent, virtual K-12 academy, citing concerns about the
pandemic’s impact.
Newsom announces the creation of Safe Schools for All Hub, a site
providing resources to school districts regarding California’s Covid-19
strategies.
Covid-19 death toll passes 400,000 in the U.S., CDC announces.
In a news conference, Newsom announces streamlined vaccination efforts,
including an age-based eligibility system and putting teachers high on
the state’s priority vaccination list.
The California Commission on Teacher Credentialing extends a waiver
allowing those in preparation programs to continue teaching as they
finish their credentials, the latest move to combat a teacher shortage
during the pandemic.
Covid-19 death toll in the U.S. surpasses 500,000, CDC announces.
The Biden administration confirms all schools must resume annual
standardized testing, with modifications to protect against Covid. The
requirement had been suspended in March 2020.
The California Department of Public Health reports that infection rates
have fallen significantly, allowing many elementary schools to begin
reopening.
The California Legislature approves a plan providing $2 billion in
incentives for districts that reopen for in-person learning beginning
April 1, starting with the earliest grades first.
President Joe Biden signs the $2 trillion
American Rescue Plan
allocating about $15 billion to K-12 schools in California to combat the
pandemic and related recession.
One-year anniversary of the World Health Organization (WHO) declaring
Covid-19 a global pandemic.
The federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) updates
guidelines on distancing in schools in elementary schools. Elementary
schoolers can safely distance from 3 feet, while middle and high schools
should maintain a distance of 6 feet.
U.S. Department of Education announces California is behind on returning
to in-person instruction.
CDC announces that about 80% of K-12 staff, teachers, staff and child
care workers have received at least their first dose of the Covid
vaccine.
Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD), the second-largest school
district in the nation,
reopens for in-person learning
after facing lawsuits and criticism from a group of parents for not
reopening sooner.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture announces that it will continue
reimbursing schools and child care centers for free meals, a move
serving food insecure families during the pandemic.
The University of California system announces it will no longer consider
SAT or ACT scores in scholarship or admissions decisions.
California announces a plan to spend $6 billion to expand broadband
internet access to thousands of students underserved by private internet
service providers during distance learning.
State rescinds mandate requiring schools to send home children who
refuse to wear a mask, announcing that it will allow schools to decide
what to do.
The University of California system announces that it will require
students, faculty and staff to show proof of vaccination against Covid.
The California State University System announces that all faculty,
students and staff will be required to show proof of vaccination.
CDC updates masking guidance, recommending masking indoors and in high
transmission areas, amid a surge in the Covid virus’s new delta variant.
Several California community colleges, including ones in the Los Angeles
Community College District and Los Rios Community College District,
implement vaccine mandates amid surging cases.
California becomes the first state in the nation to
require school staff
to be vaccinated against Covid or undergo weekly testing.
Culver City Unified, in west Los Angeles, announces that it will require
all students to be vaccinated against and undergo weekly testing,
becoming the first school district in California to do so.
Several rural districts in California close schools, following an
increase in cases of the delta variant of Covid-19.
The Los Angeles Unified school board votes to require all students 12
and older to be fully vaccinated against Covid-19, becoming the largest
public school district to do so.
The chancellor of the California Community College system announces
student enrollment has dropped below 2 million students for the first
time in over 30 years due to the pandemic.
A judge rules that California students with disabilities can resume
independent study after Assembly Bill 130 was passed, requiring all
schools to provide in-person classes. The bill made an exception for
those who qualified for independent study, but shut out several students
who had various disabilities preventing them from wearing a mask or
making them susceptible to Covid.
The UC system announces it will stick with test-free admissions and will
not replace the SAT and ACT with a new exam.
CDC announces the death toll in the U.S. has surpassed 800,000.
Several school districts, including Los Angeles Unified and West Contra
Costa Unified, announce plans to delay vaccine mandate deadlines.
CDC updates quarantine and isolation guidelines, and California
announces the state will follow them.
CDC reports 1 million active Covid cases in the U.S, the highest daily
total of any country.
About 900 teachers and aides stage a “sickout” to protest the lack of
Covid-19 protections in San Francisco public schools in the midst of a
surge of cases.
Gov. Gavin Newsom announces that funding for schools and community
colleges will increase to over $100 million in the midst of a pandemic
affecting state revenue.
Newsom signs an executive order loosening state regulations for
substitute teachers to combat staffing shortages.
“sickout”
protest by several teachers at a West Contra Costa Unified middle
school, over half of Stege Elementary school’s teachers call out to
protest Covid-19 policies.
Oakland-based research group Children Now releases report card detailing
the effects of the pandemic, wildfires and racial injustice on
children’s education and mental health.
Several CSU and UC campuses suspend in-person classes following a surge
of cases.
San Diego State University sees a record number of fall 2022 applicants,
indicating a bounce back to pre-pandemic levels.
The chancellor of the CSU system announces tuition will not increase for
the 2022-23 school year as many students continue to face financial
struggles due to the pandemic.
A panel for the CSU system recommends eliminating SAT and ACT exams for
admission, following several colleges across the nation during the
pandemic.
EdSource reports that graduation rates held steady during the pandemic.
CDC issues new rating system allowing most students in K-12 schools to
remove masks indoors.
Covid-19 deaths worldwide surpass 6 million.
Two year anniversary of when the World Health Organization declared the
coronavirus a global pandemic.
California ends school mask mandate.
President Joe Biden proposes $88.3 billion dollars in new discretionary
funds for American colleges, a 16% increase from the previous year.
Almost 1 million Covid deaths have been reported in the U.S.
The National Institute for Early Education Research at Rutgers announces
state-based preschool programs suffered from massive pandemic-related
losses, including enrollment decline and loss of state funding.
Biden and the Department of Education announce an extension of the
student loan payment pause until Aug. 31. The pandemic-era policy
assisted millions of borrowers nationwide.
College students introduce a bill to add a 24-hour mental health hotline
number on student ID cards due to the growing mental health crisis
associated with the pandemic and other social justice issues.
U.S. Covid deaths top 1 million.
Newsom announces a revised state budget allocating $128 billion to
schools and community colleges in the state, $20 billion more than
initially proposed. The new budget is slated to provide $3.3 billion for
districts affected by inconsistent attendance due to new Covid variants.
The Public Policy Institute of California reveals that science
instruction decreased in K-12 schools across the state during the
pandemic. More than 200 districts were surveyed, citing teacher burnout
related to the pandemic and a lack of funding for science, technology,
engineering and math programs.
California to provide free lunch to all K-12 students, expanding on the
USDA’s pandemic-era universal meal program.
Several public universities and colleges begin in-person instructions
with few Covid restrictions.
As educators worry about the pandemic’s effect on students, the state
Department of Education announces it will delay release of standardized
test scores from the previous year, prompting a public outcry.
California Department of Education
announces it will release
standardized test scores projected to show declines related to global
pandemic. This is a contrast from the initial announcement indicating a
delay.
EdSource reports that California students have performed significantly
worse on state standardized states, highlighting another one of the
pandemic’s impacts on education.
CSU board of trustees abandons a plan to require a fourth year of math
for admission, citing pandemic-related concerns.
Gov. Gavin Newsom proposes a budget decrease for California Community
Colleges and K-12 schools, while continuing to allocate funding for
“learning recovery from Covid.”
Officials from the Department of Public Health announce plans to end the
Covid vaccine mandate for school children.
Several elementary schools in Marin County institute a temporary mask
mandate following an uptick in cases.
CDC adds Covid-19 vaccine to recommended immunization schedule for
children ages 6-17.
CalFresh announces it will end two temporary exceptions allowing more
students to qualify for CalFresh during the pandemic.
Despite hopes of return to a “pre-pandemic normalcy,” state data reports
a decline in TK-12 enrollment.
Randi Weingarten, president of the American Federation of Teachers,
testifies in front of Congress regarding Covid-related closures at
schools.
World Health Organization announces that Covid-19 is no longer
considered a global pandemic.
CalMatters reports that the Golden State Education and Training Grant
Program, which allows those affected by job loss due to Covid to enroll
in a college program, is set to end by June 15 in order to combat
ongoing budget deficit.
School officials and union leaders for Los Angeles Unified reach
agreement to extend winter breaks. If ratified, the measure will extend
the school year in hopes of combating Covid-related learning loss.
State Legislature mandates a change in literacy standards, hoping to
combat reading loss.
In a 6-3 decision, the U.S. Supreme Court rules President Joe Biden
lacked the authority to implement a plan erasing $400 billion in college
student debt, leaving millions of people affected by financial woes
during the pandemic in a limbo.
The Legislature announces two bills to combat a teacher shortage
exacerbated by the pandemic, including one set to pay student teachers
for their required 600 hours of instruction.
plans to sue Stanford researchers
to prevent them from testifying in a suit alleging that the state failed
to prevent learning loss for low-income and other high-risk groups. Some
professors from the university planned to testify regarding the effects
of the pandemic on chronic absenteeism and student engagement/enrollment
measures.
Reversing course, the department announces it will not pursue a lawsuit
against the Stanford researchers.
Chancellor for California Community Colleges announces enrollment has
increased, bouncing back after years of pandemic-related declines.
Los Angeles Unified School District announces it will no longer require
employees be vaccinated against the coronavirus. The mandate was under
controversy as many claimed it was discriminatory.
CAASPP Smarter Balanced assessments reveal that districts have done
little to reverse learning loss due to the pandemic. The learning loss
disproportionately affected Black, Latino and economically disadvantaged
students.
Gov. Gavin Newsom proposes a rainy day fund to protect California
colleges from expected budget shortfalls.
Los Angeles Unified loosens Covid restrictions, allowing children and
school to return to school if symptoms are mild.
A study published by the New England Journal of Medicine finds that long
Covid will have lasting effects on IQ levels and cognitive ability of
schoolchildren.
California Community Colleges reports that the system has lost more than
$5 million due to fraudulent registrations, a trend that has seen an
increase since the pandemic.
Trump-appointed judge in the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals rules
that Los Angeles Unified employees can sue the district over expired
Covid policies. The suit had been thrown out by a lower court as the
rules were no longer in effect.
The New York Times reports that $190 billion given to schools to help
students recover from pandemic-related learning loss did little to
improve test scores.
Toddlers and babies born during the pandemic suffered from significant
developmental delays due to its effects, the New York Times reports.
Los Angeles Unified superintendent announces that the district has
recovered from some learning loss during the pandemic, with reading
scores showing English proficiency increasing from 41% to 43%. Math
scores also rose by 2 percentage points.
Study by Northwest Evaluation Association reports that a significant
number of eighth graders are approximately a year behind in learning
progress due to the pandemic.
EdWeek reports that district administrators have until Sept. 30 to claim
share of Covid-related federal aid set aside to assist homeless
students.
CSU system announces 461,000 enrolled students, the largest number since
the beginning of the pandemic.
State data indicates improving scores on standardized tests, but not to
pre-pandemic levels. Government officials say the scores show that
districts are making up for learning loss.
The Center on Reinventing Public Education gives California a D grade on
its reporting of the effects of Covid on students.
EdSource reports that several schools and colleges around California
will receive over $45 billion in bonds for construction in a “post-Covid
vote of confidence.”
West Contra Costa district announces it will cut several administrative
and staff positions due to a budget deficit, citing declining enrollment
and expiration of Covid-relief grants as causes.