SAN FRANCISCO (AP) – The city of San Francisco took a dramatic step Wednesday in its effort to return children to public school classrooms, suing its own school district for trying to open doors amid the coronavirus pandemic .
Demand was the first of its kind in California and possibly in the country, as school systems are under increasing pressure from parents and politicians to end e-learning. Teachers ’unions in many large school districts, including San Francisco, say they will not return to classrooms until they are vaccinated.
City Attorney Dennis Herrera, backed by Mayor London Breed, said he sued the San Francisco Unified School District and the Board of Education as a last resort to save what’s left of the academic year. . They say it is safe to reopen schools and keep them closed harmed the well-being of children.
“No student at the San Francisco Public School has set foot in the classroom in 327 days,” Herrera said at a news conference, considering it shameful and illegal. “More than 54,000 schoolchildren in San Francisco suffer. The online school makes them Zoom-bies. That’s enough. “
The lawsuit highlights growing tension and fights nationwide between politicians insisting it is safe to return to schools with proper safety precautions and teachers who are at the forefront and who have not yet been vaccinated.
Although the vast majority of California public schools have been closed since March, San Francisco schools have been able to reopen since September. Herrera noted that nearly 90 percent of schools in neighboring Marin County, including public schools, have resumed face-to-face instruction and that 113 private and parish schools in San Francisco are also open.
The lawsuit says school administrators violate the state requirement that districts adopt a clear plan “to offer classroom instruction whenever possible” during the pandemic. A court order is being sought to force schools to prepare to offer face-to-face instruction and present a detailed plan, Herrera said.
School administrators called the lawsuit a disgrace.
“That’s not helpful,” said Vincent Matthews, the school district’s superintendent. “We’re all together in this San Francisco pandemic bubble, and turning to us isn’t helpful.”
He said at a news conference that the school board and district have been “working feverishly, fighting and pushing students’ return to face-to-face learning ”and that they“ absolutely have a comprehensive plan ”for reopening.
However, Matthews said he could not give a timeline due to fluctuating virus rates and lack of vaccines, for which California teachers are next. Some have started firing in rural areas.
In a recent study, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said there is little evidence of the spread of the virus in schools when precautions are taken, such as masks, distancing and proper ventilation.
Breed cites data showing that black, Latino, Asian, and low-income students have lost significant academic ground during distance learning, compared to white, wealthier students.
“Our children are suffering and the inequalities that existed before this pandemic have only gotten worse,” the mayor said.
Since the beginning of the pandemic, San Francisco has been at the forefront of COVID-19 restrictions. It was one of the first cities in the United States to order a closure as part of other aggressive measures and has the lowest infection rates in any urban area of California.
“We have been a national leader in our response to COVID. Let’s be national leaders so our kids can go back to school, ”Breed said.
He has repeatedly insisted that schools reopen and has criticized the board for focusing on less urgent issues, and more recently, his decision to change the name of 44 schools says it bears the name of people linked to racism, l slavery or sexism.
Educational board chair Gabriela Lopez says the board can do a variety of tasks.
“Our efforts to dismantle racist symbols and the culture of white supremacy do not diminish the council’s focus on other urgent matters,” Lopez said.
Herrera is scheduled to file a motion Feb. 11 to ask the San Francisco Superior Court to issue an emergency order. If granted, the order would require the district to formulate a detailed reopening plan. He said the district’s current plan “is ambiguous and empty rhetoric. It’s a plan to make one. It’s legally insufficient. “
Governor Gavin Newsom says he will not force schools to reopen, but wants to give them an incentive. He has proposed a $ 2 billion plan to give schools to quickly reopen additional funding for COVID-19 testing and other security measures. He has faced criticism from superintendents, unions and lawmakers, who say the timing and rules of the plan are unrealistic.
Newsom set aside direct comment on the San Francisco lawsuit, saying everyone is on the same page and wants to reopen schools safely.
“We’re analyzing the details to do that and I’m sure we’ll get there,” Newsom said.
___
Associated Press writer Janie Har contributed to this report.
___
This story has been corrected to show that the city attorney said the students have been out of classrooms for 327 days, not 347.