Educators, officials examine hard lessons from pandemic in San Mateo County

Ting, a devout advocate for reopening schools, authored Assembly Bill 86, eventually signed by Gov. Gavin Newsom to offer $6.6 billion in financial aid for districts bringing students and teachers back to campus this year.

But even with improved health conditions and injection of resources, Ting noted obstacles still impede the path to reopening.

“The challenge we see right now is slowly getting everyone more comfortable with coming back to the classroom,” said Ting, recognizing those reservations are shared among students, families, teachers, administrators and support staffs on school sites.

To assuage those concerns, Magee repeated a refrain commonly shared throughout the reopening process — school settings where health and safety protocol is followed closely have proven to be safe environments.

Janet Holbrook, a first grade teacher at Las Lomitas Elementary School, supported that perspective. A teacher in a district among the county’s first to reopen, Holbrook said her school community’s collective agreement to follow medical guidance has been critical in stemming virus transmission.

Holbrook added the shared interest in keeping classrooms open motivated students to stay at appropriate distances, wash their hands frequently, wear masks and avoid large gatherings.

“Our families are abiding by the four pillars of the social contract and that is helping us stay in person,” she said.

Regarding masks, local medical professionals participating in the conversation said the safeguards have been critical in allowing schools to reopen. Looking ahead, Deputy County Health Officer Curtis Chan anticipated that masking will likely continue to be necessary for the coming months, even as vaccination availability ramps up.

Testing is expected to be a valuable resource in reopening too, and while teacher testing issues have largely been sorted, officials are examining innovative ways to screen for COVID-19 among local students.

Schools in East Palo Alto, Redwood City and Pescadero are among those where rapid antigen testing is being offered to students as part of a pilot program considered for more widespread implementation.

The shallow nasal swabs are self administered and results are available in 15 minutes. If a positive result is shown, a traditional test is performed to assure accuracy.

“We are hoping to catch any teachers or students, and especially teachers, who are positive before they enter the classroom,” said Phoebe Reid-Chambers, a school nurse in Redwood City, which is one of nine communities across the state participating in the pilot program.

For her part, Magee said the rapid testing initiative is just one on a menu of options designed to get students back to school in the quickest and safest fashion possible. Chan added participation in innovative programs is key for districts to work through logistical challenges, which will eventually better position schools for a smooth reopening in the fall.

Regarding starting the next school year, Ting said he expects a much more aggressive approach than the one taken last fall. And with the authority for schools to host remote learning expiring in June, Ting set his sights solely on in-person instruction.

To achieve his goal, Ting said he believes state lawmakers will need to be much more prescriptive in determining school operating standards.

“The state has to be very directive about what opening looks like in the fall,” said Ting.

His perspective aligns with concerns raised by some education officials who were underwhelmed by the guidance offered from Sacramento to school districts when the public health crisis grew more critical over the last year.

With concerns that school districts were granted too much flexibility in developing their own emergency response plans, Ting said lawmakers have learned the hard way that unified leadership is critical.

“When you are in a pandemic, you absolutely have to have a centralized response,” said Ting, who noted the absence of such an approach trickled down from the federal level to the state government.

But with hard lessons learned and health conditions steadily improving, Ting expressed optimism that the state has turned a corner and brighter school days are ahead.

“This has just been the year of all years and I’m just so thankful that we see the light at the end of the tunnel,” he said.

austin@smdailyjournal.com