With many California school districts just three or four weeks away from fall instruction the state superintendent of schools held a virtual press conference to give an update and to say he knows many parents and teachers are eagerly awaiting to know their district's plan. But he also praised those districts who are taking the time to make the right decision.
"I appreciate the concerns raised by teachers who say, let's make sure that we get this right. That we cannot guess. We have to follow facts and data that we know to be true and any place that where there's uncertainty we should proceed with caution. In many cases that's going to mean opening in distance learning until we have more information."
Thurmond mentioned that many districts are opting for full-time online distance learning amid the coronavirus pandemic. And he feels that's the smart move for much of the state.
Last month, the California Department of Education released 62 pages of guidelines for districts on how to safely reopen.
Thurmond acknowledged the safest way forward for much of the state is to keep classrooms closed for now, and pivot to some in-person instruction if and when coronavirus conditions improve.
