Written by Nicholas Vetrisek
San Diego City Councilman Chris Cate recently announced his new proposal for schools in response to the concerns voiced by parents following Gov. Newsom’s orders affecting all schools in San Diego.
In response to the concerns being voiced by parents & teachers, I am proposing a host of solutions both for in-person & distance learning. I had the opportunity to speak w/@jaimechambers from @fox5sandiego this afternoon about my proposal. Full Proposal: https://t.co/vyfeOuC7HT pic.twitter.com/OmrbI5oWzv
— Chris Cate (@chrisjcate) July 29, 2020
One of the main points in his proposal is having San Diego Unified School District apply for a waiver for reopening elementary schools in person once the San Diego County has been off the state monitoring list for two weeks. “I am requesting that SDUSD consider moving all students from an inside learning environment to an outside setting, reducing the risk of spreading COVID-19,” Cate explained.
Unfortunately, he later mentioned that SDUSD stated that it had no plans to apply for a waiver.
Another major aspect of his proposal is the creation of open air classrooms. He mentions that there is already a precedent for these going back to the 1930s when diseases like Tuberculosis were common. This would be an excellent compromise between those who want more precautions taken towards stopping the spread of the coronavirus, while allowing students to return to school safely.
In addition to other important policies such as reopening libraries and giving childcare tax credits, one of the most essential issues that Cate addressed in his proposal is charter schools. He wants to remove the public charter school enrollment cap and to update per pupil funding which the state foolishly made based on last year’s enrollment numbers as opposed to this year’s, which are far higher.
“District 6 residents are served by two school districts, seven high schools, eight middle schools, and 24 elementary schools. As a father myself, I understand the struggle families are going through right now with ensuring their children are receiving a quality education,” Councilman Cate added. “As legislators, we must ensure we provide as many options as possible, therefore, allowing parents to make the best decision for their family, and their children.”
These policies proposed by Cate, if instituted, would be a major step towards safely reopening schools and remedying the damage that COVID-19 caused to the education system.
