Governor calls reopening schools a ‘bottom up’ process, promises guidance for summer camps and summer school in next week

Acknowledging that many children – including his own – have been asking about summer camp and summer school options, Gov. Newsom said the state expects to issue guidance in the next week about how those programs could safely open. However, like school reopening in the fall, he said decisions to open summer schools and summer camps should be made regionally, based on input from public health officials.

Before releasing the summer school an summer camp guidance, he said the state is working to “make sure it’s an inclusive process” so that people are comfortable with it and there are “no big surprises.” As the state begins to open other businesses with modifications, Newsom said he hopes schools will also be able to open “in a safe and responsible way” that protects teachers, support staff, students and parents.

To plan for schools reopening, Newsom said he has been working with teachers’ union officials, state Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond, State Board of Education President Linda Darling-Hammond and others to create a “bottom up” process instead of one that is “top down.” The guidance to be released later for schools reopening in the fall, he said, will include “flexibility required to address learning loss and to address the disruption of the school year.”

Newsom also affirmed the principle of local control of schools. “We have over a thousand school districts in the state of California, independently led, with a deep appreciation and recognition that localism is profound as much as it is pronounced. The LCFF process that was developed under the previous administration went very specifically to this framework, and advanced that cause I think in an appropriate way.”

Audio Clip: Gov. Newsom addresses summer programs, and new guidance for schools expected next week during his daily briefing on May 22, 2020