Newsom signs executive order to close digital divide; small groups of students allowed to attend schools in-person

In an effort to close the so-called “digital divide” throughout the state and provide computers and internet access to all students and families who need them, Gov. Gavin Newsom on Friday announced that he has signed an executive order that calls for improvement in these areas. Newsom said during his noon press briefing that he is calling on broadband providers to improve their efforts to make internet services affordable and more widely available in all parts of the state.

https://twitter.com/CAgovernor/status/1294371525060001792?s=20

Newsom and Linda Darling-Hammond, president of the state Board of Education, also said the state expects to release new guidance within the next week that would allow schools to provide in-person instruction to small groups of vulnerable students who cannot be adequately served through distance learning, including those with special needs, even if they are located in counties on the state’s “monitoring list.” Darling-Hammond said she expects the guidance to be similar to guidance for child care centers, which are allowed to provide in-person care to small groups of students even in areas where schools are not allowed to reopen.

Newsom said the state has finished updating its backlog of cases that resulted in a data glitch and required the state to freeze the county monitoring list. Of the approximately 295,000 backlogged lab reports, he said there were 20,000 positive Covid-19 test results, which will be added retroactively to county databases by Monday, when the county monitoring list will be updated. This will allow counties to begin processing elementary school waivers, he said.