Safely Reopening Schools

by Maria S. Salinas

The Chamber joined business leaders from across the state to support the Governor’s proposal for the safe reopening of schools in a press conference. We urged the implementation of safety protocols, including ample PPE (personal protective equipment), ventilation upgrades, mask wearing, distancing, staggard schedules, testing and hand washing, with the prioritization of schools in underserved communities to receive the help they need first. These schools already lacked resources and were battling a digital divide. Without options for working parents, the effects of this pandemic will be felt much longer, resulting in our students being at a competitive disadvantage.

Parents need options. In Los Angeles, with a high concentration of essential workers which play a pivotal role in food supply chain, transportation, and healthcare systems, working parents are struggling to provide the support at home for distance learning. Essential workers, who have supported us during the pandemic, deserve the opportunity for their children to receive a quality education. We need to find a path to get kids back to learning in a safe and healthy environment.

Remote learning requires parents – especially mothers – to take time away from their own work to help their kids learn. Since the pandemic, it has been reported that nearly 3 million U.S. women have dropped out of the labor force in the past year as they assume caretaking and homeschooling roles. Before the pandemic, women made up more that 50% of the country’s workforce, underlining the importance of women to the economy and the urgent need to address this issue.



Final Thoughts

President Biden and Vice President Harris have made reopening America's schools a top priority. We fully support the prioritization of our communities reopening schools quickly and safely. Read the press release here.