GUEST OPINION
Pasadena Unified School District building (Photo – Staff)
It’s hard to believe it was only five months ago that PUSD was deciding on a reopening date for in-person learning for the final weeks of the 2020-2021 school year.
By Tina Fredericks
March 1, 2021 was the first day California expanded vaccine eligibility to teachers. Just days after, the PUSD Board met to decide the date to reopen. There was some uncertainty as to whether all PUSD employees would be able to get their second doses before reopening. Fortunately, PUSD had the support of the City of Pasadena, one of three cities in California with its own health department. All employees who wanted a vaccine received their shot.
A few weeks away from reopening for the 2021-2022 school year, PUSD is set to open full-time, in-person, 5 days a week on August 12, 2021, with no physical distancing requirement, welcoming back all students including students under the age of 12 currently ineligible to be vaccinated. As the updated COVID Safety Plan states, masks are required for K-12 students indoors, regardless of vaccination status, for adults in K-12 school settings when sharing indoor spaces with students, and for K-12 students and adults on buses.
The concern is no longer whether vaccine-eligible employees can get their vaccine in time. There is no shortage of the vaccine, but parents, like myself, who have children under the age of 12 are wondering, “Is my child’s teacher vaccinated?”
PUSD students (File Photo – PHS yearbook staff)
On July 19, 2021, the Pasadena Public Health Director, Dr. Ying-Ying Goh, told the Pasadena City Council, “Pasadena now meets the Centers for Disease Control’s definition of ‘substantial transmission’ of COVID-19.” Although Pasadena’s vaccination rate is 80%, Pasadena reported 143 COVID cases for the week of July 16-23, 2021. According to the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health, unvaccinated people are becoming infected at five times the rate of transmission in July 2021 as compared to June 2021.
On July 26, 2021, Governor Newsom issued a vaccination mandate for California state employees and state health care workers (or weekly COVID-19 testing). This does not extend to those employed in public schools. To be clear, PUSD currently has no vaccination mandate for its employees.
Every PUSD student and employee deserves the safest educational environment, which is why I support a vaccination mandate (or weekly COVID-19 testing) for all employees of PUSD and encourage vaccine-eligible PUSD students and families to get vaccinated. The City of Pasadena has proposed this, why can’t PUSD?
I hope the community will join me in supporting this resolution that puts safety first. If you have not been vaccinated, please get vaccinated for the safety of our community. The vaccine is available to everyone 12 years and older. PUSD Health Programs staff are continuing to work with the Pasadena Public Health Department and LA County Department of Public Health to provide COVID-19 vaccinations to PUSD students and staff. For information regarding upcoming clinics, please see myturn.ca.gov or email healthprograms@pusd.us.
Tina Fredericks is a former high school math teacher, and computer engineer, living in East Pasadena with her husband and two daughters. She is a member of the PUSD Board of Education, but is speaking solely as an individual member of the Board.
PUSD’s Board meeting will be held on Thursday, July 29, 2021 at 3:30 pm at Elbie J. Hickambottom Board Room, 351 South Hudson Avenue, Pasadena, California 91109.
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Thank you Tina.