Reopening Guidelines
Reopening Guidelines for Schools & Colleges
QUICK GUIDE: Releases from the union, public health, public education systems
Click on the division tabs below to quickly find reopening guidelines issued by the CFT, the AFT, the California Department of Public Health, the CDC, and California systems of public education. Where noted, you may click through to union articles with more information where noted. The union guidelines support safe learning spaces for all students, educators, and support staff.
SCHOOLS
March 12, 2022
California Department of Public Health
Updated COVID-19 Public Health Guidance for K-12 Schools in
California, 2021-22 School Year
Released in conjunction
FAQ
August 11, 2021
California Department of Public Health
Vaccine Verification for Workers in Schools
> READ
OUR UPDATE
August 2, 2021
California Department of Public Health
COVID-19 Public Health Guidance for K-12 Schools in California,
2021-22 School Year
Released in conjunction
Questions and Answers
July 12, 2021
California Department of Public Health
K-12 school-based COVID-19 testing strategies for school year
2021-22
January 14, 2021
California Department of Public Health
COVID-19 and Reopening In-Person Instruction Framework & Public
Health Guidance for K-12 Schools in California, 2020-21 School
Year
Released in conjunction
COVID-19 School Guidance Checklist
> READ OUR
ANALYSIS
July 17, 2020
California Department of Public Health
COVID-19
Industry Guidance: Schools and School-Based Programs
> READ
OUR STORY
June 8, 2020
California Department of Education
Stronger
Together: A Guidebook for the Safe Reopening of California’s
Public Schools
> READ
OUR STORY
COMMUNITY COLLEGES
July 23, 2021
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Guidelines for Institutions of Higher Education
Note: California has retired its older
public health guidance for higher ed (below) and there is no
update as of this date.
> READ OUR UPDATE
August 7, 2020
California Department of Public
Health/CalOSHA
COVID-19 Industry Guidance: Institutions of Higher
Education
Includes areas of note for community colleges
> READ
OUR STORY
June 26, 2020
California Community Colleges
Report of the Safe Campus Reopening Workgroup
> READ
OUR STORY
UNIVERSITY
July 23, 2021
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Guidelines for Institutions of Higher Education
Note: California has retired its older
public health guidance for higher ed (below) and there is no
update as of this date.
> READ OUR UPDATE
August 7, 2020
California Public Health
Department/CalOSHA
COVID-19 Industry Guidance: Institutions of Higher
Education
> READ OUR STORY
CFT
February 3, 2021
Classroom
Learning and Safe Schools for Employees and Students (CLASSES),
A Pathway to Bringing Students Back to Schools
California education unions, including the CFT, craft and
release joint school reopening plan.
>READ
OUR STORY
June 24, 2020
A Checklist for Safely Reopening California Schools and
Colleges
The CFT urges unions to tailor this checklist to local
conditions to best assist in ensuring a safe working
environment for educators and students now and in the near
future. The checklist covers three key areas — General
Conditions, Infection Prevention, and Labor
Relations.
>READ
OUR FULL STORY
AFT
February 2021
Leveraging Collective Bargaining, and Educator and School
Staff Voice, to Reopen Schools Safely
Case studies on how AFT affiliates have laid the
groundwork for reopening schools safely
>READ THE AFT STORY
2021
Reopening School Buildings Safely
The three conditions essential for school buildings to
reopen
>READ
THE AFT STORY
June 1, 2020
Guide to Bringing Parents, Patients, Students and Community
Together to Reopen America’s Schools Safely and
Equitably
A step-by-step approach for educators, parents
and communities
April 29, 2020
A Plan to Reopen American Schools &
Communities
Guidance for imagining a new normal for public education,
public health and our economy in the age of COVID-19
>READ
OUR STORY
Delta variant surge leads to new federal and state guidelines for masking, testing
Back-to-school update for TK-12 and higher education
Update August 11: Governor Newsom announced that all California educators must show proof of vaccination or submit to regular testing beginning October 15, 2021. CFT supports the new “vaccinate or test” policy to keep schools and communities safe. Read our full statement here.
California education unions release school reopening plan
CLASSES — A Pathway to Bringing Students Back to Schools
California teachers and classified employees want nothing more than to be back in our physical classrooms and school sites and know first-hand there is no equal substitute to regular, in-person learning.
California’s schools are the heart of their communities. For many of our most vulnerable and underserved populations, they are lifelines. The educational, social and emotional needs of California’s students, particularly those who often lack the technological and additional education support to sustain distance learning, are of paramount concern.
Governor releases new “Safe Schools for All Plan”
Consolidated website for K-12 schools, proposed guidance for in-person instruction
On January 14, the California Department of Public Health released several important resources related to the state’s K-12 schools and COVID-19. Our summary below is meant to guide members and local unions through the new materials, especially the changes and most critical elements. The governor and the CDPH are still developing additional resources, so watch for updates about the plan in the coming weeks.
Read the CFT press release here.
The key changes announced on January 14 include:
- A new website, the Safe Schools for All Hub, with all key information regarding K-12 education during the pandemic
- An updated public health guidance document that consolidates and supersedes most previous state guidance documents.
- A new checklist that all schools must follow, publicize, and submit to the county and state if a school is in a Purple Tier county.
New county-based monitoring drives school and college reopening
CFT continues to advocate for statewide system
The framework and rules guiding California’s gradual emergence from state-mandated closures were revised by Governor Newsom on August 28. The so-called “Blueprint for a Safer Economy” uses a color-coded system with four tiers, into which each county is assigned.
State Dept. of Health issues reopening guidelines for higher education
Includes areas of note for community colleges
The California Department of Health released its reopening guidelines for higher education on August 7.
While most of the guidance is geared to four-year colleges and universities, there are also some significant areas of note for the community colleges, which are summarized here.
State Dept. of Public Health updates school reopening guidelines
CFT wants to see stronger guidelines
During his July 17 noon press conference, Governor Newsom announced statewide guidelines for reopening K-12 schools this fall.
While the governor addressed some of the demands that the union articulated to him and state leaders in the CFT letter sent on Monday, CFT still believes that there is more to be done to ensure the safety of California’s teachers, school staff, students, and communities.
CFT urges Governor Newsom to delay physically reopening schools
Surging coronavirus cases, testing woes make opening safely all but impossible
The CFT has asked Governor Newsom and state legislative leaders to delay the physical reopening of schools. Despite coronavirus cases surging throughout the state, growing numbers of hospitalizations and deaths, and mounting testing woes, some school districts are rushing to reopen — putting students, teachers, and communities at risk.
In a letter to state leaders, the CFT also urged the governor to provide stronger leadership and direction to school communities, who have been left on their own to make the difficult decision on whether it is safe to reopen schools.
California Community Colleges issue reopening guidelines
Task force develops guidance and recommendations
The California Community Colleges organized a high-level task force to create a roadmap of available resources for the safe reopening of community college campuses.
The task force report contains considerations and recommendations for the Chancellor’s Office. However, the broad recommendation of the Report of the Safe Campus Reopening Workgroup is that further action be undertaken locally by subject matter experts. This includes labor partners such as AFT local unions as well as state, federal and local governments, medical professionals, and those directly managing the pandemic response.
CFT Checklist for Safely Reopening Schools and Colleges
Key checkpoints for physical reopening in the time of the coronavirus
In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, schools and colleges across California were shuttered to prevent further spread of the coronavirus. Staff remaining on campus performed the challenging duties of distance learning support, meal preparation and pick-up, and deep cleaning to maintain educational services during shelter-in-place orders, as well as prepare for eventual physical reopening.
In the union’s document, Checklist for Safely Reopening Schools & Colleges, the CFT does not encourage the physical reopening of school sites until it is safe to do so. At a minimum, the CFT recommends coordination with state and local public health guidelines on every checklist item in this document to help prevent further spread of the coronavirus.
State Superintendent releases guidelines for reopening K-12 schools
For local discussion on safely reopening the education workplace
On June 8, State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond released guidance for reopening K-12 schools — Stronger Together: A Guidebook for the Safe Reopening of California’s Public Schools.
This guidance was created through the statewide reopening schools task force that fostered a collaborative process for educators and stakeholders, including the CFT.
AFT guidelines call for safe reopening of schools and communities
National union defines five key tenets for reopening
The AFT on April 30 released a detailed road map that, in the absence of a COVID-19 vaccine, charts a path to safely and responsibly reopen school buildings and other institutions crucial to the well-being and economic vitality of our communities.
The 20-page, science-based “Plan to Safely Reopen America’s Schools and Communities” sprung from an intense collaboration of public health professionals, union leaders and frontline workers to prepare for what happens next in the period between flattening the curve and truly eradicating the virus.
California Dept. of Public Health issues guidelines and considerations
Industry Guidance for Schools and School-Based Programs
Communities across the state are preparing for the forthcoming school year. To assist with that planning process, the following guidelines COVID-19 Industry Guidance: Schools and School-Based Programs are intended to help school and community leaders plan and prepare to resume in-person instruction.