Need to stay updated on coronavirus news in Texas? Our evening roundup will help you stay on top of the day's latest updates. Sign up here.
Last week, Gov. Greg Abbott moved to block local health authorities from shutting down classrooms before the school year has started. Since then, he has repeatedly said he is trusting local school leaders to decide whether and how to bring students back to classrooms this fall.
Those actions have left local officials confused about the limitations of their authority as the debate over reopening schools in the state continues. Abbotts decision to curb the role of local health authorities has added to the ongoing conflict between the governor and local governments during the pandemic, with mayors and judges across the state voicing frustration over having their hands tied by the states response.
Some superintendents say that despite Abbotts statements to the contrary, their ability to respond to the pandemic is still limited, and many of their questions have gone unanswered even as school is slated to start in the coming weeks. They are worried their decisions could result in consequences from the state, including cuts to funding, and some say they would prefer high-stakes decisions affecting student and employee health to stay with medical experts.
Were going to make our decisions based on local scientific data, and were working with the health authority. Thats our guide, said Juan Cabrera, superintendent of the El Paso Independent School District. Nobody on our board, including myself and my administration, are medical doctors, so Im going to try to take their advice.
After about 18 local health authorities issued orders delaying in-person instruction because of coronavirus concerns, Abbott said last week that those health officials cannot issue blanket orders preventing all schools in their jurisdictions from opening classrooms before the academic year begins. His statement backed nonbinding guidance from Attorney General Ken Paxton released earlier that week.
Abbott also said school districts could ask for more time to limit the number of students learning in classrooms, on a case-by-case basis, beyond the current eight-week maximum set by the Texas Education Agency. And he reminded school officials that they could move their start dates later in the year with a school board vote, as long as they make up the time. This, he said, gives local school boards the most authority to determine when and how its safe to have kids back.
The Texas Education Agency has not yet released any specifics on which districts will be able to receive waivers to limit in-person instruction beyond eight weeks or under what circumstances. But it said it will not fund school districts for unlawful school closures, worrying superintendents who want more certainty of state support while handling an unpredictable pandemic.
After the eight weeks, theres a threat to withhold funding if schools dont have in-person learning. Theyve offered a waiver opportunity but it takes it out of the hands of the local school district beyond the eight weeks, and that is not local control, said Kevin Brown, executive director of the Texas Association of School Administrators and former superintendent of Alamo Heights ISD in San Antonio.
A spokesperson for Abbott, when reached for comment for this story, referred to the governors previous statements on the issue. Abbott has said that school boards are welcome to consult public health authorities as they make their decisions. And he said local health officials could shut down schools that have COVID-19 outbreaks after they reopen.
Some superintendents, especially in areas where the virus is rampant, balked at the idea of waiting for kids and teachers to get sick before shutting down their campuses in the middle of the year, instead of working with local health officials to close classrooms if cases spike again. And some still wondered: What options do they have if cases are still high after eight weeks?
Districts, I think, are very concerned about creating these rolling situations where people come back on campus and then get sick and then everybody has to leave again, said Joy Baskin, director of legal services for the Texas Association of School Boards, on a recent podcast explaining the states guidance.
Paxtons guidance and Abbotts subsequent statement were a boon for school leaders who wanted to open but were blocked by local health orders. Some of those that celebrated were private schools, with smaller class sizes and more resources.
Others were districts that straddle multiple counties: Boerne ISD has two schools in Bexar County, home to San Antonio, a hot spot for the virus, but most are in more rural Kendall County, where COVID-19 transmission is low. After Paxtons letter, Boerne ISD announced it would open those two schools in mid-August, going against the Bexar County order.
But school superintendents in regions where the virus is spreading quickly are balancing the fear of infection with concerns about how much vulnerable students will fall behind learning from home. Theyve run into some roadblocks with state guidance.
Once El Paso ISD schools open for in-person instruction, parents will be able to choose among entirely in-person instruction, entirely virtual instruction, or a hybrid version of in-person two days and virtual three days. Cabrera said that keeping school capacity to 50% would be the best way to keep kids safe, at least until a vaccine is available. Like many school superintendents, he is prioritizing younger students, those learning English and those with disabilities for in-person learning, groups otherwise at risk of falling behind.
Cabrera said hell roll out the plan to all the schools in his district, but TEA only allows that flexibility in limited circumstances, potentially putting Cabrera at odds with the state guidelines.
Whats driving my decision is requests from parents for social distancing. Im not forcing people into schools if I cant social distance, Cabrera said. That might be a contravention [of state guidance].
The frustration local leaders have voiced in recent weeks has been a nearly constant thread throughout the pandemic. At first, Abbotts response to the pandemic was to defer to local officials, and many issued their own versions of stay-at-home orders. Abbott resisted the growing number of calls to issue a statewide mandate before announcing at the end of March that he would order one.
A month later, the governor was overseeing the reopening of the state and in the process blocked local governments from being able to implement stronger restrictions, such as requiring people to use masks while in public. For weeks, the back and forth over masks continued, with local officials asking the governor for the power to require them or to issue a statewide order mandating them.
Eventually, one local official tried something new: Instead of requiring people to wear them, Bexar County Judge Nelson Wolff ordered businesses to mandate them. Wolff, the governor said in an interview soon after, had finally figured that out. The comment earned Abbott criticism from both his right and left about why he wasnt clearer about what locals had the power to enforce.
Then in early July, Abbott reversed himself, ordering Texans across the state to wear masks in public.
The friction between Abbott and local officials has continued into this latest debate over the reopening of schools. San Antonio Mayor Ron Nirenberg, in a July 31 tweet thread, criticized the statement on school reopenings from Abbott and other GOP leaders, saying that local leaders implement health-based protocols, the AG threatens them, and the State capitulates.
Every time [Paxton] issues an opinion, it confuses the guidance at the state level or attempts to roll back protections that have been proven to work at the local level, Nirenberg told The Texas Tribune earlier this week. And that seeds the kind of chaos that youve seen play out in this school situation that ultimately leads to the feeling that weve lost control of the virus.
Some health experts say it makes sense for local health authorities, who will be responsible for quashing outbreaks on campuses, to have outsized say in how schools can reopen. Theyre going to be the ones who are collecting the data and need to process it, said Michael Chang, an infectious disease pediatrician at UTHealths McGovern Medical School and UT Physicians.
I get it, theres a lot of questions about who has authority and whos got jurisdiction ... but ultimately I think the local health officials are best positioned to respond and best understand whats going to be the impact on local schools.
Its still unclear whether local health officials will enforce their orders to delay school. After Abbotts statement last week, Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo continued to urge schools to keep their classrooms closed. No gathering should be taking place, much less a gathering in school. We are working with superintendents to figure out: When would it be okay and how would it be done? But whats relevant right now is right now, not any time soon, she said at a press conference this week.
Going the opposite direction, McLennan County, home to Waco ISD, rescinded its school order after Paxtons legal guidance. Athletic directors of school districts in the county moved to start strength and conditioning training right away.
At a San Antonio press conference this week, Abbott was asked whether hed make his authority on the matter clearer by issuing an executive order, rather than just a statement. If they want me to issue an executive order, I can cut and paste what weve issued and sign it, Abbott said, jokingly. If they just show up with a copy of it, Id be happy to sign it.
In the meantime, some local health officials and school districts are working together to come up with plans to open safely and address the needs of their most vulnerable children. In a virtual town hall Wednesday night, San Antonio Medical Director Junda Woo suggested using a few metrics, including the number of days cases have declined, to assess the risk of reopening schools. At a time of the highest risk, like now, schools would only be allowed to bring in small numbers of vulnerable children, such as those with disabilities or those who arent safe at home, she said.
Northside ISD Superintendent Brian Woods, who was at the meeting, told The Texas Tribune that superintendents want clarity as they plan for the upcoming year. And they want certainty that the state will support the decisions they make in order to keep students and staff safe as the pandemic continues beyond the first eight weeks of school.
What if, in some parts of the state, as we approach week eight, the public health situation is not good? he said. What ought to be the solutions? And it seems like we ought to be working on them now instead of waiting on a crisis.
Disclosure: The Texas Association of School Administrators and the Texas Association of School Boards have been financial supporters of The Texas Tribune, a nonprofit, nonpartisan news organization that is funded in part by donations from members, foundations and corporate sponsors. Financial supporters play no role in the Tribune's journalism. Find a complete list of them here.
Go here to read the rest:
Texas schools reopening mandate sets off another local control debate - The Texas Tribune
- Half of Ontario's medical schools are now named after wealthy donors - The Conversation CA - December 17th, 2020
- Yes, It's Possible To Have a Baby In Medical School Here's How - Pager Publications, Inc. - December 17th, 2020
- California's medical school diversity "nowhere near where it needs to be" - State of Reform - State of Reform - December 17th, 2020
- Medical School Keeps Students on Track By Switching to Virtual and Back - The Roanoke Star - December 17th, 2020
- UT Health Austin and Dell Medical School among first facilities in Texas to receive COVID-19 vaccine - Community Impact Newspaper - December 17th, 2020
- Medical schools see spike in students inspired to apply by the pandemic - KBJR 6 - December 17th, 2020
- How to make the most of holiday time off as a medical student - American Medical Association - December 17th, 2020
- UT Austin's Dell Medical School Is The First Institution In Central Texas Receiving Shipment Of COVID-19 Vaccine - KUT - December 17th, 2020
- Degrees of Protection | Harvard Medical School - Harvard Medical School - December 17th, 2020
- The Pandemic Thrusts Telepsychiatry to the Fore | NYU Langone News - NYU Langone Health - December 17th, 2020
- Two-phase Infection | Harvard Medical School - Harvard Medical School - December 17th, 2020
- Texas A&M To Grow Medical Education In Round Rock, Surrounding Area - Texas A&M University Today - December 17th, 2020
- Pitt cardiologist sues school after backlash to his article on affirmative action - TribLIVE - December 17th, 2020
- At a Crossroads: Medicine and the Movement - Columbia University Irving Medical Center - December 17th, 2020
- Jameson's term extended as head of Penn Health System and Perelman School of Medicine - Penn Today - December 17th, 2020
- Touro University Nevada's College of Osteopathic Medicine Class of 2021 Achieves the Highest COMLEX Exam Pass Rate in the Country - PRNewswire - December 17th, 2020
- Hear what the experts from Houston Fights COVID have to say about a new vaccine - KTRK-TV - November 30th, 2020
- Medical Education Research and Innovation Conference set for Dec. 8 - The South End - November 30th, 2020
- 2 Corning-area natives experience COVID-19 pandemic battle on the frontlines - Star-Gazette - November 30th, 2020
- Three Yalies honored for their impact on and beyond Yale with 2020 Yale-Jefferson Awards | Yale Alumni - Yale News - November 30th, 2020
- Medical Education Market Will Hit Big Revenues In Future | Zimmer Biomet Institute, Medical Training College, Harvard Medical School - Murphy's Hockey... - November 30th, 2020
- Immelman, Griebie have mutual admiration for each other - CSB/SJU - November 30th, 2020
- Lobe Sciences Announces Launch of Preclinical Study in Collaboration with the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine - Investing News Network - November 30th, 2020
- Physicians' Role in Addressing Racism in-Training, the online peer-reviewed publication for medical students - Pager Publications, Inc. - November 30th, 2020
- So You Traveled Over Thanksgiving. Now What? : Coronavirus Updates - NPR - November 30th, 2020
- Safely celebrating the holidays during a pandemic - KHOU.com - November 30th, 2020
- 2020 AAAS Fellows approved by the AAAS Council - Science Magazine - November 30th, 2020
- 5 ways the pandemic may transform medical education - American Medical Association - October 8th, 2020
- Trump doctor Conley degree from Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine: What it means - On top of Philly news - Billy Penn - October 8th, 2020
- Students Share Medical School Details You Won't Find Anywhere Else | University of Michigan - Michigan Medicine - October 8th, 2020
- In a First, New England Journal of Medicine Joins Never-Trumpers - The New York Times - October 8th, 2020
- Brown University Medical School Dean to Lead Second Session of Five-Part Virtual Future of Medicine Summit : SF STAT! - South Florida Hospital News - October 8th, 2020
- Human brain dissected live in front of medical school students - The Argus - October 8th, 2020
- After 40 years in medicine, here's what a Maine addiction expert has learned about alcohol, opioids and public health - Bangor Daily News - October 8th, 2020
- Trumps Lying Personal Physician And Dr. Umar Johnson Went To The Same Med School - News One - October 8th, 2020
- Study Finds Older Adults Using Cannabis to Treat Common Health Conditions - UC San Diego Health - October 8th, 2020
- U of M Medical School Researchers Found Traces Of COVID-19 On Beaches - FOX 21 Online - October 8th, 2020
- My Body, Whose Choice? - The Regulatory Review - October 8th, 2020
- American Sign Language and the Power of Communication - Pager Publications, Inc. - October 8th, 2020
- Experimental COVID-19 Treatment Given To President Trump Part of Study At U of M Medical School - FOX 21 Online - October 8th, 2020
- Trump Returns Home After Downplaying Disease, but Doctor Says He Isnt Out of the Woods - The New York Times - October 8th, 2020
- Texas doctor, 28, dies of Covid: 'She wore the same mask for weeks, if not months' - The Guardian - October 8th, 2020
- Nobel awarded to Charles Rice for hepatitis C discoveries at Washington University School of Medicine Washington University School of Medicine -... - October 8th, 2020
- Warrior M.D. Chat: What to Expect - School of Medicine - Wayne State University - The South End - October 8th, 2020
- Hershey Medical Center: Celebrating 50 years of people helping people - Penn State News - October 8th, 2020
- UMass Medical School-affiliated study finds federal rule will negatively impact immigrant health care - Worcester Business Journal - October 1st, 2020
- Medical school class writes own Hippocratic Oath acknowledging racism, Covid-19 deaths and the killing of Breonna Taylor - CNN - October 1st, 2020
- Just what the doctor ordered - Isaac accepted to med school - Jamaica Gleaner - October 1st, 2020
- These medical students just wrote their own Hippocratic oath. Here's what it says. - The Daily Briefing - October 1st, 2020
- Maryland researchers identify what works to help children avoid obesity - WTOP - October 1st, 2020
- Call It What It Is in-Training, the online peer-reviewed publication for medical students - Pager Publications, Inc. - October 1st, 2020
- Medical Education market seeking excellent growth | Stanford University School of Medicine, GE Healthcare Institute, Zimmer Biomet Institute, Olympus... - October 1st, 2020
- Political newcomer Cameron Webb looks beyond party in 5th District bid - Fauquier Times - October 1st, 2020
- Irregular periods linked to a greater risk of an early death, study suggests - CNN - October 1st, 2020
- This biologist helped trace SARS to bats. Now, he's working to uncover the origins of COVID-19 - Science Magazine - October 1st, 2020
- How This NYC Bill Would Address Harassment And Discrimination In Healthcare - Forbes - October 1st, 2020
- To deal with the A levels fiasco fallout, medical schools need a cash injection - Times Higher Education (THE) - September 8th, 2020
- Mercer University Breaks Ground on New Medical School Campus in Columbus - Mercer News - September 8th, 2020
- COVID-19-induced 'sophomore medical student syndrome' | TheHill - The Hill - September 8th, 2020
- New crop of medical students are headed to the lab - Stanford Medical Center Report - September 8th, 2020
- U of M Medical School researchers look to beach water for COVID community infection - KARE11.com - September 8th, 2020
- When's the right time to choose a medical specialty? - American Medical Association - September 8th, 2020
- Gujarat medical school to carry out autopsies of COVID-19 victims to study effects on body - Republic World - Republic World - September 8th, 2020
- Durham student with dreams of med school wins $100,000 in lottery game - WRAL.com - September 8th, 2020
- How to help medical students keep tabs on their mental health - American Medical Association - September 8th, 2020
- Industry VoicesCould less emphasis on the MCAT bring more diversity to medicine? - FierceHealthcare - September 8th, 2020
- Medical exams postponed amid strike and resurgent virus - University World News - September 8th, 2020
- TCOM creates office of student success - fortworthbusiness.com - September 8th, 2020
- COVID-19 Disproportionately Impacting Those With Developmental Disabilities - Disability Scoop - September 8th, 2020
- Med Students 'Feel Very Behind' Because of COVID-Induced Disruptions in Training - The Southern Maryland Chronicle - September 8th, 2020
- A bill would spend $1 billion on diversifying medical schools to close the racial health gap - NBC News - August 10th, 2020
- Pandemic acts as dress rehearsal for new medical school curriculum - Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis - August 10th, 2020
- The Unnamed Hero - Pager Publications, Inc. - August 10th, 2020
- Testing is the key to a successful fall reopening on campuses (opinion) - Inside Higher Ed - August 10th, 2020
- TUNE IN: Alexandria Addressing Back-to-School Worries in Virtual Town Hall - The Zebra - August 10th, 2020
- Community Healthcare honored during National Health Center Week - Times Record News - August 10th, 2020
- When Things Arent OK With a Childs Mental Health - The New York Times - August 10th, 2020
- Making sure patients, physicians know about the advances in treating female cancers - Norton Healthcare - August 10th, 2020
- 'We Are Here to Help Them' | Harvard Medical School - Harvard Medical School - August 10th, 2020
- In the face of challenges posed by a pandemic and racism, the White Coat Ceremony underscores the importance of our shared humanity - AAMC - August 10th, 2020