bay area for a safe and secure future. this is abc 7 news. hi, thanks for joining us. i'm kristen sze. well to our daily program calle questions ev at 3:00rs for inme. we a high scol n volleybl.d her mom will be jo by a volleyball coach in san diego where a lawsuit successfully got all youth sports to resume. on this first day of women's history month, we look at the impactful women of california through the lens of a new historical fiction by local author. but first the big headline today. governor newsom cuts a deal with state lawmakers, reaching agreement on financial incentives for schools to reopen in person. so joining us now to talk about

this, is state assembly member representing the san jose area, ash kalra thanks for joining from us your car. >> thank you so much, kristen. i'm safely parked and have my air pods in.e you fitting us in i know you have somewhere to go. so the legislature will vote on the plan on thursday. will you vote yes? do you think it will get approved? >> i will absolutely vote yes. and i do think it will get approved, because we do need to have a path forward to get our students back in the classroom. >> all right. so let me just -- correct me if i'm wrong, but i think the nuts and bolts are that tk, transition qb kindergarten through second grade, you know can open in the purple tier by the end of march. then they get the incentive, the bonus money. that is different from what the legislature previously proposed, that of being k through 6 needing to get to red tier to open mid-april. i guess it moves up the time line for a little bit. for the littler kids. for the older kids we are

talking about needing to get to the red tier. am i missing any main points. >> i think that's correct. this is the part of the compromise. because i know et governor certainly was pushing for earlier opening. and it's not that the legislature didn't support that. it's just we want to make sure that we ensure that we have to it safe for our students, and there is no doubt that getting our young students back in the classroom is a priority for everyone. but i think the way that we have it set up now allows for time to get teachers -- get them vaccinated if they so choose as well as ensuring there is a good plan in place that can be made public to parents, to teachers, as each school and school district decides to open up if they haven't already. >> all right. so i do want to ask you, though, because this bill, right, it does not require students and teachers to all be vaccinated before they could go back to the classroom and would not require districts to get approval from teachers unions before returning.negoti teachers

unions. and some unions have set up requirements a bar much higher than the governor and legislature agreed to here. so what's going on? >> it's not much different than the public health orders the state puts into effect. at the end of the day the counties enforce it, working with local jurisdictions and businesses and what have you. similarly in these case these are general state rules and incentives. and at the local district levels they're the ones that have the relationships with the teachers. they're the ones hearing it from the parents. they can make a judgment in working with the teachers within each district and decide, okay, this is how we're going to open and this is our plan. we hope with this deal it helps to urge all parties to get together and have the conversations. the teachers i know are anxious to get back in the classroom. but they also have concerns, legitimately as we all do in terms of making sure they are safe. because if they're not safe then the students aren't safe either. you want to make sure plans are in place.

but ultimately we don't want to take away local control from the school districts and the individual schools. let them negotiate with their teachers and find a path forward that works for them. >> bottom line it's still more carrots than sticks, right. like in san jose, right, you represent san jose and the largest school district set a tentative date for april1s for appear the county moves to the orange tier and the staff is vaccinated. that's a higher bar. that's more in line with what the state is laying out today, if they can't reach agreement is there ultimately away to plak that happen? or not? >> that's not the route we're going tp at the end of the day the districts make the determination what works for them. but in this case with san jose unified announcing the april 21st, with this particular deal that means they'lleforegoing some money during the first three weeks in april. that's the choice they make with the teachers, parents, ensuring

folks get vaccinated to comfort level they have. and so it's not -- that's the carrot aspect of it. they're not punished for not opening by april 1st but they are losing out on opportunities for more resources. >> right. there is $6.6 billion altogether on the line complying with the earlier time line. that's anent chef. >> yes. >> but i want to ask you, right, in case things are taking longer, the governor wants to open schools full stop. but what if this fall someot d than ful commposition, like if some schools are fallout doing five days a week in person come fall, assuming the vaccines have, rowe been widely made available. >> i would concerns. frankly if the public health issues are being met, stores and businesses are open, then our schools should be open. that being said we want to make sure it's done safely. i can't predict what's happening

in the fall. all have a very optimistic view of the direction we are going in determines of vaccinations and handling the pandemic. but there have been different stages during the past year we thought we were in a more optimistic place than we were. i can understand why the governor would hesitate to say whether he would mandate a school open. my hope is that by the fall the schools open anyway and there won't be issues and we'll the pandemic under control and the folks vaccinated. and the teachers will be vaccinated. i'm guessing that won't be a problem. that being said, i also agree that it brings up other issues when you force a school to open, if they maybe have outbreak or some other issue. but that's where the as the 6 plus billion comes in. >> i know that racial justice is important for you, in fact you introduced the racial justice for all in california to prevent racial bias in legal kchgss but i want to ask you about that education. how concerned are you that it's

the socioeconomically disadvantaged and vastly overrepresented by racial minister that have been left further behind, those kids, by distance learning. >> i'm incredibly worried. one of the things i often say is that the covid-19 pandemic has expossessed on exacerbated inequities. in education it's true. we know we have students that were having difficulty catching up that were falling behind. it's not just a matter of losing one year. it could be more than that. and that's why there is $4 pluss billion to help them catch up. but we have to recognize there are students in silicon valley that are not part of the digital revolution. they're not connected. the digital divide is real, and it's not just a rural california, way out away from the cities. in san jose? santa clara county, in the bay area, we have a massive digital

divide that further exacerbates inequality. we see it boy socioeconomic class and race. those who are behind are falling further behind. i'm worried about it. i know the school districts are worried about it as well. i look forward to working with them to see whatever we can do to plak sure the students are cared for. >> certainly we need to remind ourselves of that this has been an inequitable pandemic and we need to address it. thank you so much assemblyman. >> thank you, kristen. thanks. coming up next, the san mateo county high school student leading a lawsuit to allow

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new guidelines on high school sports now allow football, water polo and oerth sports to resume. i should throw sock they are there as well. however the state has not given the greenlight to one of the biggest sports for girls in california. we're talking about volleyball. so a san mateo county girl is now serving the county and the state with a lawsuit. so joining us now, our 14-year-old stella book and her mother heather book, both joining us today. thank you so much, stella and heather, good to see you. >> thank you so much. >> you too. thank you. >> why are you filing a lawsuit in san mateo county court today? what do you want out of it? >> well, i just -- volleyball has been really important to me and in my life. and it's taught me a lot of lessons in how to work hard and persevere. en i know that it's just as valuable to everyone else. so i believe that everyone should get that opportunity to play those sports so they can

learn those important life lessons and because sports are so important to mental health, especially in these times with the pandemic. >> all right. stella, i know you do love the sport and you've talked about how it gives you confidence and camaraderie. look, i want to ask you, stella, because food is march 1st, which kicks off women's history month. i know you feel there is a gender inequity issue here as well, right? >> yes. i believe that since football, one of the main sports for boys is allowed to go, that means that there is a lot less girls that are having the opportunity to play sports, because volleyball is not allowed to go. and i am very happy tor football and everyone who gets to have that sport. but it's really sad for me and my friends that are girls who have to watch as all these boys are getting the opportunity to play their sport, and we can't play our sport. we don't have any fall sport to play. and it's just sad to watch.

and teachers have asked the boys in my class, how is football going? and it's just hard, because i know that my sport is not allowed to go.toe able to play >> heather, i know you've been diving into the numbers a little bit in your effort to try to create the opportunity for your daughter to play as well. look, football and volleyball were both initially in the orange tier. but while football has now been okayed for the red tier, volleyball has moved in the other direction. can't even start now until yellow, like basketball. so the state's position of course is that it's an indoor sport and therefore riskier. what are you finding? >> i coach volleyball as you well as you mentioned and i'm a mom. and i want to make sure our kids are safe. and when we started to think about sports and what's safe and not. i started to do research. university of wisconsin has done research around this, the most research. we've had the benefit of watching 42 other states that

ran high school volleyball seasons in the fall. so tell the -- i think it was 85,000 teams -- or excuse me matches that were played at the high school level around the country. we also know 18,000 teams eteens participated around the country in the high school level. in california we have had over 250 college women's volleyball teams played. a lot of indoor volleyball has been played. and the benefit that is we've been able to study it and look at it. and the university of wisconsin, also the national federation of high school sports found that indoor volleyball with masks is just as safe, if not safer than outdoor sports. so that's i think the rub here. you know, we've been asking, what's the data? what's the rationale? show us the science. show us the data for why volleyball is not play for high school girls right now. and there is honestly no answer

that has come. >> you ac flonl that football is played outside. >> right, yes. but it's contact sport, face-to-face contact. that's one of the risk factors. you know, it's also much larger teams than volleyball. volleyball is six girls per -- per side. you've got 12 girls on a court at a time. the average high school gym is actually -- when you only have as many volleyball players are on two teams plus the coaches the occupant density is pretty low. really what they say is indoor is not safe when there is poor ventilation. you improve that with low occupant density. >> which the cd points out in guidance for reopening schools as well. >> exactly. >> so, look, i should mention to our viewers, sometimes when you live in the bay area you think nothing is happening. but that's actually not true. because the sport is being played in most states outside of california. and there are girls who are on

club teams who areo can afford to be on a club team that will travel out of state to get the competition. also, even here in california, in san diego, volleyball and all other sports are now a go, not because covid cases there are lower but because of a lawsuit. i want to bring in our san diego high school coach ramona high school volleyball leona sublifp a judge ruled that the sports can rue assume in san diego county as well as they follow the same protocols as collegiate sports. i want to ask you why you think this is important for high school girls to have the opportunity right now? >> well, i think this is very important, because as heather has stated abstella stated as well, you know, this is very important. we have prove isnn within our s in other states that we can safely compete are compete indoors. much like the college counterparts who are competing in california. there are clubs across the state

traveling and competing safely indoors. we have seen the models. we have demonstrated and proven the models to work, that with masks, with the proper distancing, with the density issue that we have talked about, we are equally if not as safe as some of the high-contact outdoor sports that are being played. and, again, that's what we're finding. the data is showing it is -- it is relatively low-risk and safe. >> are you finding that california girls are not getting recruited by colleges as much as girls from other states as a result of the rules we've had databaseo -- restrictions we've had here. >> i think it definitely does not help the recruiting efforts. for some of the players that came into the sport a little bit later, buts are for that critical court time and the competition time that's so necessary during the junior and senior years for these athletes. those are considered the really critical recruiting periods. and now that, you know, como sonl of our dead periods for the

ncaa have been extended, there is no opportunity for those girls even to get video, which is so critical in today's recruiting process for these older girls, the juniors and seniors that are looking to play beyond high school. >> so stella mentioned the gender inequity issues that she sees. from your standpoint as a coach, looking at the way the season is shaping up, right, and the length of time you are given for your sport or the field use or court use, and also just vaccine availability -- not vaccine i'm sorry testing availability. what does that picture look like for girls? and what does it say to you. >> it's been a bit of an uphill battle because we have seen other sports with the seasons extended across different sections through cif. what we've found is that the girl's volleyball season has been condensed to a matter of a four-week season when there really is nothing to prove otherwise that we can't just extend equally like the other fall sports such as football,

that had their extensions in our section in san diego until parp 17th, where we've been extended a little bit. but only until april 3rd, which in our minds wasn't equitable. and in line with the other sports. >> stella, all this i know is making you feel like you need to fight this battle legally. if you had a chance to talk to governor newsom today, what would you say to him. >> i would just tell him that sports are extremely important to me and my peers. and other people in high school. and i think that they should be treated that way, and that girls should get just as many opportunities to play sports and get access to sports as boys are getting because of football. and i'm really glad that football is able to to start, and i really want girls to be able to get that opportunity as well. >> all right. stella book, menlo school freshman, hoping to compete your kor school this year.. heather book her mom and a also

leona so sublet, thank you all for your time and keep us posted >> thank you. >> thank you. >> when he come back, folks we are celebrating women's history month with a look at key female

women's history month. >> absolutely. here we go. >> well back. as we mentioned earlier food is march 1st, the start of women's releas novel. may biconut itebte a and reveals the struggles of women in california history. joining us now is the author of "prospects of a woman." hi, wendy. >> thank you for having me. >> congrats on your book. because there story -- i love this cover. is that yosemite. >> yes, yes. >> all right. >> yes. >> the story is set during the gold rush. tell us about your heroine and what she discovers.

>> it's set in 1850. she comes out to california and realizes her husband is not who she thought. and fortunately california law gave her an ability to sort of make some big changes in her life. and she goes out on her own and tries to discover what it takes to sort of help contribute towards building the west. >> all right. we don't want to give the story away. but i say, during this research process you came up with some interesting stuff about california history. our state really offered women their first set of rights in many regards, right? >> yes. and what's interesting is growing up in california i didn't -- i never learned about women in california and our contribution to the gold rush. it turns out actually we had a significant contribution. upon statehood in 1850, california women were given a whole set of rights that no women in any other state enjoyed. so we could own property, we could buy and sell property. we could make contracts and then we could also divorce and keep

custody of our children. and having those rights in combination with the sort of gender imbalance of 20 men to one woman actually gave us a lot of agency and power to help build the state. >> you've said in your book on the tour that it's no surprise that our nation's first female vice-president came out of california, right. >> yes. i mean, it makes perfect sense, because california has established a foundation of helping women achieve independence and economic power very, very early on. so it made -- it made perfect sense. >> you also address in your book some myths that, you know, popular culture has perpetuated about women in the west. >> right, right. so we all know the myth, right and every western and pulp fiction, early pulp fiction novel right the woman is helpless and we need a man to save us. that was actually completely inaccurate for women in california. women in california actually had

these rights. and we did a lot to contribute towards gaining economic independence and a lot of power. >> all right. so prospects of a woman celebrates extraordinary women in california. tell us about a few that we should all know that we didn't learn about in school. >> what's really interesting, it's important for everybody no california to understand, the women who built california were not just just just just >> we had asian-american women. chinese american women. so many inspired my juana in 1850 she started raising cattle and farming vegetables outside of san francisco. and eventually purchased 4,000 acres. divorce the her husband who was abusive and became one of the most successful ranchers in california. while being a single mother and

raising 8 children. >> two more we have to meet. >> yeah, mary ellen pleasen, african-american in 1851 started off in san francisco with a small restaurant but she was clever. kepto kept reinvesting her profits in laundries dairies quick silver mines and became one of the most successful entrepreneurs in san francisco, very rich woman. and she was an abolitionist. also cared very much about human rights and she was also a philanthropist. >> and margaret chung. >> margot margaret was the first chinese american woman actually to attend medical school. she graduated from usc in the early 190 ohs, i think 1910 something like that and she opened a medical practice in san francisco. she was a surgeon in world war ii and established the first woman's volunteer service organization in america. so these aren't just, you know, small accomplishments. these women were quite amazing. >> well, wendy we're out of time

on the air. but we can continue the conversation over on facebook live. i do want to tell people raleigho real quickly about your blog. it is she is california.com. we have 20 seconds. >> right. so i'm attempting to chronicle all these women so people are aware that california had a significant contribution from women. very, very early on. so please go check it out. >> all right. let's join us over on facebook live right now and we'll try to pull up the blog and

thanks, wendy. >> all right. bye. and thank you so much for joining us on this interactive show, "getting answers." we talked about the reopening bill for dra schools. lawsuit to allow indoors volleyball to reassume and

women's history in california. we'l be here ght,eral developg stories as we come on the air. the first shots in arms of the johnson & johnson vaccine, starting as early as tomorrow. the third vaccine now available here in the u.s. this is a one-shot vaccine. nearly 4 million doses shipping from two facilities in kentucky and tennessee to vaccination sites across the country llion des by the end 100 million doses by june. the qu eryone would like to know, wt does this mean forap the one-shot vaccine, 100% effective at preventing hospitalizations and deaths. and now amid this uptick in covid cases, concerns about the variants. tonight, the cdc now saying this is not the time to ease restrictions or to let our guard down.