someone who has taught in the classroom. comes out of the classroom.oday i'm pleased to announce that such a nominee we have, dr. miguel cardona. he's tested and he will join the biden-harris cabinet and it will be historic. there are more people of color in this cabinet than any cabinet in the history of the united states. more women than ever. first openly gay cabinet member. it's a cabinet that looks like america. the best of america. it opens doors and includes the full range of talents we have in this nation. like the rest of the team dr. cardona is ready on day one. vice president-elect harris and i were going through -- on this side. i apologize. this ongoing through zoom and we were deciding who we were going to pick. we were getting all this advice. we looked at each other, said no, no. it's cardona. real easy. vice president-elect knew we needed an education secretary who truly understands what it's been like for educators, administrators, families, caregivers, and students this past year. they worry. they are under stress. they stretch local

ever had to at the censor themselves in the classroom. we asked them about their sense of the support for free speech. did the people in charge on campus foster an environment conducive to open discussion. we looked at the actual speech policies that were in place, were there restrictive policies and the written student handbook. created a scale between zero and 100. we wereese responses, able to rank these 55 schools in the area of free speech. host: you identified the number. i was going to ask you, how may schools did you look at and how did you decide which schools to look at? guest: we would have loved to have surveyed every school in the country. that wasn't feasible. this is a cross-section. there are some of the elite schools, the brand name schools. we also included a cross-section geographically. schools,your big state we weren't able to do the liberal arts colleges and some of the smaller schools. in this round, we focused on these large big conference schools across the country. young student applying to college, there is a goo

we pledged to look at the rate of covid transmission in our classrooms. ohioked researchers at the schools covid-19 evaluations team. it consists of various schools covidiversities and the rapid response team to help us conduct an evaluation. their results support what we have been seeing and hearing anecdotally in our schools. as long as students in a classroom where a mask, as long as they are mask compliant, and do the best that they can with social distancing, they do not have an increased risk of catching covid-19 from a nearby student who may have had it. let me go to dr. vander hoff who will give more details about the .tudy the nubile talk about the new willmendations -- then we talk about the new recommendations. >> thank you. you reference to the evaluation in ohiostudents schools. report froms a mississippi that was highlighted in a cdc publication, the december 18 edition of mmwr. i will start with the ohio data which involved the testing of 728 children in seven school districts between november 10 and december 18. among the students were 524

. >>> suffering students in the bay area parents begging for a safe classroom solution.>>> the decision justin from contra costa county, will it increase fines on the is disorders openly defying safety guidelines?>> this is not going to end until people choose to comply.>> a good chance of rain on the way for the middle of the week. we will track that hour by hour timing coming up in the forecast.>>> right now on the kpix 5 news 7, streaming on cbsn bay area, just a few hours ago hospital staffers at contra costa regional medical center got their first vaccines. dr. sergio was at the very start of the long line.>> this is the fastest vaccine that was ever made. there was nothing like this. this to me marks the beginning of the end of the pandemic in a lot of ways.>> good evening. there was a similar scene earlier in the day in san francisco. you can hear the applause, front-line workers celebrating after lining up for their first of two doses. kpix 5's kenny choi was there as it all went down , he's at zuckerberg general hospital for us tonight. >> this is one of the first steps in conq

>>> now at 6, parents who want their kids back in the classroom are now getting support from bay area lawmakers. we have the letter just sent to school districts. >>> only 44 icu bed slept in santa clara county. what we learned about plans to start giving out vaccines. >>> the vote any minute now to really one of the biggest chokepoints in the bay area.>> our top story tonight, within the past couple of hours we got a hold of the letter that bay area lawmakers said pushing school districts to reopen for in person learning. >> andria borba joins us from marina middle school with more on what this means.>> reporter: these politicians are just joining the growing chorus of parents saying schools need to reopen for in person learning. and now science is starting to back up that assertion. the letter, urging districts to reopen schools and get kids back into the classrooms came from assembly members and state senator and say they are backed up by public health experts. >> there is a roadmap for schools all over the state to really be opening up. >> the letter cited excessive screen time fo

, learning there today, the mill valley school district welcome children back to the classroom for the first time in months. >>parents we talked to were relieved to have the children back in school but know that the county could flip into the purple tier at any time. one parent said even if the kids are in the classroom for a short amount of time it is still worth it. >>and over on the peninsula starting tomorrow, san mateo county will open a permanent covid-19 mobile testing sites. the site will be located in the parking lot at jefferson union high school in daly city and it will be open mondays through fridays from 10:00am to 04:00pm the testing is free for adults and families since september sam tail county has more than doubled its testing. and it now holds the second highest testing rate in the states following san francisco. >>the good news congress is back at work. the bad news millions of americans are still waiting on another stimulus package and they may have to keep waiting congress is still deadlocked over a 1.4 trillion dollars spending package in it money for fami

if we want our students to be successful in the classroom. and i teach people that if you don't get educated, you don't get skilled, you going to be poor your whole life. and so will your children is an absolute exception of the person who is living. you know, so will say, well my uncle makes a 100000 and is not educated, but i'm quoting labor statistics and census data that's an exception. i didn't know what i wanted to be, and so after i graduated from college, i think that somewhat normal, but i went ahead and i, i went to college and i picked the major. and i was glad that i had people in my life, their courage to me just to go ahead and go a lot of people because they've learned that they've been sent messages that they're not smart enough. they're not good enough. they don't try and tell you to get your high school diploma, get your college degree and then keep pursuing what it is that you have a skill set for. and you're passionate about one of the hardest, most heartbreaking things about not having your ged or your high school diploma

those weren't the barriers that students identified that were keeping him from being successful in the classroom. what students told me overwhelmingly, is the biggest barriers to their success in the classroom. had nothing to do with the classroom, transportation, childcare, health care, housing, food utility payments, statistics show that college is a very successful way to go. and it's still the best decision for students, or anyone who wants to get out of poverty or level up in what they want to do. however, i also think that the worst thing to do is go to college and drop out years ago. the goal is to graduate and get a graduate. thank you just can't drop out because unlike anything else, you still got to pay the bill. now what higher ed would do is they would look at those success rates and they would go, oh, our students aren't as well prepared. they're not smart. they don't know how to study, they're not dedicated. and i think what we've learned at emerald college is those aren't true at all. our students are smart, they're ambitious, they're capable, they want for themselves. they're bur

got to understand those barriers and address them if we want our students to be successful in the classroom. and i teach people that if you don't get educated you don't get skilled you will be poor your whole life also will your children is an absolute exception of the 1st thing you know someone else they will make some. that 1000 and not educated but i'm quoting labor statistics and census data that's an exception i didn't know what i wanted to be and so after i graduated from college i think that somewhat normal but i went ahead and i i went to college and i picked the major and i was glad that i had people in my life that encouraged me just to go ahead and go in a lot of people because they've learned that they've been sent messages that they're not smart enough they're not good enough they don't try and tell me it's. better high school diploma gets your college degree and then keep pursuing what it is that you have a skill set for and you're passionate about one of the hardest most heartbreaking things about not having your ged or your high school diploma is sometimes you hit a ceiling

>>over in the north bay, the mill valley school district welcomes back to the classroom for the first time in months strawberry point elementary resumed in person learning today students, we'll only be in class for a few hours a day and there are coronavirus precautions in place, including requiring kids to wear masks social distancing and washing their hands frequently most of the largest school districts have resumed in person learning in one form or another with some doing a hybrid system with a mix of in person and distance learning. no high schools in our marine county have returned to in person learning just yet only younger kids in elementary school have returned to class. one parent said even if the kids are in the classroom for a short amount of time it's still worth it. other so excited. >>you know they miss their friends hopefully should hope we don't have a break so we don't have exposure but i mean that's the big concern for everyone, you know trying to balance the safety towards their mental well-being. >>well mill valley are welcoming kids back of this week, some distri

looks at how antiracist theories and research can be put into practice in k-12 schools both in the classroom and in the curriculum. dr. nathan favero is an assistant professor in the school of public affairs. his research focuses on management and organization, education policy and social equity. he is studying public school systems in texas, new york city, california, denmark, and south korea. dr. taryn morrissey is an associate professor in the school of public affairs. she is a child development and child policy expert. her woke -- her work focuses on the disparity in children's achievement, developing and health. and how public schools can help narrow their disparities, including through early childhood education. she is the co-author of "cradle to kindergarten: a new plan to combat inequality." and dr. jennifer steele is also joining us. she is an associate professor focusing on education policy and the economics of education both at the k-12 level and post-secondary level as well. she has posted op-ed in the "washington post," among many outlets. thank you all for joining us this morni

it happened just days after the classroom reopened for in-person learning. >> the abc 7 news reporter barnard is in danville tonight where despite the outbreak, that school remains opened. >> reporte >> reporter: jan speaks to us at home after contracted covid. >> of all the people who could get covid in our classroom, we have 100%. >> reporter: 5 staff members and 3 students in the adult transition program all tested positive just days after those who chose to returned to in-person learning. >> two of them had a fever temperature. >> reporter: temperature checks are not required at school. masks are a must, but some special education students are not able to wear them due to medical issues. >> i'm upset that we would be put in a situation with students out of their control to wear face masks or stay socially distanced. >> reporter: sharon says her daughter was exposed on the school bus to one of the students who tested positive. mother and daughter now in quarantine. she says sending ellie back to the classroom was a tough choice. >> i want to protect my child, but it's so difficult

the department of public health is available, but also that we are evaluating the buildings and the classrooms and other things because, of course, the last thing we want is something to happen to not just our students but our educators as well. so we are doing everything we can, financial resources, resources from city departments, and everything we can. we have really put everything on the table that we could to provide the level of support that we know the school district needs in order to move things forward, but ultimately it really is up to the school district working with the teachers union to come to some level of an agreement so that we can move forward. we were at a bter place at one point. the requirements have changed, and have been a little bit unfortunately unrealistic and not even recommended by the department of public health. i know the question is, how can we move forward? at this time we are going to continue to be as aggressive and push to move forward as much as we possibly can. we do appreciate our educators for the work they are doing on distance learning. but the sad re

they would have a week to see if any symptoms developed before returning to the classroom next week theistrict is having all of its faculty tested and as encourage students to get tested as well for parents to return to distance learning was not ideal. but they understand i've talked to a lot of parents and it's just stressful. the kids don't really enjoy being on zoom calls but again we're all in it together is doing what we can do the results from friday's tests are expected to be released over the weekend and finally the school district has not said if it will require a similar distance learning period after the winter break around christmas that decision is expected to be announced by december 11th. >>in marin county charles clifford kron 4 news up next learning from the past how the rush for a coronavirus vaccine compares to the h one n one vaccine just a few years ago. >>and a bipartisan covid relief package is gaining momentum on capitol hill what we know about the bill tonight. plus is the new stay at home order enough to curb the spread of the virus going ♪ we have the power to

>>and getting students back inside the classrooms. governor newsom unveils a 2 billion dollar plan to resume in person learning. we have details plus >>the news station you're watching >>thanks for joining us on the last day of

>>back in the classroom. governor gavin newsom says after frontline workers teachers and staff and schools will be prioritized to get the covid vaccine. next across the state of california more than 300,000 doses of the vaccine have been administered. governor newsom says moderna and pfizer have each committed to sending more than a million doses to the state. 327,000 doses of the pfizer vaccine are expected to arrive. next week. some stanford medical school staff members who do not treat covid patients were accidentally vaccinated this weekend ahead of schedule and kron four's maureen kelly reports it is not the first time the prestigious institution has made mistakes. >>during its vaccine rollout and when i was up with the north said you know, i'm not a critical person i that's fine >>when ford and its next mission. steve in montgomery is an associate professor of genetics and pathology at the stanford school of medicine, he does not interact with covid-19 patients and rarely even goes the labs at the medica

because they believe that is the key to getting kids back in the classroom quickly, but that may not nbc bay area's anousha rasta explains why some say it's not that simple. >> reporter: millions have been learning from home the last nine months. now they're hearing their teachers are among those next in line to get a covid-19 vaccine. but the superintendent of the san ramon valley unified school district in contra costa county and a local teachers union both argued that a vaccine alone is not enough to reopen schools. >> opening up schools in the purple tier is not advised. it's not legal as far as we are concerned. we need to open up when our classrooms can open up in a red tier. and we have safety precautions that are set for everybody that is going to be coming back to our schools. so i think that with the vaccination -- >> reporter: the district superintendent said they are ready to open their schools once they move into the red tier. >> i feel it's very unfair to keep our kids on lock down when we've been due diligent and doing what's asked of us and, you know, going on 276 day

there going to be a focus an together make sure that the students who most need to be back in the classroom as soon as possible get there the soonest? >> yeah, alex, you bet. we are talking a little bit about contest, about how this money will be divvied out, in terms of how many pupils go bag, how many student goes back. a range up to $750 a student. that $750 number tippic deploying to students like you talked about in underserved communities, students who may need more support or more help in the classroom, who have struggled more during this time because of distance learning, and we've talked about this throughout the pandemic, that the covid-19 disease itself impacts communities of color disproportionately for many reasons, but also part of that is that students have been impacted by this disproportionately that live in communities of color, or communities that aren't as wealthy, and so we've certainly seen that gap, and the governor has committed to and the legislature has committed to that funds and resources and attention will be paid to those communities to ensure that they are clo

it happened just days after the classroom reopened for in-person learning. >> the abc 7 news reporter cornell barnard is in danville tonight where despite the outbreak, that school remains opened. >> reporte >> reporter: jan speaks to us at home after contracted covid. >> of all the people who could get covid in our classroom, we have 100%. >> reporter: 5 staff members and 3 students in the adult transition program all tested positive just days after those who chose to returned to in-person learning. >> two of them had a fever temperature. >> reporter: temperature checks are not required at school. masks are a must, but some special education students are not able to wear them due to medical issues. >> i'm upset that we would be put in a situation with students out of their control to wear face masks or stay socially distanced. >> reporter: sharon says her daughter was exposed on the school bus to one of the students who tested positive. mother and daughter now in quarantine. she says sending ellie back to the classroom was a tough choice. >> i want to protect my child, but it's so di

the governor as new plan to get students back in the classroom and the incentives he's offering to make sure it happens. >>> what do we know about it, and should we be worried? tonight the more contagious strain of the coronavirus is confirmed here in california. >> the governor made the announcement during a lengthy pub conversation with dr. anthony fauci. nbc bay area's ian coe has the latest on the patients and the doctor. >> reporter: tonight the second confirmed case in the u.s. is in california. a 30-year-old pan in san diego with no travel history has the covid variant first discovered in the uk, suggesting the mutated virus is circulating widely. >> because there is no travel history, we believe this is not an isolated case in san diego county. >> reporter: governor newsom made the comment during a meeting with dr. fauci. >> i'm not surprised that you have the case in california. and we likely be seeing reports from other states. >> reporter: dr. fauci points out a few things on the new strain. it's more contagious but not more severe. in fact, vaccines will work against it. >>

. >> reporter: the mother says lollie needs to be in the classroom and is one of those students. >> from beginning of last year when the schools closed she wasn't able to do it and she tried as hard as she could but it was incredibly frustrating for her. >> reporter: compared to 2019 the most affected in 2020? elementary grades, technology students transitioning from fifth to sixth grade. least affected? middle school students in seventh and eighth grade. but on the bright side, students seem to be doing well in reading. some even showing gains in their ability. >> reading seems very promising, very on par with the normal school year. >> reporter: we talked to fourth graders in berkeley heights, new jersey, who say they also miss being in class full-time. why do you think it's easier to learn in school versus at home? >> in school the teacher can help you easier. if you're at home they can't see what you're doing or if you're doing it wrong. >> it's easier in the classroom because, like, you don't get distracted. >> reporter: what are your worries as a parent? >> worried that what are th

. >>> also ahead the plan to get teachers in marin county back in the classroom. why bay area playgrounds are suddenly back in business. >>> and the warning from lake tahoe for visitors. >> announcer: building a better bay area for a safe and secure future. this is abc 7 news. >>> we'll begin with several major developments on covid-19. three hospitals in santa clara county now say they have reached icu capacity. that was the fear. san francisco's top health official says the city could run out of icu beds just after christmas as the surge skyrockets. meanwhile, in marin county a new plan in marin to prioritize teachers for the covid vaccine. and across the state, meantime, the new move to reopen outdoor playgrounds. good evening. i'm dan ashley. >> and i'm ama daetz. thank you for joining us. let's begin in the south bay where three hospitals are at capacity with every icu bed taken by someone fighting covid-19. all 37 beds at regional medical center are full. icus at o'connor hospital in san jose and st. louise regional in gilroy are also at maximum capacity. at

to maintain social distancing public school teachers are taking the classroom outdoors. for 6th grader anna thompson that just happened to be her school's modest terrace overlooking the roman forum. >> you-- did you have just such a beautiful city, do you enjoy learning outside. >> yes, we have many options, many fun options to learn outside here. we go to fountains or really nice squares where we learn a lot in a fun way. >> that is the trevi fountain to be precise. and it's gushing water is today's music class. to limit the spread of drop lets, kids aren't allowed to sing in school so they are recording the sounds of the fountain to compose a song. >> do you miss singing? >> we do miss singing in music class but right now we're learning a lot of new stuff like concentrating about new sounds that we usually don't pay attention to. >> sounds and sights like the pantheon. >> we are very lucky. we are very lucky. >> today mrs. fiorella nicolini is giving third graders an open air lesson about this pagan temple turned church which michelangelo said looks not like the work of

. >>> what's behind the states pricey new plan to get kids back into the classroom. >>> showers are moving through the bay area tonight, and as we had outside and have a look, the stage is set for more rain moving into the bay area for the first weekend of 2021. details coming up. >>> heartbreaking freak accident, the bay area girl is left dead, what she was climbing on moments before the crash.>> right now on the kpix 5 news at 7 emma streaming on cbsn bay area, a mutant covid strain from the uk has reached california. it was detected for the first time in san diego county. health experts say this new variant is more contagious.>>> just an hour or so ago we were informed that this new variant, this new strain that we've identified from the united kingdom, and some other parts of the globe, identified in colorado yesterday, has been identified here in southern california. >> reporter: this afternoon governor newsom announced the mutant straight shearing of the coronavirus has made its way to our shores. the news was delivered during a video chat with dr. anthony fauci. the country's top in

but many have not felt 's safe enough to have children in the classroom. ildren return and then had to pull back virtual. for some students virtual learning means they are falling further behind. we report on this dilemma. >> forde millions of ss the past nine months of school has >> do you like remote learning? >> this is bella, and that is her mom. >> i don't -- let me think about it. >> do you prefer learning at home or would you rather be in school? >> both. >> bella in the fourth grade has been attending virtual school from her virginia home. >> when you remember the day when they said we go home? >> it was march 13. i was in my office. got this message that schools were going to close. >> and what did you think? >> i panicked. >> michelle has been struggling work and full-time with overseeing bella's schoolwork. months in, she says she is worried. >> she is right on the cusp of kind of coming out o the younger learning how to read, learning how to write to really understanding, readingre consion, looking for tur ruths. those are things she needs to be

how soon your kids could return to the classroom. and a new more contagious strain of the coronavirus is now in california. we have reaction from doctor anthony fauci. >>and tracking a weak storm set to return to the bay area tonight impacting your overnight hours details ahead on what we can expect later this evening kron 4 news at 3 starts right now. >>from the bay area's local news station. this is kron 4 news at 3. >>now at 3 governor gavin newsome has confirmed that the new strain of covid-19 that was discovered in the uk has been detected in california. thank you for joining us here on kron 4 news at 3 i'm sanaz tahernia the governor made the announcement during a virtual events with doctor anthony fauci today the governor's office says it was found in a patient in san diego county. but no further details were provided. we go out now live to kron four's dan kerman following the conversation between our governor and the nation's top and does infectious-disease expert good afternoon. dan. >>we know is very coincidental that it tur

support staff with vaccines immediately so we can safely reopen schools and get students back into the classroom. it also calls on state officials to subsidize the cost of vaccines for educators and school support staff to ensure equitable and timely access to these vaccines. education is the corner stone of our democracy and at a time when our testimon democratic institue under attack we will protect the integrity of public schools ensuring they're well resources and equipped to overcome the current and future challenges presented them by the on going public-health crisis. we owe it to our students. it's time for governor newsome to prioritize public education in a real substantial way for the first time during this public-health crisis. i want to thank a couple of individuals who have been instrumental in drafting and working with us to put forward this resolution. including susan solomon, and annabella from uesf, who have worked on this with us this morning and there was an article in the chronicle that shows california teachers association at the state level is pushing for a similar before i

back into the classroom setting i think our kids need it. i think our teachers deserve. >>lawmakers are scheduled to have a vaccine briefing with the governor's office tomorrow morning. meanwhile we're learning new tonight that one of governor newsome staff members here has tested positive for covid kron four's capitol bureau reporter ashley zavala tweeted here that the staffer has not been identified in the person has not been around the governor or his family. governors actually quarantining at home other staff members potentially exposed are now in quarantine as well. >>being the first in line to get a covid vaccine is encouraging news for staff and residents at nursing homes and assisted living facilities. that's where the majority of covid deaths have been happening across the country. and now they face another challenge of getting the vaccine into their facilities kristian barnett nelson is the executive director of the senior advocacy services in sonoma county she says the logistics including making sure that those that care facilities and staff, not just get one,

when should kids get off the wi- fi and back into a classroom? t's a question public health experts and teachers have grappled with since the beginning of the covid-19 pandemic.>> if you would have asked me at the beginning, would have been nervous for various reasons. but at this point, more than eight months in, i think the science is telling us that it's very unlikely that kids both get and transmit covid to others. >> assembly members and the state senators sent a letter to the counties asking them to do just that. >> other things are shut down so that schools can open. we need to take a hard look at whether or not schools are a priority. >> the letter cited ppe and mental health concerns as reasons to get students back to in-person learning. it also talked about how many public schools remained closed while private schools reopened. >> we see in even bigger gap between those who have the means to get education versus those going to public education. >> that sentiment is echoed by a ucsf repressor of medicine. he calls reopening the school som

. >>> getting kids back in the classroom. two hours before his chat with dr. fauci, governor newsom explained his plan to reopen schools across the state. now, that plan includes providing $2 billion for coronavirus testing, making sure classrooms have the proper ventilation, and supplying schools with enough masks and other personal protective equipment. nbc bay area's christie smith is in san francisco with a closer look at that plan and whether it will work. >> i am ecstatic. this is precisely the turn of events that we needed in order to get students back in school. >> reporter: that's san francisco supervisor hillary ronen reacting to governor newsom's announcement, not only as a politician but also a mom. >> i'm a mother of a second grader, and i can tell you that distance learning is not the same as in-person learning, especially for the little ones. >> reporter: ronen has pushed for educators to be prioritized for getting the vaccine, in part to get them back in the classroom. now, the governor's plan could add more motivation for hesitant districts. >>

and a school superintendent tells us the district has disinfected the infected classroom and will provide n-95 masks where students are not able to keep them up. >>> there are more than 276,000 deaths. we have the report from washington. >> reporter: the post thanksgiving surge has arrived. more than 217,000 positive coronavirus tests were reported thursday, shattering the previous single day total set just a day earlier. >> we don't want to scare anybody but we know that will result in a surge. >> reporter: hospitals across the country said they are running out of beds. >> it is part of the eisenhower tsunami we were prepared for. >> reporter: it's growing worse just as the first vaccines are on the horizon. >> this is the weapon that will win the war. >> reporter: states are drafting plans to distribute the vaccine but vaccines said they will arrive too late. reporting from washington. >>> taking a live look at the white house now president-elect joe biden is laying out his initial plan for getting the pandemic under control. once he gets into the white house, pl. biden said he will ask

while some people are questioning whether that is safe to bring our public school students back to the classroom, keep in mind we haven't had any outbreaks at these hubs or the private schools that have already opened for in-person learning. yes, we know it is hard. it will take a lot of work. i believe we can and we must open in-person learning in a safe way as soon as possible. along with health and safety, we have emphasized the importance of equity throughout our response to covid. that applies to the hubs as well. the community hubs initiative was created specifically to serve the highest need students from san francisco. we want to reach kids and families who needed extra help and support and most vulnerable. our children are already struggling and falling behind. focused enrollment at the hub we reached many students who otherwise would have a hard time with distance learning. over 400 students ars are resids of public housing, 150 homeless. 64 in sros with crowded conditions, 18 foster and 287 require language support provided by the hub. we have been successfully enrolling students from

i want to make that clearment an educator, someone who has taught in the classroom, comes out of the today i'm pleased to announce such a nominee we have, dr. miguel cardona. like other cabinet nominees and appointees, he's brilliant, qualified and attested. he's going to join the biden-harris cabinet and it will be an historic cabinet. already there are more people of color in this cabinet than in the history of the united states, more women than ever, first openly gay cabinet member. it's a cabinet that looks like america, opens doors and includes the full range of talents we have in this nation. like the rest of the team, dr. cardone nae is ready on day one. vice president-elect harris and i were going through -- you're on this side, i apologize. we were going through this and doing it on zoom who we were going to pick. we looked at each other and said no, no, no, it's cardona. it's real easy. vice president-elect knew we needed an education secretary who truly understands what it's been like for educators, administrators, families, caregivers and students this past year. they wor

kpix 5's kenny choi is in san rafael with the plan to get students back in the classroom.>> reporter: today top state education officials talked about and emphasized how marin county has been able to reopen schools safely. the governor issuing and addressing the $2 billion plan to reopen schools once again. families are best keeping their distance while waiting for schools to reopen. >> we need to decide if we really want to send them or if we should hold them back until there is more proof and testing of the vaccine.>> more than 1700 schools have opened their doors for in person learning in california. data and studies from the cdc show the transmission from student to student is not common. >> we want to improve our efforts to get everybody moving in a similar direction and be back on track across the spectrum by early spring of 2021. >> the latest $2 billion plan gives extra resources to pay for safety resources like regular testing of students and teachers. >> is significant concern that many unions have raised is the need for robust testing. >> the state would pay up to 750 per c

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