SACRAMENTO, Calif. (KERO) — Governor Newsom said when he asked kids whether they preferred online school or in-person, all of them raised their hands for on-campus learning.
"We don’t want our kids back on zoom school. We don’t want our kids back online with all the disparities," said Newsom.
He said one reason they are pushing to get kids back into the classroom with teachers is the community-building skills, that students get from in-person instruction that cannot be replaced online.
“Zoom school can’t substitute the social and emotional learning of being in-person,” said Newsom.
California State Assemblymember, Eloise Reyes, added that schools are focused on addressing rising mental health concerns and are looking to prioritize them.
“When we say we want to get back to normal, normal was not good. We want to get back to something better,” said Reyes.
Newsom said the state is dedicating billions of to education, not just in infrastructure, but also resources for mental health. He said the state is investing about $2 billion dollars on college saving accounts for kids, $4.3 billion for behavioral health needs for people aged zero to 25 and $3 billion for community schools.
“$123.9 billion public education budget. It's tens of billions of dollars more than any previous budget. This is a transformational budget,” said Newsom.
Newsom also said that $650 million are to provide free and nutritious breakfast and lunch for kids.
The governor continued to stress the importance of following the safety guidelines, including the recommendations of wearing masks and encourages all Californians to get vaccinated.
“This is a proud moment to see these kids back in school. To see this scene replicated all throughout the state of California,” said Newsom.
