Gov. Gavin Newsom will announce Wednesday that all teachers and school workers in California must be vaccinated. California Newsom will announce its first vax-or test rules for teachers. The recall-threatened governor has not required teacher vaccinations until now.Governor of Sacramento According to sources familiar with this plan, Gavin Newsom will announce Wednesday that California will require teachers and school workers to get vaccinated. This is the first state requirement in the face of growing concerns about the Delta variant.The policy would require school employees to provide proof of vaccination. This move follows similar requirements from three large California districts on Tuesday, and only two days after Randi Weingarten, President of American Federation of Teachers, supported such a mandate.Sources who weren't authorized to speak to POLITICO ahead of a Wednesday morning press conference held at a Bay Area school described the plan to POLITICO. The recall-threatened governor has not required teacher vaccinations for this academic year.Sources said that the plan is supported by the state's two largest teachers unions, the California Teachers Association (CTA) and the California Federation of Teachers (CFT). CTA claims that almost 90 percent of its members have been vaccinated based on a March survey.When asked about the possibility of a mandate for teacher vaccinations, Newsom stated that "we're not afraid about leaning into this space because of how important it is to get this disease behind us."California saw an increase in Covid-19-related hospitalizations and infections this summer, as the Delta variant of the virus took root and the state reopened their economy on a large scale.In less than five weeks, the Democratic governor will face a recall election. He has not indicated any willingness to close down businesses again, but he has maintained that schools will continue to be open for in-person instruction. Newsom has made it mandatory that all students wear masks to school, a move that was criticized by Republican recall candidates. However, he is not mandating that indoor businesses wear masks.Newsom had previously mandated vaccine-or-test requirements on state employees, and an outright Sept. 30, mandate with limited exceptions for health workers.As their campuses reopen, districts in San Francisco, Long Beach and Oakland announced Tuesday that teachers will need to show proof of vaccinations or be tested for Covid-19. They will join San Jose Unified who announced the same requirement last week."Long Beach is now a big city in [the] State where all public employees at city college, school district, and state university have mandates," Mayor Robert Garcia stated in a tweet. He noted that Long Beach Unified, with approximately 70,000 students, was the largest California district to take the decision.Garcia stated that "all public institutions in the country and state should do the same."On Tuesday, Sacramento City Unified and San Francisco Unified both announced similar policies with the support of their unions. The two districts together represent more than 15,000 employees and over 100,000 students."As we all return to school buildings, we are glad that it is possible to move forward welcoming students, families with excitement, and ensuring safe conditions in the midst of the continuing pandemic," Cassondra Curriel, president of United Educators of San Francisco said in a statement.Although the state's largest cities in Los Angeles, San Diego, and Fresno do not require vaccines for teachers, they will be covered by the Newsom policy, which was announced Wednesday."We are implementing various layers of safety including, without limitation, periodic COVID testing for students and staff, both unvaccinated and vaccinated, daily screening, upgraded air filter systems, requiring the use face masks, and additional staff to clean and sanitize classrooms," Shannon Haber, spokesperson for Los Angeles Unified, stated in an email.Linda Darling-Hammond was the president of California's State Board of Education at a Public Policy Institute of California conference on Tuesday. She called vaccine-or test rules "a very smart idea."Tony Thurmond, State Superintendent for Public Instruction, said last week that he was not against a mandate, but that he worries about vaccine requirements. These would need to be negotiated between unions. Many districts in California have reopened, and others will do so over the next three week.Thurmound stated that "what I can do right now" is to help more people get vaccinated. He cited "vaccine town halls," and other outreach events held by the California Department of Education. "We are literally pulling out all of the stops that we possibly can."
