Cooler but still well above normal this week

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On Monday, Los Angeles and San Diego public schools 

 they will be starting the school year remote-only in August as coronavirus cases rise in Southern California.

"The skyrocketing infection rates of the past few weeks make it clear the pandemic is not under control," 

On Sunday, the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health 

3,322 new cases of COVID-19 and 18 deaths. Local health department data show 

Los Angeles Unified School District did not detail when, or under what conditions, schools might be able to open for in-person learning, even on a part-time or staggered schedule. San Diego Unified School District promised a "

" by Aug. 10 of how soon they might return to physical classes.  

The Los Angeles system is the nation's second-largest school district, and the decisions together affect more than 700,000 students and their families. They come amid pressure from the 

to open and from local teacher unions to stay remote. On Thursday, United Teachers Los Angeles called for 

the disparate impact the virus has on Black, brown and Indigenous communities, and that the district employs over 60,000 people. The statement said: "When politicians exhort educators and other workers to 'reignite the economy,' UTLA educators ask: who are you planning to use as kindling?" 

, Los Angeles Unified School District Superintendent Austin Beutner also promised to improve the quality and accessibility of remote learning. He pledged "daily, live interaction," "all students with device and internet access," and support for English learners and students with disabilities. 

In the spring, Los Angeles was unusual among large districts in 

 as part of its remote learning plan, an acknowledgment of a deep digital divide in the city. Also under an agreement reached last spring, district teachers 

Education News

Health

COVID-19

Anya Kamenetz

Author

The districts cite "skyrocketing infection rates" in the coronavirus pandemic in Southern California. 

Los Angeles and San Diego schools announce online-only fall

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