Will dive deeper into four major topics. Cost of living education, the Defund Police Movement and homelessness. Well look at them through the lens of the costs, the benefits and an analysis of where your money is going today. Our focus shifts to education and what the Governor And State leaders have called an unprecedented and once in a generation investment. The figures bolstered by federal Covid19 Assistance approved by congress will get to the numbers but first lets acknowledge the fact students are physically back in the classroom after more than a year of remote learning amid the rapid spread of the delta Variants School districts around the state, taking covid precautions, including Testing And Vaccine requirements for staff. Heres what some students in the Bay Area had to say about being back. Its fun, because, um, my best Friend Hasnt met in the same classroom pushed me for the whole time i met at the school, and now he finally has, which is super excited. We were not worried at all. Were super excited to have the kids back in school. Peabody has done a fantastic job of and making sure everybodys safe and couldnt be more pleased to have him back in the classroom. Thats my best year on the playground. I got really excited. I was like jumping up and down. It was funnier and easier than normal families that are concerned about their health risks can enroll in an independent study option. So lets show you the numbers behind this quote. Unprecedented investment in education. The governor touting a total of 123. 9 billion dollars to be spent in a mix of one year and multi year programmes. Total also includes federal assistance. 4. 3 billion set aside for behavioral Health And Counseling to cover people ages 0 to 25 3 billion for community schools, 2. 7 billion for a universal transitional kindergarten 1. 8 billion for universal summer and after school programs. So what are the impacts of this injection of cash . The state recently released this data. After hearing back from about 70 of school districts. 95 of school districts report expanding mental Health And Wellness services 73 say theyve expanded after school programs and 83 report expanding Learning Acceleration or tutoring programs, the Education And Safety of more than six million public school children is the primary focus for tony thurman, the State Superintendent of public instruction has been pushing for people to get vaccinated. And for a safe return to the classroom. Thurman gave me his thoughts on the historic budget and pointed out areas where theres still work to do. In addition to Cleaning And Safety protocols to you, what are the most significant areas that are going to see an increase in funding . You know, i love talking about the work that our office has done with governor newsom, um, to secure five million rapid covid test. I bring that up because. Yeah as you know, these are tests that allow you to have awareness of someone being positive. It only takes 15 minutes that had the results, so if someones positive they can safely quarantine. Um the rest of the School Community can continue to learn and so to me. These are significant. Um the state has through several different channels provided billions for covid mitigation measures. But you know, its also just all inspiring. That state is also providing revenue that i call the opportunity. To build back better and build a system in education that weve not seen before. That, i think gets us closer to serving all of our students, including low income students and hungry students. I mean universal meals. I mean, at so important that every student who wants to meal gets a meal regardless of their income. No paperwork should get in the way of them getting a meal. You know, universal preschool. Were calling it transitional kindergarten, but it means that every four year old will have access to preschool. This is something that weve worked on. And really try to get for decades. And in this moment this investment is here. And i would be remiss if i didnt talk about 4 billion for mental health programs for young people from birth to age 25 another three billion for community schools, which is just a fancy way of saying wrap around support as we talk about issues of learning loss, the digital divide. What have you learned that these communities struggle with and continue to struggle with . Its no question that weve seen great inequity. Um you know, even in how the pandemic affects different communities, the higher rate of risk for african american latino communities impacts on asian american pacific islander communities and before the pandemic, we were talking about equity and closing. We were calling it the Achievement Gap where the opportunity gap. Those gaps have been exacerbated during the pandemic, but now we have resources to help offset that lots of money to support tutoring. Tutoring is a critical function for our kids. Our after school programs have done incredible work and providing academic support and social emotional learning supports. Professional development for teachers and staff, and i would submit greg that one of the things we need to do is focused less on trying to make up minutes per se or loss eaten, but building skill for our students like reading. When our students learn to read, they can read to learn anything. What do you say about children, especially those with special needs . Who suffered greatly during this time . I think we all know that special education was not meant to be delivered through Distance Learning. We have incredible special educators in this state. Great teachers. Um we have great 1 to 1 aids speech pathologist, school psychologists, all working together closely with our parents to help our kids and it was hard. For our kids to be away from them as we come out of what was Distance Learning the state has made record investments to have more services for younger children, you know, in the ages between three and five to help us recruit more educators, especially more special educators, um, to have more 1 to 1 age, um, to support more professional development and training. To be honest, greg, i think our state like most still has work to do. Um to get to the place where we provide better compensation for educators. You know, california is still somewhere around 37th in the nation in per pupil spending. Uh and until we change how we pay our educators, our teachers are classified staff until we change the working conditions that many in education experience, we will always be facing the threat. Of losing our educators. After a School Year like none other kids are now back in class, but for some families in San Francisco, turmoil with the citys public School System has them exploring other options. Ktvu is christian captain has more on how some of these families have found options outside of the districts public schools. Golden Gate Park is one of San Franciscos treasures. And now educators from fog. City explorers are using the 1017 acres as an outdoor classroom. The idea started after Rachel Weiss took her daughter and a few other children out for outdoor time during the pandemic. I mean, we have the first classroom here, right, we use nature as a teacher, and as our classroom and so were like, why cant we do this here around . And then we did. Weiss founded bog City Explorers in the middle of the pan. Endemic catering to some of the youngest students. Prekindergarten transitional kindergarten and kindergartners as public schools were shutting down are going virtual. Weiss was providing an alternative for her daughter and more than a dozen other students. With the pandemic hit. It just seemed like a good time to have, uh, to open this up and start and its been incredible, and ive learned so much this year. I think the kids have really groans immensely. Theres been plenty of anecdotal reports of families leaving San Franciscos public schools. Some. Choosing to leave the city, others choosing private or parochial options. Many parents in the district expressing frustration with the district over how long it took to develop. And implement a reopening plan. Now San Francisco schools are confirming that enrollment has dropped about 5 since the end of the 2019 2020 School Year. Fog City Explorers has saved my ear families that enrolled, say the outdoor Environment And Ability for children to socialize during the pandemic, helped them to decide to enroll their children in fog City Explorers instead of San Francisco unified we went through the lottery, we got into our a and then on the first day of school decided we werent going to do it because we didnt want to give him a virtual under garden experience. Ive called. What are you working on this strong . Why says Socializing And Problem solving are just part of what her program offers, while it may look different than a regular classroom, why says these children are building a strong academic foundation of a wagon with supplies . Books art supplies . Um compass is depending on what the curriculum is for. The weak the month are depends on supplies that will bring with us to school. And so we have reading. We use whiteboards for doing sight words and for practicing writing. We have journals and. Each child comes to school. We offer pencils, glues, scissors, any kind of like tools that you would find in a classroom we provide for them. Some parents say they still value the citys public schools and many say, as their children aged out of fog City Explorers they will return to San Francisco unified schools and we will be sending our son to kindergarten this fall, and we got into creative arts. So were excited about that but this has been an amazing gift for us this year. Why says even with traditional schools now reopened and kids back in public school. She will continue to offer fog City Explorers as an outdoor alternative. Honestly i dont think i can never go back into a traditional classroom again. If theres this has taught me anything, its that you know outside is where kids learn best fog. City explorers is looking to expand its program with more children and more educators. While it is a private school with tuition, theyre looking to set up a Tuition Assistance Program so that it can be offered to a broader range of families in San Francisco. Christian caftan, Ktvu Fox two news. What. He has a teacher in San Francisco. It feels like you have two options of either working an extra job, which is exhausting or continuing to live like youre in college after the break, affording to live and teach in one of the most expensive cities in the country, we look at teacher salaries and how they measure up wit mhm. I urge you to look at where youre using your resources and how you can do so. In ways that will better serve our young people and in turn our future. Welcome back during the pandemic, teachers and School Staff adjusted just like students and parents to Distance Learning. So what do the numbers tell us about being a teacher in california . The national Education Association tells us the average salary for a California Teacher is 84,531, a year ranked second in the nation, but compared to other professions with the same Experience And Education teachers make 85 cents to the dollar here, according to the national digestive education is that tous ticks. Most recent numbers from 2018. Pupil the Teacher Ratio in the state is 23 to 1 the bottom of the list far worse than the average of 16 to 1. In most recent analysis, california ranked 20th for per Student Spending at 13,279. But with the new Budget Education officials estimate that number will rise to 21,555 a year. Heres some of whats in the new budget for teachers. 1. 5 billion in grants over the next five years for training and professional development. 1. 1 billion Increase Staffing for districts with large proportions of high needs. Students 500 million in grants to recruit staff and low income areas with teacher shortages and 350 million to develop new. Or expand Teacher Residency programs. So whats it like being a teacher and one of the most expensive areas in the country . Cities like oakland and San Francisco have launched programs to help teachers buy homes more find affordable housing, eighth grade. Spanish Teacher Sarah Mokhtari fox says she appreciates these pilots that says the real answer is simple. Pay School Staff what they deserve. And im passionate about working with all children, even the ones who dont like to be here, um, to inspire a love of learning and specifically in the communities and in the spaces that i grew up in so i could give back to my community. At that point, i was already 30 years old. I was working for the full time and i had a masters degree, but i still couldnt afford housing on my own, and it wasnt until recently. That i took a second job. That i can afford my own place, and i live in oakland, so, basically as a teacher in San Francisco, it feels like youhave two options of either working an extra job, which is exhausting or continuing to live like youre in college, and i have to imagine that. There is some frustration there knowing that especially during covid, but always that we saw how critical teachers are to our society and then to know that. Youre having to take a second job to make ends meet. Its honestly its unreasonable, um, that in the profession, particularly like teaching in the city of San Francisco. We give so much we are literally educating for leaders preparing the next generations of doctors of lawyers, council members, the mayors and we give so much because we love our students and we love our community. Love our schools. Um and we care about their futures, but it does not feel like the city loves us enough to fight for us to be able to afford to live here and with all the wealth thats flowing through San Francisco. It is unreasonable that we have not found a solution to affordable housing for public school teachers. So when you hear that the 85 cents to a dollar. Its not just the Teachers Salary its the kids who are missing out because were not able to recruit and sustain educators who make 85 cents to every dollar is everyone else, especially here in california, for example and in the Bay Area because Science Credential Teacher or a mass Credential Teacher could easily get a job in tech . Industry and make i dont even know how many times but we want those people who are passionate about those subjects to be in our schools and working with our kids. Throughout the pandemic and the return to the physical classroom teachers unions have helped their members navigate and negotiate for safety measures and requirements as the state makes a large investment in the education, California Federation of teachers says theres certainly still work to do to retain and respect everyone who works at a school. We are making major steps, and theres a lot of funding to try to get new people into the pipeline to becoming teachers, including classified, um, but we also do have to focus on what else we need to do to keep to keep educators there to keep classified there were having trouble trying to find custodians and janitors at this point to keep our schools clean. Um so there is more that we can do, and were looking to do and working with the governor, as well as the legislature to look at ways to continue to increase that investment in our schools as well as the programs. One of the things you have to consider is the less that you pay the living wages or the affordability to live in that area. If theyre not paid well enough, then they gotta live farther away. So how much time are there going to be spent on the freeway as opposed to dedicating their time towards the education system, also their access to the students and living in that community and knowing what that community is about. Um the if you have to be traveling more than an hour or more than an hour and a half to be able to afford living to be teaching in an area thats one thing to consider. Also the wages are reflected in our values. If you are valuing if the school boards for City Council members are valuing education, then you should be far valuing the people that are working in education. Many retired teachers in california are finding their retirements are far less comfortable than they had assumed by law. They are not allowed to collect social security, even though many have paid into the system. Ktvu is Rob Ross spoke with one former teacher who feels shes being punished for deciding to enter the classroom. Well i had before she retired Li Jia mona spent 25 years teaching elementary school children in santa rosa. For her. It was his second career. I love the children i taught, but ive been penalized for that decision. By the government. Penalized to such a degree, she says that as much as she loved teaching, she now questions whether she should have left her 10 Year Career in business for the Classroom Flight Unknown that when i went back into teaching, i think i would have reconsidered that decision. For sure. Would um, you know, didnt know when she retired was that as a teacher in california she would be ineligible from collecting almost all of the social security benefits he earned before she became a teacher. Under whats called the windfall elimination provision she collects only 42 a month from social security. Yeah they could just keep it. Its embarrassing it. Its like a slap in the face, do you moon it does receive her teachers pension, but she didnt teach long enough to max out of retirement. And now, she says, she struggles. Its hard to live. On a very limited amount of money, and you had no idea i had no idea and you mona received another unwelcome surprise what her husband died last year, she was barred from collecting on his social security simply because she had been a teacher. I got nothing. Nothing zero. Now i get penalized again for being a teacher. Jamuna is far from alone. The California Federation of teachers or cft estimates almost two million retired public employees who once worked other jobs, many to supplement their lower pay. Find out once they turn 65. They will collect little to none of their social security. Once people realize this is whats going to happen, fewer people are going to go into teaching. We already have a severe Teacher Shortage Doug or cheers, the Cfpbs Retirement Policy committee. People who thought they were going to be getting money from social security because they paid money in and they paid for that benefit are not getting that benefit. California is one of 15 states in the us, where public employees are cut off from most or all of their social security and that of their late spouses. That also includes retired police officers and firefighters. It was a decision made by public employees back in the 19 seventies and eighties, but its backfired. Now workers who had nothing to do with that decision or paying the price. Its a lack of fairness. And thats what were trying to fix. Republican Congressman Rodney Davis of illinois has authored hr 80 to its ability calls the social security fairness act. It would allow government workers to collect social security from other jobs and collected benefit from their late spouse. Those against making these changes worry about adding another expense to the social security fund. These proposals would increase payouts by about 1. 5 the unintended consequence. Of their version of trying to prolong the solvency of the social Security System has been to punish families who have given their entire career to public servants. Davis says the bill needs the support of 290 representatives to bring the legislation to a vote in congress. It has 254 so far. Davis says the pandemic has slowed momentum, but Li Jia mona says she cant wait for change much longer. Im mad. Yeah rightfully so. Rob roth, Ktvu Fox two news question. Their experiences were so limited with the outside world that it was a bit frightening for them coming up. We all know about the social and emotional impacts Distance Learning had on students. But what about the youngest among them after the break . We look at the way preschools are trying to close the development gap. Stayay my name is on the front. But. I am more proud of the back. Siggis 40 less sugar, and more protein than the leading greek yogurt. Has caused an unknown number of families to forego daycare or preschool out of fear over putting their children in a community setting. Ktvu is Gasia Mikaelian spoke with early Childhood Development experts about the toll this may take on some of the youngest californians. Come on in. Its more than play happening at our future tots learning center in san leandro children as young as to learn how to take Turns Share and contribute to a group activity. Preschool and Childcare Center closed for three months last year at the beginning of the pandemic, the children who came back were all smiles. I opened that door to take their temperature, and they were just like all smiles and five bomb by mom, but not everyone returned. The director is concerned for children who arent getting time with their peers. Now she has some new students who have been at home for the past year and a half. Their experiences were so limited with the outside world that it was a bit frightening for them. The education trust west, a group that advocates for california students surveyed parents and found earlier this year, nearly three quarters said they worry about their Childs Ability to socialize with other children. About the sameeyre worried Thes Education and development will suffer. Tourist warns of the unintended consequences of keeping children away from their peers. Whats wrong with keeping a baby at home all the time . Um well, especially with parents that are working. They have a full time job, so theyre not able to give the children the attention that they need. Yes, i think the parents felt comfortable because they had their children close to them, but, um, they did. The children didnt have the interactions to help them grow and develop, in addition to social and emotional learning, a daycare or preschool setting can let the adult whats in a Childs Life learned whether he or she might need some extra support. When it comes to developmental growth, we may detect some language delays, even not being able to see needing glasses. Um carrying aid pediatricians are urging parents to find safe ways for their toddlers to be around other children. It allows, uh, child to have more complex interaction. And really developed. Theres um uh, speech. Uh, and the simple fact that they get to socialize and understand how to use that speech, dr. Neil patel with Sutter Health in san carlos, says he often talks with parents who are worried that the pandemic is delaying their childs development. He says hes seen some of his youngest patients only from behind a mask and takes great heart in their reaction to his cues six months about the time where babies are now smiling, um not just reflexively, but in reaction to something and even though i am smiling behind the mask. They smiled back, he says. Interaction with others is key, and that masks dont obscure emotions. For those of us that our parents and even for those of us that are not, you know, children have one of the reasons why im a pediatrician have this sense of innocence and an ability to sort of filter out. All the garbage that we that we feel and theyre you know, theyre theyre theyre theyre pure and innocent and definitely resilient as a parent himself. Doctor patel says he knows letting go is hard, especially in a pandemic. But he adds, even one day a week in a Daycare Setting or weekly playdates at the park can help children bloom socially and emotionally a lot faster than most parents anticipating Gasia Mikaelian, the end Ktvu Fox two news. Thanks for joining us some gregory, well see you on Septembmbmboclock Nee really are taking every precaution to make sure that we can mitigate fire effects and the giant forest which is so important to so many people, to the extent that we can with another fire. Weather watch ahead of us this weekend firefighters raced tonight. To protect the homes of the worlds largest trees. Good evening to you. Im andre seor