LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
PUSD board thanks those for vaccination effort
On behalf of the Porterville Unified School District Governing Board, I would like to express my gratitude to our PUSD school nurses, health care workers, and volunteers who administered COVID-19 vaccinations to educators at Monache High School on February 19, 2021.
I would also like to particularly thank the Porterville Educators’ Association (PEA) and California School Employees Association (CSEA) Chapter 38 for coming to the table and arriving at agreements that facilitate events such as this that will allow us to bring all our students back to school as safely and quickly as possible.
PUSD’S collaboration with the Tulare County Office of Education and Tulare County Health and Human Services was very encouraging. As more vaccinations become available, we will be opening more clinics to provide these services.
Our teachers’ dedication and commitment to their students is incredible as they receive the vaccination and take the steps to return to school and provide in-person instruction. They have demonstrated great resilience and spirit during these unprecedented times and we are very proud of their amazing work and unfailing efforts!
During this time, PUSD continues to provide in-person instruction for small cohorts, primarily students grades K-6 in our hybrid learning model. The district is committed to following the mandated guidelines set forth by our local, county, and state agencies, so that we may safely open additional campuses to more students. We eagerly anticipate Tulare County’s move to the red tier under California Department of Public Health Guidelines (CDPH), where we will finally be allowed to broadly reopen our middle and high school campuses.
Finally, I would like to thank not only our teachers and principals, but also our wonderful classified workers: our custodians, food service workers, secretaries, technicians, maintenance workers, instructional aides and everyone involved in the education of our children! We appreciate all that they do to ensure a safe and valuable learning experience for our students.
At PUSD, we are dedicated to serving our community. It is with great optimism that we move forward together and continue our mission of providing students with quality education in a safe environment.
Felipe A. Martinez President, Porterville Unified School District Board
of Trustees
Need Supervisor with better judgment than Townsend
In May 2020, Tulare County Supervisor for the 5th District Dennis Townsend joined two other Supervisors in voting for Tulare County to “reopen,” despite having COVID metrics that did not meet California guidelines for reopening. Townsend was quoted by KSEE-TV as saying, “We just took action to say we are going to reopen, and we’re going to go all the way through Phase 3 so we can get all the businesses in there.” In the process, the Board of Supervisors jeopardized millions of dollars in recovery funds and exposed their constituents to more disease and death by suggesting to Tulare County that they did not need to be careful.
On February 24, 2021, as America was commemorating half a million deaths due to the pandemic to which America responded poorly, the Los Angeles Times reported on research from UC San Francisco on a newer variant that appears to have driven the explosion of cases and deaths in California in December 2020. This variant could evade antibodies generated by COVID-19 vaccines or prior infection, and actually spreads faster than the original virus. Go back and read that last sentence, because it is important.
On the same day, the Porterville Recorder reported Supervisor Townsend as asking if the County could be “pretty liberal with our guidance.” My answer to that is it seems far too reckless.
I am hoping for a robust candidate for the 5th District seat to consider in the 2022 election. Supervisor Townsend does not have the judgement I desire going forward for Tulare County.