hand washing sign at a classroom sink
Classrooms at Lafayette Elementary School include sanitizing stations to prevent the spread of coronavirus. / Photo by Adriana Heldiz

The road back to in-person schooling is filled with some high hurdles.

Teachers and their unions are increasingly demanding that educators be vaccinated before officials re-open schools.

This week on the VOSD podcast, hosts Scott Lewis, Andrew Keatts and Sara Libby try to piece together the vexing vaxx puzzle. San Diego Unified School Board President Richard Barrera told the state Senate last week vaccines were critical to teachers’ return, but also said testing infrastructure and low case rates were important as well.

But as VOSD’s Ashly McGlone reported this week, mandating vaccines is tricky business. And few school leaders — if any — seem willing to pull the trigger on making it a requirement.

Weber’s Ascent

It (almost fully) officially happened this week: San Diego Assemblywoman Shirley Weber sailed through the state Assembly and Senate confirmations to be the next secretary of state. On the way, she was drenched with praise from her colleagues.

It’s a big deal for a few reasons. For one, Weber will become the first Black person to ever serve in the role, which is responsible for the largest elections system in the country. It also puts a San Diegan into another statewide role.

What will follow is a scramble to replace her. La Mesa City Councilwoman Akilah Weber, Weber’s daughter, seems poised to make a strong showing for the seat after receiving an endorsement from Senate President Pro Tem Toni Atkins this week. Keep up with it all by following Libby’s newsletter, the Sacramento Report, and Lewis and Keatts’ Politics Report.

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Nate John is the digital manager at Voice of San Diego. He oversees Voice's website, newsletters, podcasts and product team. You can reach him at nate@vosd.org.

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