The California Medical Association (CMA) has joined the Safely Open Schools campaign, which is urging school districts across the state to safely reopen schools in the fall, full-time, for all K-12 students.

California closed its schools when the pandemic started on the assumption that children, teachers and staff would be safer at home. More than a year later, we know from data and science in places that reopened their schools that it can be done safely and that it is essential to our children’s health and well-being. 

Opening schools full-time for all ages is the best thing we can do for the long-term physical and emotional health of children.

Many children have not been in school for more than a year, and they are suffering as a result. The mental and physical health impacts of this could take years to heal. CMA believes we must prioritize fully opening schools and keeping them open for the long-term health of children and the long-term health of our communities. 

"Prolonged school closures are increasing stress-related physical and mental health issues in our children. Children thrive on in-person learning and schools are important settings for buffering the stresses brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Nadine Burke Harris, M.D., Surgeon General of California. “Our schools have the key tools to reopen safely for students, teachers, and staff. Let’s work together to reopen our schools safely so that our children can thrive."

Safely Open Schools is a group led by physicians, parents, teachers and community leaders that believes that prolonged school closures have increased stress-related physical and mental health issues, and are urging all schools to reopen fully and safely using all proper precautions like mask-wearing, behavioral changes, and vaccinations for kids 12 and older.

Physicians are encouraged to help us spread the word on safely reopening schools. See the social media toolkit for sample posts and graphics for you to share on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. 

#safelyopenschools #OpenSchoolsFullTime #KidsBelongInSchool