KXLY
December 18, 2020 1:52 PM Associated Press
6. Microsoft moved up one spot from seventh in this year s rankings.
SEATTLE (AP) As Washington state continues to reel from the pandemic, Microsoft has announced an additional $110 million of support for schools, nonprofits and hourly workers in the region.
The company has continued paying the workers who staff its lobbies, cafes and shuttlebuses, and who perform audiovisual and other tasks, even as they haven’t been needed on campus.
It said Thursday it will continue to do so until the campus fully re-opens, which isn’t expected before July. Microsoft has already spent $110 million on their wages and anticipates spending $50 million more through March.
Microsoft announces additional $110M in local COVID relief
December 18, 2020 GMT
SEATTLE (AP) As Washington state continues to reel from the pandemic, Microsoft has announced an additional $110 million of support for schools, nonprofits and hourly workers in the region.
The company has continued paying the workers who staff its lobbies, cafes and shuttlebuses, and who perform audiovisual and other tasks, even as they haven’t been needed on campus.
It said Thursday it will continue to do so until the campus fully re-opens, which isn’t expected before July. Microsoft has already spent $110 million on their wages and anticipates spending $50 million more through March.
Updated: 6:21 AM PST December 18, 2020
SPOKANE, Wash Interim Spokane Health Officer Dr. Frank Velazquez announced his support on Thursday for school districts to allow phasing in third through fifth graders for in-person learning starting in mid-January.
In a press release from the Spokane Regional Health District, Velazquez said schools in Spokane County have been working closely with SRHD to develop plans for the eventual return of all elementary grades to in-person learning.
“We’re watching the data closely and will include specific expectations of the school districts within our guidance. The intent of these expectations is to assure the community of the school district’s ability to safely manage the additional student body while maintaining pandemic health measures,” Velazquez said in the release. “We feel confident in the plans these school districts have developed.”
WENATCHEE â Wenatchee High School administrators knew students were going to struggle with remote learning. They saw it in the data from last spring.
So as fall approached, Principal Eric Anderson said they tried to build some things that would create advantages for students so they wouldnât have the same struggles.
First, they started with a schedule that had study time built-in, a time during the day when students could have access to teachers to get additional help, Anderson told the Wenatchee School Board earlier this month.
Eric Anderson
Wenatchee High School principal
Anderson said they focused on attendance. Getting kids into the Zoom meetings was important to create good habits. He said the staff started some attendance outreach right away â office staff, counselors, para pros, administrators â all reaching out to make sure to get kids connected.
New guidelines lower the bar for Washington schools to bring students back into classrooms
Gov. Inslee s new recommendations say when COVID-19 cases are less than 50 per 100,000 residents, schools should make in-person learning available to all students. Author: KING 5 Staff Updated: 8:29 AM PST December 17, 2020
OLYMPIA, Wash. Gov. Jay Inslee has issued new recommendations that lower the threshold for when school districts in Washington can return to more in-person instruction during the COVID-19 pandemic. He also announced more funding for schools. I know some would have liked to see this sooner, but we have data and research now that we did not have six months ago, said Inslee during the announcement Wednesday, where he was joined by state Superintendent of Public Instruction Chris Reykdal, as well as other education and health leaders.