Here in Oakland Unified, we are on our winter break, usually a time when our students, staff and families are joyfully free of school and preparing to come together to celebrate the holidays or just enjoy some much needed time off. As we all know, this year is different with the pandemic hanging over our heads. I call on Governor Gavin Newsom and the health officials advising him to move educators closer to the front of the line to get the COVID vaccine sooner rather than later, because educators and school staff here and across the state do critical work every day.