Looking to the future in LA Unified

Dear friends and partners,

I just finished a call with a group of high school seniors to discuss their thoughts on the best way to celebrate their graduation and recognize their accomplishments. Through the disappointment and disruption this crisis has caused, I’m inspired by their resilience and flexibility.

While the class of 2020 is wrapping up their time in LA Unified, we are planning for virtual summer school in the coming months and an August 18 start to the 2020-21 school year. We are still relying on the advice of public health officials to reopen schools only when it is safe to do so, but the learning will continue. This will be the first year that summer school opportunities will be available, virtually, to every LA Unified student. This expansion of summer learning will help combat the learning loss caused by this pandemic and keep our kids engaged and ready to return to school.

In the meantime, we continue to support our school communities—from device distribution, to Zoom meetings with schools and parents, to virtual town halls with other elected officials, and even an online baking lesson.

Of course, none of this would be possible without our dedicated educators. Today is the first day of National Teacher Appreciation Week, and there is no better time to say thank you to all the teachers who have gone above and beyond to transition to virtual teaching and stay connected with their students during this unprecedented time.

We’re all in this together, apart.

We are all working hard to keep students engaged and learning during this unprecedented crisis. We know that time away from school widens the achievement gap, and it has for decades, predating the Covid-19 pandemic. Check out my latest op-ed to learn more about how preventing learning loss requires long-term solutions.

Nothing can replace a typical day of school visits, parent meetings, and community events, but I'm thankful to have been able to transition so many of these important conversations online to check in with our families, educators, and school communities, including: Emerson MS, One Family LA, Braddock ES, Uni HS, Coeur d'Alene ES, VICA, Sutter MS, Broadway ES, Kentwood ES, Gardner St ES, Beethoven ES, EEC principals, senior class representatives, and more!

Join us this Wednesday at 5:30p for our latest virtual conversation on Covid-19 resources with Sen. Ben Allen, Rep. Ted Lieu, and Councilmember Mike Bonin. Click here to submit any questions ahead of time.

Help us support students who no longer have the benefit of being in school every day: LAUSD started this fund with community partners to help provide meals and urgently needed supplies, provide devices, digital libraries, and books, and help students to continue learning. You can also donate here to help families with the basics, like rent, food, and childcare.

All LAUSD Grab and Go centers are open M-F 8a-11a. The Palms Middle School site was recently relocated to Webster Middle School. You can find all the site from LAUSD and our charter partners (all serving all families) here. 👇🏼

Follow me on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram for daily updates on L.A. Unified, Board District 4, education news, and much more:

You can also contact my office anytime at (213) 241-6387 or BD4Info@LAUSD.net.

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Thank you!