Dear friends and partners, 

As the end of this school year draws closer, I was proud to celebrate graduating seniors at the SOCES "College Commitment" event today! The process of preparing, applying, and finalizing post-graduation plans is daunting enough without the immense disruption of a global pandemic – which makes the accomplishments of our graduating seniors that much more commendable. 

LAUSD is actively working to make higher education more accessible by reducing financial barriers and expanding college-level programs for high schoolers. We are also making progress toward ensuring that every student has the academic support and resources for a quality education that will prepare them to graduate college- and career-ready. This means getting more teachers and staff into classrooms where they’re needed most, bridging the digital divide for students and families, and welcoming community partnerships that can help improve outcomes for kids. 

We have the opportunity not just to overcome the challenges of this crisis, but to help our school communities emerge better than the pre-pandemic status quo. I am committed to seizing that opportunity and building a brighter future for our kids and families. 

Onward,