Dear friends and partners, 

This morning, I joined the Mayor, Supervisor Solis, and many more City, County, and Metro representatives to celebrate the beginning of a free transit program for our K-12 students. This culmination of years-long advocacy efforts and collaborative work will give thousands of LA’s kids the opportunity to get where they’re going. 

But we aren’t just helping our students reach their destinations—we’re also doing more to help them discover new roads ahead. Today is the first day of College Awareness Month, and I just introduced a new resolution to ensure that every student applies for college financial aid and creates a post-graduation plan with the resources and support they need. By removing financial and other barriers for our students, we can help them visualize the future they want and make those goals a reality.

At the same time, our present goal remains keeping kids safe and learning in the classroom. Last week, the District reached a tentative agreement with our teachers’ union that solidifies our Continuity of Learning plan to keep students connected to their classroom and supported by their teachers in the event of COVID exposure or wildfire closure. I was also glad to see Governor Newsom follow LA Unified’s lead with a statewide vaccine requirement for eligible K-12 students.

Throughout this pandemic, I have called for policies and protocols to follow the science, and will continue to push for the District to adapt to evolving public health guidance. I believe that’s the best way to get through this crisis, and if we all do our part, I believe our kids can get back to a sense of normalcy in their school day.

Onward,