Dear friends and partners, 

It has officially been two years since we all took unprecedented steps to confront a once in a century pandemic with no playbook in sight. As we continue moving toward a safe return to normality for our school communities, I am pleased that LAUSD will align with County public health guidance and move from required to optional indoor masking this Wednesday.

This pandemic laid bare the inequities so many Americans are facing—and I’m committed not only to a return to normality for our kids, but an acknowledgment of the crisis in our public education system that predated Covid. Now is the time to address that fact, so we can help our families and school communities emerge from this crisis better than the pre-pandemic status quo. Last week, I was in Washington, D.C. with a delegation of Los Angeles leaders, advocating to national representatives and the Department of Education to bring more support to our kids and families and accelerate academic progress, in the wake of the pandemic and beyond. 

From the nation’s Capitol to the Board room here at home, I will continue advocating for more resources to accelerate academic progress and support student wellbeing – including tutoring, mentoring, summer learning opportunities, expanded arts programs, and more enrichment. We got through one of the darkest periods in recent history, and now we have an opportunity to build a brighter future for our kids. 

Onward,