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Dear friends and partners,
Yesterday, Joe Biden was sworn in as our 46th President, and vowed a new beginning to face one of our nation’s most challenging moments. Kamala Harris, my constituent until yesterday, made history by becoming the first Black person, first person of South Asian descent, and first woman to serve as Vice President. And we were reminded by another BD4 constituent, the youngest ever inaugural poet and daughter of an LA public school teacher, Amanda Gorman, that “there is always light, if only we're brave enough to see it...if only we’re brave enough to be it.”
With that spirit, our new administration wasted no time taking action—including to support our undocumented students, address systemic inequities in federal programs, and gear up the national response to this crisis. There is tremendous work ahead to get the pandemic under control, get our communities the help they need, and get our kids safely back to school—but I am filled with hope by our new leader’s resolve to overcome this crisis and create a brighter future for our kids and families.
LA Unified is eager to move forward and our efforts remain tireless to bring our school communities safely back to campus as soon as possible. This week, we successfully advocated for the ability to use school sites as vaccination centers, which will help speed up the vaccination process once our teachers and school staff are eligible. We have also joined with multiple large school districts across the state, our district labor partners, and community organizations to advocate for the framework resources needed to reopen schools safely and equitably. This includes pushing for a clear, statewide standard for when in-person learning options must be provided and making sure that once students are able to return, they have the academic and social-emotional support to thrive and learn. I am also hosting a virtual conversation with Board Member Ortiz Franklin and Supt. Beutner next week to provide an update on our reopening efforts. Click here to RSVP and submit your questions ahead of time.
I will continue pushing for students and families to be at the center of decision-making as we work to safely reopen schools and overcome the challenges of this crisis—and I am optimistic that the new Federal administration’s direction of renewed urgency and empathy will help to get us there.
We’re all in this together, apart.
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