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Dear friends and partners,
Summer is just around the corner, and even as we prepare the largest summer school and enrichment program in the District’s history, the big news this week is looking ahead to the Fall. LA Unified has announced plans for a five-day, full-time, in-person fall semester starting in August. As the state finalizes its guidance for schools and budget for the upcoming school year, you can help us urge Governor Newsom to invest resources equitably in the service of districts like LAUSD, where students and their families have borne the greatest brunt of the COVID-19 crisis. Click here for an easy advocacy toolkit.
I know that our families have been anxiously awaiting this news about getting our kids back in the classroom full-time. The good news is that we don’t have to wait until the Fall. This summer, LA Unified is offering expanded summer learning and enrichment programs for every TK-12 student. These include in-person and virtual options, and will help address both learning loss and the socio-emotional needs of our kids to reconnect, play, and have fun after the challenges of this past year.
The District also introduced a new mobile vaccination initiative to offer vaccines at school sites to students ages 12+ with a consenting parent or guardian present. This program began this week and we hope to reach every middle and high school before the end of this school year. I was able to see the roll out this week at Taft High School and look forward to our continued efforts to reach herd immunity from COVID-19 in Los Angeles.
LA Unified schools will be able to hold in-person, socially distanced graduation ceremonies. I look forward to joining many of these celebrations in just a few short weeks, and in the meantime, we have created a community page where you can post a shoutout to one of our outstanding graduating seniors!
We aren’t just getting ready to celebrate the graduates of the Class of 2021, we are also taking steps to prepare our Class of 2032 to graduate college-ready. Last week, we officially kicked off Opportunity LA, a collaborative initiative of the City, County, and District to create college savings accounts for every LAUSD first grader. By next year, every new first grade student will automatically receive $50 funded by the city in a savings account unless their parents opt out. Over time, families can use this account to build savings habits and money for college, and the District will support financial literacy and incentive programs so kids can earn even more.
The Board also authorized initial investments this week to put our school communities on the path to recovery. Schools will receive new resources to support mental health, address learning loss, foster early literacy, provide support to students with disabilities, and more. As we prepare to spend this historic investment in our public schools, I believe it’s important for us to remember something this crisis has laid bare: the system wasn’t working well for too many students prior to the pandemic. I will keep pushing for LA Unified to take this opportunity not just to talk about more—but also talk about different.
Onward,
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The Latest from LA Unified
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In the Community: Adjusting to a new kind of school day
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It has been great to be back at school campuses with kids in the classroom! We recently visited Taft HS, Cheremoya ES, Hollywood ES, Marina Del Rey MS, Short Ave ES, Braddock ES, Open Charter Magnet, Westport Heights, Fullbright ES, Playa Vista ES, and Stanley Mosk ES. We will continue working to support our school communities and meet the needs of our kids and families as we near the end of such a challenging year. Thank you to everyone working hard to keep our kids safe and learning throughout this crisis!
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School Spotlight: Future 1st grader has big plans
for his new college savings account
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Last week, LAUSD partnered with the City and County to officially launch "Opportunity LA." This initiative will give a college savings account with $50 to every LAUSD first grader, including Desi Chambers. Desi, currently in kindergarten at Paseo Del Rey Elementary, talked to Spectrum News about his future. He plans to own a pizza and seafood restaurant when he grows up and is grateful he will already have some money for college. Click here to watch Desi's story.
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ICYMI: Updates, Info, and Resources
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Click any photo to visit that resource!
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Know your rights! Click here for free legal resources from a collaborative LA initiative.
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Follow me on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram for daily updates on L.A. Unified, Board District 4, education news, and much more:
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