Dear friends and partners, 

Amid a moment of heartbreaking and complex world events, including the tensions that have resulted here at home, there is one thing that continues to give me hope for our future, and that is the time I spend with the kids in our schools. These students represent the next generation of leaders, and our job is to prepare them to create a brighter, kinder, and more just future. And so our work continues to give our school communities the tools they need to help our students learn and thrive.

This week, we saw that students are still struggling with the lasting effects of pandemic learning loss, but there were some bright spots in the District’s data. All grade levels saw increases in math proficiency, and we are seeing gains in early literacy, where we continue to invest in resources and support.

And our investments don’t end inside the classroom. We know that the toll of the pandemic was not just academic, and one way we are prioritizing students’ overall well-being is by expanding access to outdoor learning and green space. As the Board discusses next steps to cool campuses, I was also proud that the op-ed I wrote last year about costly, bureaucratic barriers to building school shade structures led to the successful passage of a new bill aiming to reduce those barriers. I will continue to advocate for more common-sense and innovative solutions to support the next generation of leaders and give them the tools to succeed.

Onward,