Today, LAUSD Superintendent, Austin Beutner, announced the new school year will start in August. However, it will begin with a distant learning plan due to the ongoing spike in Coronavirus cases. The safety of students, staff, and families is top priority. LAUSD is the second largest school district in the nation; it’s estimated enrollment for the 2019-2020 school year was 673,849 students and over 73% of the students attending LAUSD schools are Latino. When you look at the coronavirus fatalities in Los Angeles County (excluding Pasadena and Long Beach), 42.6% of the lives lost are identified as Latino. We’re hoping neighboring districts also take measures to keep our communities safe.
While this decision did not come easily, many working-class families may be feeling overwhelmed with today’s news. The uncertainty of how families will care for their children, keep them academically engaged, and also in a healthy mental state can feel like too much to handle. We urge you to start working on a plan for your children, and reach out to your school’s principal for an outline of the distant learning curriculum your school intends to roll out if they have not reached out to you as of yet. Keep in mind there’s been sufficient time to develop a well thought out distant learning curriculum plan for all of your teachers, and faculty, to execute.
Right now, your worries should be keeping your children safe with trusted caregivers (if you have to work) and supporting the academic plan your school implements. We believe that communication among parents, educators, and school staff is crucial, even before the year begins.