March 25th
Debra Duardo, M.S.W., Ed.D.
Los Angeles County Superintendent of Schools

I am looking forward to joining with Public Health Director Dr. Barbara Ferrer on March 26 at 6pm for an online town hall for parents. Our aim is to provide important updates about COVID-19 and the safe return to in-person instruction in LA County.

Mental Health Director Dr. Jonathan Sherin will be on hand to provide key information about supporting students' emotional wellbing during this time of transition.

We also will discuss the new Parent Ambassador Program, with Glendale USD Superintendent Dr. Vivian Ekchian sharing her district's rollout of the effort.

Please help us spread the word about this important event with your school communities.

Thank you for your support!
Public Health Update
Budget & Finance
The Biden administration announced that $81 billion of the $122 billion provided in the American Rescue Plan's Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief Fund was made available for states on March 24 (see National Safe School Reopening Summit). This includes funding to purchase technology (devices and WiFi connectivity) for students to aid in their digital learning interactions, increase COVID-19 testing capacity across the country and address student trauma and learning loss with the goal of safely returning to in-person instruction by this spring.

The remainder of funds will become available after states submit their plans for using these funds to safely reopen schools and meet the needs of students to the U.S. Department of Education. 

Juan Perez Jr. of POLITICO reported on March 25 that a group of 11 Senate Democrats have asked the Education Department to help guide the creation of summer enrichment programs that will be eligible for a share of billions of dollars in federal pandemic recovery aid, saying many states could miss an opportunity to help children recover from COVID-19's trauma without government assistance.
Child Care
Early Childhood Education community call on March 26:

The LA County Early Childhood Education COVID-19 Response Team will hold a community call for ECE providers on Friday, March 26, from 9 to 10 am. Topics include the latest guidance for child care environments, updates to early care and education policies, the availability of supplies to operate safely and how to access additional resources. There will be time for questions and answers.  

Please register here. For more information, contact ECECovidResponse@lacoe.edu or visit childcareheroes.org.
Curriculum & Instruction
Physical Education & Comprehensive Health:

Physical education plays an important role in developing the whole child. During this time, it remains crucial to provide quality physical education for all students.

Please join LACOE on Monday, April 5 from 3 to 4 pm for a presentation on Strategically Planning for In-Person Physical Education in K-12 schools. The presentation will include:

  • Resources that support instructional planning while maintaining COVID-19 guidelines for in-person instruction
  • Templates to guide conversations with school/district stakeholders  
  • COVID-19 and Reopening In-person Instruction Framework

It is imperative that physical education stakeholders take an active approach in shaping the future of physical education. Do not miss this opportunity to ask questions, connect with colleagues and receive valuable resources to guide physical education instruction.
 

Contact: Tonya Moore, LACOE coordinator, Physical Education & Comprehensive Health, 562-922-8629, moore_tonya@lacoe.edu.
Foster Youth
Visit the LACOE Foster Youth Services Upcoming Events page for the month of April. Trainings and webinars continue to be provided on a wide variety of topics, including trauma-informed practices, caregiver support for youth mental health and assistance in completing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) application.

State Budget
The Department of Finance on March 22 released its Finance Bulletin, which includes the financial results for the first eight months of the 2020–21 fiscal year.

The state’s General Fund outperformed the forecasted numbers from the proposed 2021–22 Governor’s Budget. For the first eight months of the year, state revenues are $14.3 billion (12.9 percent) above projections, while revenue collections from January 2021 are $3.8 billion (76.1 percent) higher than forecast. Personal income tax receipts are $12.8 billion above estimates, and sales and use tax and corporation tax receipts are $760 million and $721 million over their forecast, respectively.

Revenues are $3.8 billion above forecast for the month of February 2021 largely in part to lower tax refunds due to delayed enactment of Gov. Gavin Newsom’s Golden State Stimulus. Additionally, the delayed opening of tax filing season by the Internal Revenue Service moved many refunds further into the calendar year. Final tax payments for the 2020 calendar year will occur in May 2021, when the financial landscape will be much more accurate.
Student Support Services
Social-Emotional Learning Community of Practice begins March 31:

LACOE’s Student Support Services Division is excited to share an opportunity for district and school site leaders to participate in a Social-Emotional Learning Community of Practice.

Attending to the mental health and social-emotional needs of students is critical as educators return to in-person instruction with a focus on learning recovery and acceleration. To effectively support students requires tending to the social-emotional needs of educators first. This Community of Practice will do just that by focusing on adult social-emotional needs in a space where teachers and staff can practice regulating their emotions as well as gain support and learn from each other to fully integrate transformative social-emotional learning into classrooms, schools and communities.
Resources for Districts & Schools
Addressing Anti-Asian Racism and Discrimination: Resources for Educators (LACOE) click here

Rising from COVID-19: Recovery, Resilience and Acceleration (LACOE) click here

Supporting the African American Learner (LACOE) click here

Homelessness Education Toolkit (United Way) click here
African American teen girl wearing headphones learning language online_ using laptop_ looking at screen_ doing school tasks at home_ writing notes_ listening to lecture or music_ distance education