In this difficult time, LACOE remains committed to improving the lives of students and our educational community through service, leadership and advocacy. Here, we share best practices, tips and success stories from the county’s 80 districts as we innovate and adapt together to ensure continuity of learning and safety of students, staff and families. |
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Celebrating Juneteenth National Independence Day |
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Juneteenth is now a federal holiday, elevating the day that marks the end of slavery in the United States to a national commemoration of emancipation. We join communities in celebrating this important milestone on our continuing journey to racial equity and social justice. Below are Juneteenth resources compiled by LACOE Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Director Dr. Kathryn Edwards and History-Social Science Coordinator Dr. Michelle Herczog.
In a resolution, the LA County Board of Education encourages educators to provide instructional resources throughout the year to make a positive impact on the lives of Black American students.
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Supporting our LGBTQ+ students |
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During LGBTQ+ Pride Month, we honor the LGBTQ+ community and celebrate their achievements and contributions. We are also reminded that members of this community – including our youth – continue to face discrimination and violence.
In this video, LACOE Supt. Dr. Debra Duardo highlights the critical importance of ensuring that schools are safe and affirming spaces for ALL students, regardless of sexual orientation and gender identity and expression. LACOE has compiled resources to help our LGBTQ+ students feel safe, valued, supported and empowered.
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LA County Summer Learning Initiative
Programs to serve more than 62,000 students
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The California Community Foundation (CCF) has announced the 123 summer programs that will receive $7.4 million in grants through the LA County Summer Learning Initiative. The grants support learning and enrichment programs for low-income and vulnerable students in K-12 schools and community-based organizations and will reach more than 62,000 students across LA County over the next three months.
The grantees include El Monte City SD, which has created the Transitional Kindergarten and Kinder Readiness Program that provides resources to help families jumpstart their child's education and mitigate learning loss. "The COVID-19 pandemic has spotlighted inequities within education, especially in regard to school readiness,” says Supt. Maribel Garcia. LACOE Supt. Debra Duardo thanks CCF for creating opportunities to engage students most in need of a summer learning boost.
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Storytelling and student empowerment |
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Each week, LACOE's philanthropic arm, The Greater LA Education Foundation (Greater LA), features Teachers of the Year Equitable Innovation Grant recipients to highlight their innovative work. The program was launched to invest in dynamic teacher leaders, develop new strategies to help students and share best practices.
Greater LA Board Member Cord Jefferson and LA Times reporter Paloma Esquivel recently joined one of the grantees – English teacher Deanna Tayag – for a conversation on the role that journalism and storytelling can play in cultivating civic agency and student empowerment.
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Immigrant Heritage Month
Storytelling project promotes cultural diversity
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Before the COVID-19 pandemic, LACOE hosted an annual language enrichment series. When schools moved to distance learning, participants asked Silvina Rubinstein, LACOE educational consultant and leadership coach, to incorporate this tradition into their virtual classrooms. The storytelling project Cuentos con Caramelo was born, providing young learners and their families quality literature in Spanish.
In honor of Immigrant Heritage Month, we are re-sharing the stories for families to enjoy with their children. This collaboration between LACOE's Multilingual Academic Support Unit and ETN/LACOE Communications aims to celebrate diversity, bring equity to schools and promote literacy and love for reading.
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Child Tax Credit Awareness Day |
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Today, June 21, is Child Tax Credit Awareness Day. Experts estimate the new Child Tax Credit has the potential to cut child poverty in half. Below are resources to help spread the word and raise awareness of this major tax relief for working families.
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Student artwork promotes water conservation |
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Students at Centinela Elementary and La Tijera K-8 Academy of Excellence in Inglewood USD were among the honorable mentions in the West Basin “Water is Life” art contest. Local student artists were invited to create inspiring artwork that encourages others to use water more efficiently. There were 450 entries received from students throughout the West Basin service area representing all school grade levels.
"We are so proud of our amazing students and hope they continue to create art that depicts the positive changes they want to see in our communities and the world," says County Administrator Dr. Erika Torres.
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Creating student leaders in arts education |
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Arts for LA is facilitating free training for student leaders interested in getting more involved in the movement for equitable arts education. The 90-minute training will offer students concrete organizing and advocacy skills, as well as space to begin building a student-led campaign in support of arts education.
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Supporting youth with enriching summer experiences |
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Summer is here, and we want to ensure all LA youth have access to enriching summer experiences. We have partnered with LA City Mayor Garcetti and the Mayor's Fund for Los Angeles to launch the EarnLearnPlay website where students and families can find summer programs near them.
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A Trusted Space: Social emotional learning and
trauma-informed education series
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A two-part series beginning on June 23 will feature experts in trauma-informed education who will address the grief, trauma and anxiety that have surfaced for many students and teachers this past year. Experts will discuss how to help mitigate this impact as students return to the classroom.
Participants will have access to the documentary "A Trusted Space" and curriculum materials.
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Join LACOE Deputy Supt. Arturo Valdez, Surrey SD Supt. Jordan Tinney (Surrey, BC, Canada) and Hemet USD Supt. Christi Barrett in a roundtable on the impact of COVID-19 on learning and how school communities are rising to the challenge and planning for the new school year.
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In honor of Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) Heritage Month, and to help stop AAPI hate, members of the California Association of Science Educators (CASE) Equity Committee hosted a panel discussion with some distinguished Asian American science educators, including LACOE STEM expert Anthony Quan, to discuss the challenges they face.
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Celebrating immigrants and cultural diversity
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Immigrant Heritage Month in June provides Americans an opportunity to explore their own heritage and to celebrate diversity. This month, LACOE features the immigrant stories of its staff, including Silvina Rubinstein and Abimbola Ogbechie.
Rubinstein, who was born in Buenos Aires in Argentina, values her ability to navigate between two languages and many cultures. "I am always open to listen to other immigrant stories because our stories are all unique and inspirational," Rubinstein says in a Q&A on her life as an immigrant. Rubinstein leads the storytelling project Cuentos con Caramelo that promotes diversity (see related story).
Ogbechie, who is from Nigeria, takes pride in the Nigerian way of dressing, their cuisine and how they greatly value education. "I strongly believe and practice the adage: It takes a village to raise a child," she says.
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Resources for Families & Schools |
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Don’t forget, LACOE is regularly updating several pages of resources:
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