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Debra Duardo, M.S.W., Ed.D.
Los Angeles County Superintendent of Schools
The pandemic has challenged us to reimagine and be creative with outdoor space to support the safe return to in-person instruction given the lower risk of virus transmission.
Beyond the pandemic, we know that outdoor learning offers students a range of benefits, from enhancing engagement to reducing stress and promoting wellbeing.
I'm pleased to share that LACOE has just published design guidelines to help schools and facilities professionals create equitable everyday outdoor learning experiences on their campuses. This effort was made possible through the generous support of HMC Architects and engineering and construction experts.
The guide includes easy-to-use tools that can be customized for schools and districts. It covers everything from seating, sun shading, space definition and landscaping to funding and professional development.
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- Summer school: Masks are still required indoors in all K-12 settings. Students with special needs who cannot wear masks must remain in a separate setting.
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Accountability, Support & Monitoring |
The password for the ESSER III Assurances is the same one used for the ESSER II Assurances and the CARES Act Reporting application. CDE recommends that local educational agencies check their records before contacting the CDE ED Relief Funds Team, as the influx of emails may cause delays in response.
The ESSER III Fund Legal Assurances must be completed by June 25. The Safe Return to In-Person Instruction and Continuity of Services Plan must be submitted to CDE within 30 days from the submission of the assurances.
The template for the Safe Return Plan is available on the CDE ESSER III web page. CDE will release a uniform template for the LEA Expenditure Plan in the near future. Once the plan is available it will be announced through the EDReliefFunds listserv.
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The Biden administration on May 28 unveiled its 2022 budget request (fact sheet) containing $6 trillion worth of spending priorities for the year ahead. Almost every program within the U.S. Department of Education would see an increase in this proposed request. The department would receive a 40-percent increase ($28 billion) in 2022 funding, with the administration requesting $102.8 billion for the department.
The proposal includes:
- 10-year, $100 billion school infrastructure plan from Biden’s infrastructure proposal released in March
- $7.2 billion program for higher education, $6.2 billion of which would be devoted to competition grants for schools serving low-income students
- $1.8 billion new program for increasing teacher development through both mentorship programs and state grants for certification programs for teachers in special education, language and STEM
- $1.1 billion plan to support innovation in Career Technical Education programs to ensure that more students from low-income backgrounds and students of color can participate
- $11.9 billion for Head Start
- $17.5 billion for special education programs, with $15.5 billion for IDEA, a $2.6 billion increase over 2021 and the largest increase to the program in two decades
- $1 billion to double the number of school counselors, nurses and mental health professionals in K-12 schools, especially in the most underserved schools
- More than $400 million for Teacher Quality Partnership grants to effectively prepare aspiring teachers
- $60 million for Augustus Hawkins Centers of Excellence to help diversify the teacher pipeline
- $1.6 billion to support additional certifications for more than 100,000 educators in high-demand areas like special education, bilingual education, career technical education and STEM
- $30 million to recruit and train school leaders
The House Appropriations Committee plans to hear and pass all 12 spending bills by the end of July, prior to the September 30, 2021 funding deadline.
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Pandemic-EBT:
California’s Pandemic-EBT 2.0 state plan for school-age children was recently approved by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. There is no application for P-EBT, and eligible children will automatically receive P-EBT benefits starting in September. The new P-EBT website is set to launch June 22 and will include updates, partner materials, FAQs and more.
Community Eligibility Provision Expansion Grants:
No Kid Hungry is offering Community Eligibility Provision start-up/expansion grants to school districts that are newly adopting CEP or planning to expand CEP to more schools within the district.
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Social Emotional Learning and Trauma-Informed Education Series:
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 those effects as we return to the classroom. Participants will gain access to the view the documentary "A Trusted Space." Sessions will provide an opportunity to ask questions and practice the curricula materials.
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Budget Committee leaders in the Legislature announced on June 1 that they have agreed on a $267.1 billion budget proposal for 2021-22. In creating its proposal, the Budget Committee chose the higher revenue forecast of the Legislative Analyst’s Office over the Department of Finance’s projections. A significant difference from the Governor’s proposal includes paying off the last $2.6 billion in late payments owed to school districts and community colleges. It also puts $3 billion toward paying down obligations to CalSTRS and CalPERS, the state’s main retirement systems, instead of funding some additional one-time programs.
Following are the education provisions from the summary:
Early Care and Education –
- Provides $1.1 billion in ongoing funds above the May Revision to implement Child Care Rate Reform for childcare and state preschool providers. This helps ensure providers can be fairly compensated and run successful businesses that provide vital services for families.
- Increases child care access by 206,500 slots in Alternative Payment, General Child Care, Migrant Child Care and bridge program for foster children, and prioritizes ongoing vouchers for essential workers currently receiving short-term childcare. The package provides a total of $1.469 billion ($1.026 billion General Fund) in 2021-22 and $2.724 billion ($1.809 billion General Fund) in 2022-23 for new child care slots.
- Adopts universal Transitional Kindergarten as part of a mixed delivery system, phasing in expanded age eligibility to full implementation in 2025-26 and rebenching the Proposition 98 Guarantee to provide ongoing funding for the TK expansion of approximately $2.7 billion at full implementation.
- Provides a variety of one-time investments to stabilize providers growing out of the pandemic, including stipends and hold harmless policies. Makes additional investments in child care facilities ($250 million one-time General Fund and $205 million one-time federal stimulus funds) and the early care and education workforce ($250 million one-time federal stimulus funds).
TK-12 Public Education —
- Provides $2 billion to launch a statewide initiative to build accessible community wellness and student health hubs on more than 1,000 school campuses. The Community School model addresses the most critical health and service needs of students and families to support academic success. The legislative version adds universal meals to the education model, allowing all students who need a healthy breakfast or lunch to receive one year-round at their local school.
- Builds on the Governor’s vision for expanding after-school and summer options with $1 billion in ongoing program support, and $2.3 7 billion in one-time funding for free after-school and summer options for all low-income students through the 2022-23 school year. This improves the standard schedule for public schools to better meet the needs of working families.
- Provides ongoing funding to increase the statewide base rate for the special education formula and fund special education services for children 3-5 years of age. In addition, one-time funds of more than $1 billion are provided to invest in increased support for special education learning loss and increase support for inclusive practices.
- Doubles high school student access to career and college-prep coursework and training.
The Legislature has until June 15 to approve the package. Legislative leaders must then negotiate a final state budget with the Governor and pass it by June 30.
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Voices of Change: Still We Rise |
In honor of Juneteenth, Educational Theatre will present the final rebroadcast of Voices of Change: Still We Rise on June 18 at 4 pm.
Voices of Change is a performance-based exploration of the beauty, unrest and "two-ness" of the Black experience in America, expressed through the work of Black authors, poets, activists, artists and leaders. The goal is for communities to feel inspired and seen, wanting to learn more and do better.
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Resources for Districts & Schools |
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Benefits of Social Emotional Learning (CASEL) click here
SEL for Educators Toollkit (Transforming Education) click here
Leading Forward in 2021: A Self-Paced Series for Mitigating Learning Loss (CCEE) click here
Q&A on Civil Rights and School Reopening in the COVID-19 Environment (USDOE) click here
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