As California faces statewide school closures due to the COVID-19 pandemic, districts are adopting virtual learning to accommodate students as they continue lessons from home. School closures also impact families who rely on schools for care and food. We’ve gathered a list of the latest information related to school closures in L.A. County, virtual learning and accessing resources provided by LAUSD in lieu of in-person classes.
LAUSD Information
On June 8th, California released guidelines for reopening public schools: Stronger Together: A Guidebook for the Safe Reopening of California's Public Schools
LAUSD Resource Page: https://achieve.lausd.net/resources
LAUSD has provided a hotline to answer questions:
- Families: 213-443-1300
- School Leaders: 213-241-2000
- Employees: 213-241-2700
They've also provided an IT HelpDesk line for IT-related questions. For more information, visit: https://achieve.lausd.net/Page/1095
You can also follow the Superintendent of the LAUSD on Twitter at @AustinLASchools for more the latest updates.
On March 19th, Los Angeles Unified School District Superintendent Austin Beutner announced the creation of a fund-raising effort to help students most in need who attend schools in Los Angeles Unified. Los Angeles Unified serves almost 700,000 students, 80% of whom are from families who live in poverty. The Anthony and Jeanne Pritzker Family Foundation, the Ballmer Group and Richard Lovett, president of Creative Artists Agency, have each contributed $250,000 to start the effort. Tax-deductible contributions can be made to the California Community Foundation for LA Students Most in Need at https://www.calfund.org/lastudentsmostinneed/.
Virtual Lesson Plans: Students will be provided with lesson plans from their teachers and/or free televised and digital educational classes. LAUSD has partnered with the below television stations on at-home learning. For more detailed information, click here.
- Grades Pre-K–3: PBS SoCal (Channel 50.1) from 5 a.m. to 5 p.m, PBS SoCal KIDS (Channel 50.5) 24/7 Livestream (on streaming devices and PBS KIDS Video app, KLCS KIDS (Channel 58.2), KLCS (Channel 58.1) from 6 a.m. to 8 a.m., YouTube (Search “PBS KIDS”), Free PBS KIDS Video App.
- Grades 4–8: KLCS (Channel 58.1) from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m.
- Grades 9–12: KCET (Channel 28.1) from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. KLCS (Channel 58.1) from 2 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Food Resources: During closures, LAUSD is providing 60 "grab-and-go" food centers for families. For more information on grab-and-go food centers, visit: https://achieve.lausd.net/resources or see the map below to locate one.
Free Internet for Families:
Comcast will offer free Internet during COVID-19 crisis
- Comcast will be making Xfinity Wi-Fi Network free nationwide, offering unlimited data for free, ending disconnections and late fees
- These changes will help low income households remain connected to the Internet, which is particularly important as children learn remotely during school closures and families need access to health care resources
Spectrum is offering free internet for students. Learn more here: https://www.spectrum.net/support/internet/coronavirus-covid-19-educational-internet-offer
Certain families in L.A. County qualify for free internet services during the pandemic to accommodate online learning. To learn more information, click here.
L.A. County has launched a tool to help residents locate free WiFi. To learn more, visit: https://covid19.lacounty.gov/covid19-news/wifi-locator-tool-help-residents-online/
Online Learning Resources:
On top of the resources provided by LAUSD, many companies are offering free learning services to help kids exercise their brains and stay on track during school closures. Below is a list of free online resources:
- Wide Open School –– Curated resources by grade and subject, with the ability to create and schedule routines.
- Elementary Online Learning Resources
- Middle and High School Online Learning Resources
- K-12 Online Learning Resources
- Remote Learning and Virtual Classroom Platforms
- For virtual learning resources for ECE educators, check out Common Sense Education's Resource Bank.
- Common Sense Media - Special Education Learning Resources
LACOE is holding daily teleconferences with the County’s 80 superintendents to provide guidance and to assess common needs, especially on building the capacity of schools to move to online learning platforms and the ability of teachers to effectively engage in virtual instruction.
ECE-Related Resources:
As early childhood educators (ECE) and parents work on how to respond to the novel coronavirus, ECE advocates, including First 5 LA, are supporting by developing up-to-date resources to reference. We have compiled a list here for our readers:
Resources for Finding Child Care:
Child Care Alliance Los Angeles - Resource and Referral Search
California's State Website for Finding Childcare: https://mychildcare.ca.gov/#/home
Mayor Garcetti's Childcare Connection for Front-Line Responders: https://corona-virus.la/Childcare
Health and Safety Guidance:
- Los Angeles County Office of Education: COVID-19 Resources for ECE
- Los Angeles County Department of Public Health: Guidance for Early Childhood Educator
- CDC: Interim Guidance for Administrators of US Childcare Programs and K-12 Schools
- The California Department of Public Health: Novel Coronavirus Guidance for Child Care and Preschool Settings
- Early Edge California: Coronavirus Resources for the Early Learning Community in California
- Urban Institute: Policies, Practices, and Resources for Child Care and Early Education Providers Amid the Coronavirus Crisis
- Child Care Aware America: Coronavirus Updates and Resources for Child Care Providers and CCR&Rs
- University of California San Francisco: California Childcare Health Program COVID-19 (Coronavirus) Guidance
- Child Care Law Center: Questions and answers about the impact of COVID-19 on California child care centers
- Child Care Aware has a set of information on health and safety measures child care programs should take to protect children and staff, as do LADPH and the American Academy of Pediatrics.
Resources for ECE/Child Care Closures:
Legal Resources for ECEs:
Public Counsel is offering free legal services to child care providers, small businesses, or nonprofits serving low income communities that need legal help due to COVID-19. They can potentially help them understand their employment obligations, whether they qualify for any loans/grants from the federal/state/local governments, whether they need to pay rent if their business was impacted by COVID, whether they can charge tuition while closed. For more information, contact Ritu Mahajan, [email protected].
