Dear Los Altos School District Families,

Today, Governor Newsom announced new guidelines and requirements for California’s schools. These guidelines are in response to the recent increase in COVID-19 cases in many California counties that have been placed on the state’s Monitoring List, including Santa Clara County. 

Fall Reopening:  Online Instruction
Per California’s new public health guidance for K-12 schools, LASD will begin the school year on August 19 in an online learning model. According to the state, school facilities may only open in counties that have been off the state’s Monitoring List for 14 consecutive days. Santa Clara County is currently on the Monitoring List and therefore, LASD must begin the year in a distance learning model.

We are heartbroken for the families struggling with this rapidly spreading illness and for those who rely on our schools for essential services.  With a focus on educational equity, LASD will prioritize in-person learning opportunities for targeted students who require additional academic support whenever it is allowable and safe. These targeted populations include students in special education programs, students participating in the school nutrition program and beginning English learners.   

We’re Prepared to Provide a Well-Rounded Education for All Students
In anticipation of changing public health conditions, LASD developed a flexible Instructional Plan for the 2020-21 school year, which includes three modes of educational delivery to ensure academic consistency for all of our students. As I’ve mentioned before, we are prepared to operate in any scenario due to thoughtful planning, adherence to scientific research and public health guidance, as well as the collaboration from parents, teachers and our community. 

Fall Re-Enrollment Survey
Although we will begin the school year with all instruction online, we are continuing to prepare to bring students and staff back to our neighborhood schools as soon as we are able.  For that reason, we will run two instructional programs simultaneously so all students have the educational continuity of the same, highly-qualified teachers regardless of the instructional model: one program for families who wish to continue in a 100% virtual model once orders are lifted and another for those who wish to return their children to campus.  LASD families will receive a confirmation email with their child(ren)’s enrollment and more information about the program.  If you have not yet completed the Fall Re-Enrollment survey for your child(ren), please look for a reminder email later today. 

The only constant during this global pandemic is change.  As public health data continues to evolve regarding the COVID-19 crisis, we will heed the guidance of our public health officials and balance the need for in-person instruction with a safe learning experience for our students, and a healthy working environment for all our staff. 

Thank you for entrusting us with the monumental task of redesigning education for all LASD students as we continue to navigate this public health crisis. This is without a doubt the most difficult challenge we’ve ever undertaken, but I am confident LASD will continue to be a model of academic excellence.

Warm Regards, 

Jeffrey Baier
Superintendent
Los Altos School District
 

Dear Los Altos families, 

Thank you for your patience and understanding as we work through the multitude of details and regulations related to the reopening of our schools in August.  Yesterday afternoon, the Santa Clara County Public Health Department (SCCPHD) released its requirements and guidance to safely reopen schools in the fall.  Thanks to input already received from parents, teachers, students and staff, as well as the hard work of a dedicated team of diverse employees and stakeholders, we are very pleased that LASD’s plans are in-line with the newly published SCCPHD requirements.

Monday evening, Assistant Superintendent of Curriculum and Instruction Sandra McGonagle and I presented our Draft Instructional Plan for the 2020-21 school year to the Board of Trustees and the community.  The plan outlines a “Continuum of Instruction” to maintain educational continuity for all students throughout the school year, as well as the flexibility we need to strictly adhere to any changes in public health regulations.  If you missed the School Board meeting, you can view a recording here and a PDF of the presentation here.

At this time, staff recommendation to the board is to begin the school year in a Blended Learning format, with all students spending a portion of their week learning on campus and remaining days learning online.  SCCPHD requirements to safely reopen schools are complex and it will take time for our students and staff to adjust to these new norms.  For that reason, we view Blended Learning as the best initial instructional model to provide educational continuity for all students, while protecting the health of all students and staff. This is one big step towards our eventual goal of a safe and measured return of all students to our campuses.

From our May survey, we know many families are anxious for students to return to our campuses full-time.  Alternatively, some families feel more secure in a Virtual School model, so our plan allows families to choose a 100% Virtual School option.

Over the next several days, we will scrutinize the SCCPHD guidelines for K-12 schools, ensure our plan strictly follows all regulations for both elementary and junior high schools, and finalize our instructional model for reopening in August.  We will use these additional guidelines from Santa Clara County to implement the final details of our health and operations plans.

Here are the next steps: 
●    July 1-5:  LASD staff will review the instructional plan against the new SCCPHD K-12 requirements 
●    July 6: The LASD Board will review and consider approval of the 2020-21 Instructional Plan 
●    Mid-July: Once approved by the Board, the final Instructional Plan will be emailed to families, along with a survey to choose 100% Virtual School or an on-campus learning option
●    July 27: Staff will bring Health and Operational Plans for the Board to consider approval 
●    Early August: Finalize Technology and Site Operations plans 
●    August 19: First day of school

As we continue to move forward in our planning, we want to hear from you. Please email trustees@lasdschools.org with questions, feedback or concerns.  Your partnership is paramount to the success of all students.  We look forward to opening the school year safely with you.

Sincerely, 

Jeffrey Baier
Superintendent
Los Altos School District 
 

The Los Altos School District is currently evaluating various scenarios to reopen our schools in the 2020-21 school year, while taking into account the necessary public health requirements to keep our students and staff safe and healthy. While we all want a return to normalcy in the next school year, it is very likely that some form of distance learning will be required. For that reason, LASD asked parents, teachers and students to provide feedback regarding their experience in Virtual School this year so that we may improve our program and ensure we come up with a model for the upcoming school year that provides the best educational experience possible for all students. Please take a look at the summary results of the survey here.

This document provides an overview explaining the changes to program offerings that the Los Altos School District has made in response to school closures to address the COVID-19 emergency and the major impacts of the closures on students and families.

Dear Los Altos School District Community, 

In the midst of a global pandemic that has laid bare the persistent inequities in our nation, our hearts are heavy from the recent race-related killings and ensuing events.  As protests surge in our local communities and beyond, we feel the need to speak out.  Silence and inaction only perpetuate injustice, bias, and racism.

In LASD we value and teach equity, diversity and inclusion.  We actively teach our students conflict resolution, to communicate their own feelings of injustice, and to rise against intolerance in defense of others.

But, recent events clearly show we must do more.  As a school district, we must ensure our students understand the injustices people of color face every day and work with our children to build a more just world together.

We are all partners in this effort.  Below are some resources to engage in direct discussions on culture and race with children. Even our youngest children can learn about race and racism in ways appropriate for them.

●    NPR Podcast: Why All Parents Should Talk with their Kids about Social Identity
●    Teaching Tolerance: Lessons for the classroom and home and A Parent’s Guide to Preventing and Responding to Prejudice
●    Today’s Parent: How to Talk to Kids about Racism, an age by age guide

For our part and as the governance team of our school district, we commit to our families, students and teachers, that we, as an entire school district community, will work to ensure our students are empowered with the tools to build a more equitable and just world.

We can and will do better for our children.

As always, thank you for your partnership.

Jeffrey Baier, Superintendent
Bryan Johnson, President, Board of Trustees
Vaishali Sirkay, Vice President, Board of Trustees
Steve Taglio, Clerk, Board of Trustees
Vladimir Ivanovic, Member, Board of Trustees
Jessica Speiser, Member, Board of Trustees