The Los Angeles Unified School District is working to support the continued learning, health, and safety of our students during the COVID-19 global pandemic. District schools are closed in order to comply with the Safer at Home orders issued by state, local and public health leaders. Minimizing contact with others will help to flatten he curve on community spread of COVID-19. School campuses and facilities are currently closed for this purpose.
Schools are widely considered to be centers of communities. While our physical doors are closed, know that the hearts of our teachers, administrators and District staff remain committed to supporting teaching and learning for our students, even if we are using alternate methods and mediums and modalities to do so.
My staff and I are doing our part to practice social distancing by continuing to work remotely to share vital information and updates with our District 1 community. We learned recently that the Superintendent has directed schools to remain closed until May 1 at this time. Information and directives remain fluid and are changing quickly in this current environment, but we are committed to keeping you informed as we receive updates.
Here are some tools and resources on items like learning tools, food services, and family resources that may be helpful to you while schools remain closed:
At-Home Learning Resources from PBS SoCal/KCET and KLCS Television Stations
- LAUSD has established a partnership with PBS to provide educational and online learning programming on its television stations, PBS SoCal, KCET and KLCS.
- Grade level content is available on the following channels for viewing:
- Pre-K–3rd grade programs on PBS SoCal, Channel 50.1 from 5am to 5pm;
- Pre-K–12th grade programs on KLCS, Channel 58.1
- Grades PreK-3 from 6am – 8am
- Grades 4-8 from 8am -2pm
- Grades 9-12 from 2am – 6pm;
- 9th–12th grade programs on KCET, Channel 28.1.
- The resources are free and designed to be used by public schools in LAUSD and beyond to help students continue learning at home.
Grab & Go Food Services for Students
- Approximately 64 School Sites are now providing non-perishable meals to students Monday-Friday from 7am – 11am.
- The following District 1 School Sites are available for meal service:
- Audubon Middle School (4120 11th, Los Angeles, 90008)
- Cochran Middle School (4066 W. Johnnie Cochran Vista, Los Angeles 90019)
- Dorsey Senior High School (3537 Farmdale Ave., Los Angeles 90016)
- Bret Harte Preparatory Middle School (9301 S. Hoover St., Los Angeles 90044)
- John Muir Middle School (5929 S. Vermont Ave., Los Angeles 90044)
- Barack Obama Preparation Academy (1700 W. 46th St., Los Angeles 90062)
- Palms Middle School (10860 Woodbine St., Los Angeles 90034)
- Washington Preparatory Senior High School (10860 S. Denker Ave., Los Angeles 90047)
School-Based Wellness Centers Open
- Campus wellness centers operated by the LA Trust for Children’s Health in partnership with local community clinics are open.
- District 1 Wellness Centers that remain open include:
- Crenshaw High School
- Washington Prep High School
- Manual Arts High School
- The County of Los Angeles advises anyone with flu-like symptoms to call their doctor or 2-1-1 to see if they need testing — they should not visit any healthcare facility without checking that it is safe for them to do so.
- Visit the LA Trust website thelatrust.org for more information on available health centers and specific services offered.
Internet and Device Resources
- We recognize that families do not have equal access to computers, tablets, internet or wireless data at home, which can make it difficult for all students to utilize the distance learning tools and resources available.
- The District has requested an emergency $100 million appropriation from the state legislature to assist with purchasing devices for all LAUSD students who don’t have their own device or internet at home.
- The District has also announced a partnership with Verizon to provide free internet connectivity to all LAUSD students who are currently without access at home to help more than 100,000 students continue to learn while schools are closed.
- Spectrum cable services is also providing two months of free internet access to qualifying households with PreK-College students who are currently lacking connectivity at home. Call 1-855-243-8892 for more information about this offer.
Your health and safety are our first priority. In addition to social distancing, we remind you to wash your hands often with soap and hot water for at least 20 seconds, avoid touching your face and wipe down surfaces frequently. Learning continuity may be a bit challenging right now, but we have talented and creative educators who are working to stay connected and share information with our students. I am grateful for their commitment and dedication.
I will host the first in a series of “McKenna Mondays” virtual town hall meetings starting on Monday, March 30, at 6:00pm. I will share any news and updates from the District and provide you with a forum to ask questions or share information with me. You may connect to the town hall via Zoom Videoconferencing by clicking https://lausd.zoom.us/j/971850362 Meeting ID: 971 850 362 or use the phone access feature by dialing 1.408.638.0968 and entering the Access Code: 971850362#.
For the latest updates, please continue to call the LAUSD Hotline at (213) 443-1300, email [email protected], visit www.lausd.net and/or follow me @DrGeorgeMcKenna on social media.
