With students back in the classroom, centering equity and racial justice is more critical now than ever. As the pandemic becomes more manageable, and schools continue to face daunting challenges such as a shortage of teachers, students’ social and emotional health and well-being, digital equity, and injustices in the system that were present well before COVID-19, it is critical that we ask ourselves, “Are we prepared to respond in new ways to meet the needs of educators, students and families so that we can all emerge from COVID-19 stronger than before?” Families In Schools, Great Public Schools Now, Los Angeles Unified School District, and Loyola Marymount University Center for Equity for English Learners, have collaborated on a brief that takes a step back to review how our community navigated COVID-19 and met the moment with hope and resiliency.
We hope “An Equitable Restart for Los Angeles Schools: Emboldening Ourselves to Transform Schools and Lives“ will remind us of two important truths that became evident during the pandemic: first, in times of crisis we can turn seemingly impossible ideas into not only possible, but necessary ideas that bring out the best in us and serve the common good; and second, that when necessary, radical change can happen very quickly. Let this moment be a reminder of our incredible resiliency as individuals and communities, and our shared humanity. Moving forward, let us aspire toward a just, and more equitable future.
Read other briefs and reports by Families In Schools
- Families of Los Angeles in the Time of COVID-19
- Measuring Parent Engagement Early Lessons from the California School Dashboard
- Ready or Not: How California is Reimagining Parent Engagement in the Era of Local Control Funding