LAUSD Inches Closer To Plan For Reopening Schools

LOS ANGELES, CA — With new coronavirus cases surging in Los Angeles, LA schools seem as far away from reopening as ever during the pandemic. But the LAUSD announced a tentative agreement for reopening with the union representing principals and administrators, and, on Monday, Superintendent Austin Beutner announced a vision for reopening.

The return of students to schools in the Los Angeles Unified School District amid the COVID-19 pandemic will include a combination of at-home learning and in-person instruction, Beutner said. Beutner did not announce a date when students would be permitted to return to campus during Monday's update. Within the next week, LAUSD will publish information about what to expect when students are able to return to school, he said.

"Our goal is to provide everything families need to make an informed decision about what's best for their child and their family to return to school or continuing online learning. Every family will be offered this choice," Beutner said.

The combination of at-home and in-person instruction will be vital to maintain social distancing during the pandemic, he said.

"In order to maintain the appropriate distance between people on campus, we will need to have fewer students in the classroom at any one time," Beutner said. "This means that when it's safe to do so, we'll implement a hybrid model of instruction, where students alternate receiving in-person instruction in a classroom at school and learning online, either at school, or from home.".

The agreement announced Friday outlines safety guidelines for the return of students within "small, stable cohorts while on campus."

In a joint statement, Beutner and Associated Administrators of Los Angeles President John Flecha conceded that online learning "pales in comparison to the education and support (students) receive at schools.

"We are preparing to serve students at schools as soon as it's possible, in the safest way possible," the statement continued. "Our plans include the highest standards for health, education and employee practices at schools. We are grateful for the tireless efforts of administrators who are leading the charge to ensure our schools are ready to return in a hybrid learning model."

The agreement includes provisions calling for all students and staff to be tested for COVID-19 before returning to campuses, and safety protocols at schools, including face masks, social distancing and grouping of students in small cohorts.

It also calls for effective communication with students and staff about the required safety standards, and includes an unspecified "stipend" for administrators "in recognition of the extraordinary effort involved in planning for and implementing this effort."

City News Service and Patch Staffer Paige Austin contributed to this report.