We’re writing to share with you our incredibly difficult decision to open the 2020-2021 school year with Distance Learning for every UUSD student. View the complete UUSD 2020-2021 Opening Plan for more information.
Our Board of Trustees, along with many of our UUSD community members, including District and school-site administrators, department leads, Ukiah Teachers Association (UTA) members, California School Employees Association (CSEA) members, and parents, had a voice in our decision-making process. This decision is in response to the rising trends of COVID-19 cases and recent hospitalizations locally. Also, Distance Learning is aligned with guidance provided by the Mendocino County Public Health officer earlier this week – she advises that the safest approach to school reopening is Distance Learning.
Our team is working tirelessly to design substantial improvements to our Distance Learning program. We learned from our experiences earlier this year, and we have listened to parents, teachers, students, and families to make changes that improve our curriculum and provide opportunities for students and teachers to connect and collaborate. We look forward to sharing many more details about what you and your students can expect, and we will want to hear your feedback during the first weeks of Distance Learning to understand what’s working and what needs our attention.
We also remain very hopeful that we can bring our students back to their classrooms during this school year. The pandemic rapidly changes, and we learn more about the virus every day. We also know that conditions seem to be changing every day in our county and state. That’s why over 50 UUSD staff and community members have worked together since May to develop four different educational program models, with detailed implementation plans, for the 2020-2021 school year. (Distance Learning is one of these models.) We presented the four plans to the UUSD Trustees, which they approved during the week of July 13, 2020.
We encourage you to get familiar with the four plans. While we are starting our school year with Distance Learning, it might be possible to move to a different model depending on health circumstances. It also may be likely that we experience all four models at some point during this school year. You’ll find the four plans in our Family Guide to Reopening.
And, with the four plans in mind, we want to understand what you and your student prefer. We are asking all parents to complete this confidential form to indicate your student’s preference for education during the 2020-2021 school year. You need to complete the form for each student by July 22, 2020. If you already know you want to enroll in Distance Learning for the entire 2020-2021 school year, be sure to indicate it on your form. If you choose this, we will schedule your student accordingly.
As we continue to work through the pandemic together, know that our preference is always to bring students physically back to school. Yet, we must remain flexible and open to change in this challenging time. Health, safety, quality learning, and equity have guided the decisions behind our four plans, and our students’ and staff’s health and safety are our priority. We will continue to listen to our state and local health and education experts, and consider all the recommended measures to keep students and staff safe.
We will also continue to listen to our community. This is a difficult time for our families, and it’s clear we share a common bond – we deeply care for our children.
We look forward to continuing to work together.