 View in your browserLeer en español Contact: Michelle Smith McDonald, Director of Communications and Public Affairs, [email protected], (510) 670-4163 November 16, 2020 The news that Alameda County county will be moving back into the Purple Tier under the State’s Blueprint for a Safer Economy framework is disheartening, but necessary given the surge in COVID-19 cases around the country, our state and the Bay Area. We continue to put all available resources toward the support of our schools as they plan and prepare for the day when students are able to return for in-classroom instruction. We continue to work closely with our partners at Alameda County Public Health Department (ACPHD) to advise and guide our educational leaders as we move through ever-changing circumstances. Per state order, schools that are already open will not be required to close. Those that remain open will need to continue to be vigilant and diligent in prioritizing the health and safety of students and staff. All schools and districts may offer on-site support and instruction to small groups of their students in greatest need of in-person learning using the state’s Small Cohort Guidance. As this situation quickly evolves, we will continue to work with ACPHD to determine the scenarios in which schools are able to serve students within public health guidelines. We urge our school communities and families to heed both the restrictions and the guidance being provided by our public health officers to limit gatherings outside of your household, mask-wearing, hand-washing and cleaning and disinfection of surfaces especially as we approach the upcoming Thanksgiving holiday. As a county, state and nation, we clearly have some challenging days ahead, but there are signs of progress in fighting this virus and I am hopeful that the new year will bring with it an opportunity to be together, to learn and spend time with one another in person again. In the meantime, our collective commitment to our children and communities will sustain us.TweetShareForwardAbout ACOE The Alameda County Office of Education (ACOE), under the leadership of County Superintendent of Schools L. Karen Monroe, serves as liaison between the California Department of Education and the 18 Alameda County public school districts that serve more than 200,000 students and 10,000 teachers. ACOE provides oversight of district budgets and Local Control and Accountability Plans (LCAPs). ACOE also directly operates schools that serve Alameda County’s most vulnerable students: Court Schools at the Juvenile Justice Center, ACOE Opportunity Academy schools serving students 16 and older seeking a high school diploma, and Community Schools that serve foster youth, students in substance abuse treatment, pregnant and parenting teens, Probation-referred youth, and students expelled from their resident school districts. ACOE also runs the Infant & Family Support Program, which provides individualized service for children from birth to three years and their families. For more information, visit www.acoe.org. |
What do you think?