Dear Staff and Community,
I hope you are doing well this Friday afternoon and are looking forward to a weekend of some rest and rejuvenation. I know we all want our entire society to return to normal, and fortunately, there is some good news on the COVID-19 front as case rates continue to decline at a steady rate. Click on the link to see the state-wide data: https://covid19.ca.gov/safer-economy/
Vaccine for Schools Update: The Solano County Office of Education is working with the Solano County Health Department to organize COVID-19 vaccine clinics. There is a planned vaccination clinic on February 26th, pending any issues with vaccine supply due to severe weather conditions in parts of the country, and is prioritized for education employees whose school districts have been providing some level of in-person instruction prior to February 15.
The next level of prioritization, this is where BUSD falls, is for school districts that have an established return to in-person instruction date (the Board Trustees approved the desire to return to in-person hybrid instruction on March 22nd, state rules permitting), a safety plan (we are finalizing and submitting for approval this coming week), and the number of employees (that will be anonymous for confidentiality purposes), who will request the vaccine, of which we will be compiling and sending to the County Office.
I will continue to keep you updated regarding this process. Again, the main issue for our County, according to the Solano County Health Director, Dr. Matyas, is vaccine supply.
In-Person Instruction: The Board Trustees approved small-group, in-person instruction during last night’s Board meeting. This service will be provided by staff who have volunteered to provide in-person support to students. Your school sites are working with those teachers who volunteered. If your child is currently receiving support services (i.e. specialized instruction or intervention), and your child’s teacher has not volunteered to do in-person small groups, their virtual services will continue.
The Leavening Effect of Equity and Opportunity: We continue to be excited about this work as we all come together to build community in ways that are inclusive, respectful and hopeful. The superordinate goal is to meet the needs of all our students while identifying and removing barriers for any student groups who are not reaching their potential.
We are currently working on solidifying additional professional learning opportunities for staff centered on culturally responsive practices, diversity, and equity. Our curriculum department is preparing to begin curriculum audits where we evaluate our materials through the lens of equity.
Finally, we are working on drafting a broad equity goal for our Strategic Plan-LCAP that will serve as the guidepost for actions and services focused on removing barriers and providing opportunities.
I want to close by extending my deepest gratitude to all BUSD staff for their ongoing commitment and tremendous effort they put in each and every day on behalf of our students.
On we go!
Charles Young