Berkeley Public Schools: Extended School Closure Likely, Distance Learning, Spring Break Meals

Press release from Berkeley Public Schools:

March 24, 2020

Dear Berkeley Unified Community,

I’m writing to let you know that at the Wednesday evening, March 25 Board of Education meeting, I will be discussing with the Board the likelihood that all BUSD schools could remain closed for the remainder of April, rather than reopen after Spring Break.

I’ve been carefully watching what other districts are doing to support the fight against COVID-19, as well as the rise in confirmed cases here in Berkeley and Alameda County. Yesterday, for example, Los Angeles Unified School District announced the extension of their closure through May 1, and we expect other California districts to follow suit. While the local Shelter-in-Place order is currently dated through April 7, it can always be extended. The statewide Stay Home order has no termination date; Governor Newsom has stated it could last as long as eight weeks. With the number of COVID-19 cases in Berkeley, Alameda County and California on the rise, a reopening in two weeks seems unwise.

Long-Term Distance Learning

Anticipating that our schools are unlikely to open again soon, last week BUSD’s Educational Services team shifted their efforts from Home Learning Resources to the development of a long-term Distance Learning Program. We will launch this Program after staff returns from Spring Break, with:

• Weekly Learning Activities by Grade Level and Course Content,
• Weekly Assignments from Teachers,
• Teacher “Office Hours” on Zoom,
• Supports for Two Way Immersion (TWI) and
• Supplemental Student Supports.

Watching the School Board Meeting Online

I will be discussing an outline of the District’s long-term Distance Learning Program at the Wednesday, March 25 School Board meeting, which begins at 7:30 pm. During the Shelter-in-Place, all School Board meetings will be held online only, using Zoom, a free video-based meeting tool. If you would like to observe the meeting, where you can also make a public comment, please see these instructions for participating in BUSD School Board meetings while sheltering in place.

Spring Break Meals

BUSD will be providing 5 days worth of food this Friday, March 27. This includes a meal for Friday and then 4 more sets of meals that cover breakfast and lunch during Spring Break. Lunches will be frozen.

Nutrition Services will be open again on Monday, April 6, serving sets of meals on Monday, Wednesday and Friday each week at these locations. All children age 18 and under, regardless of where they live, may receive meals. Your child does not have to be enrolled in a food program, attend a BUSD school or even reside in Berkeley. You can also go to sites of meal distributions in other nearby communities. This map shows meal distribution sites throughout the Bay Area.

The Berkeley Food Network (BFN) will be distributing bags of groceries from the BUSD food distribution sites on Friday, March 27 for BUSD families and staff. BFN will be partnering with BUSD for food bag distribution twice a month on the second and fourth Fridays. Berkeley Technology Academy (BTA) continues to operate a food pantry with BFN on the second and fourth Tuesday of each month from 2:30 – 4:00 pm at 2701 Martin Luther King Jr. Way. Community members can pick up fresh produce, protein and eggs, frozen prepared foods, and packaged goods there.

Third Quarter Grading

For students in grades 6-12, we are adjusting our 3rd quarter grading period as follows:

Students can still complete work that was assigned before school closure on 3/13, and submit the work to their teacher electronically. This is offered as a way to support students that needed time before the quarter ended to improve grades, make up work, and so on. Some teachers have offered supplemental learning after the 3/13 closure; this work will not be graded.

School districts in other cities, states and nations are all struggling to balance the safety of students, staff, and their community during the coronavirus pandemic, along with the profound impact long-term school closure has on students and families. Keeping schools closed after Spring Break is a huge challenge and disappointment, but I hope this disappointment and disconnection will be decreased as teachers reach out to connect with students online, and as students more fully immerse themselves in distance learning.

Sincerely,

Brent Stephens, Ed.D.
Superintendent

This press release was produced by Berkeley Public Schools. The views expressed here are the author’s own.