Update From Scotts Valley Unified School District Superintendent - April 17th

Press release from the Scotts Valley Unified School District:

April 17, 2020

Dear SVUSD Community,

Congratulations to all, as we have just completed our first week following spring break. I trust we are all settling into a rhythm for online learning for our students. This past week, all grade levels recalibrated student workload. As you know, teaching remotely is not what our teachers or students are trained to do, nor are they used to doing it full-time. So, as mentioned before, we continue to make necessary adjustments to our quality education, while striving to keep students engaged and learning.

We remain diligent in responding to rapid changes, and it feels like just as we become adjusted to the next update, we receive a new one. We have not even been back a complete week from spring break, and already potential future changes are in discussion for us to be planning for, as we simultaneously try to figure out how to best finish out the school year. Please bear with us as we are working tirelessly to respond to the ever-changing new normal.

Linked here is our weekly all-County Superintendents’ update that outlines some of the areas of focus just from the past week or so. We are discussing grading and credit at all grade levels, and our prioritized focus is on High School, specifically the students who are seniors. The State of California received guidance from California UC‘s, CSU‘s, and Community Colleges on their updated guidelines and requirements for college acceptance next year. Of course, all districts are working within those guidelines. Additionally, SVUSD has been working with each grade level group within the district.

As you may know, at the beginning of this school closure, Governor Newsom signed Senate Bill 117, which held school districts harmless for school funding for the remainder of this school year. However, due to the significance of the economic crisis, the State of California is warning the public of potential budget problems in the upcoming years. We will need to wait and see the overall impact on the California state budget, and I don’t yet know how this impacts the education system or our economy overall.

Another link included in the Superintendents’ letter is an update from the Governor, who recently released a framework for eventually reopening the State, including potential modifications to the stay at home order. The Governor recently suggested that school districts begin the 2020-21 school year adhering to the social distancing requirements with the consideration of staggering schedules. We have not yet even begun the discussions of next year, as we are trying to get through this year. Of course, we will have to begin planning and preparation for that, but we are also focusing on a positive finish to this school year.

There have been inquiries regarding fifth and eighth-grade promotions, as well as High School graduation. My message continues to be that we will hold a celebration for all. We do not yet know the details of what they will look like or when exactly they will occur, but we are definitely working on finding positive ways to recognize our students. As the dates get closer, and when we know what our shelter in place parameters will be, we will have a better sense of knowing what our options can be for the celebrations. We will keep you informed.

On the Scotts Valley District website (www.scottsvalleyusd.org), we regularly update our FAQs related to this unique situation. Also, I want to remind you that there are multiple resources for students and parents on each school website.

In closing for this week, I would like to thank everyone in this community, our educators, our support staff, our parent community, and the students we love and miss who are experiencing a significant adjustment. I know this isn’t perfect, but we are working diligently and collaboratively to do our best. When I hear other district experiences throughout the county and state, I feel proud of what we are accomplishing given the circumstances. Thank you for being a great community and pulling together when it’s needed.

Please continue to take good care, continue to practice patience, and of course, social distancing with handwashing.

Kind regards,

Tanya Krause

Superintendent

This press release was produced by the Scotts Valley Unified School District. The views expressed here are the author’s own.