No student in the Los Angeles Unified School District will receive an 'F' amid pandemic, officials say
During a virtual press briefing on Monday, Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) Superintendent Austin Beutner acknowledged how difficult the school year has been, with coronavirus lockdowns forcing kids to adapt to learning from home. Beutner also gave students in the district some news to ease the burden: No one will get an 'F' during this unprecedented time.
Beutner said the impact of the crisis on students was made "very real" to him last week, when a student messaged him with suicidal thoughts "because of the pressure she was feeling about school and all the chaos around her." A team from LAUSD got the student to a hospital, where she is receiving care.
Later in the press briefing, Beutner said "we don't want students like the young woman I mentioned earlier to fear failure."
"Students can work to improve their grades, but we don't want to penalize those who may not have access to technology, or may be experiencing difficulties at home," the superintendent added.
The school district said it will also be offering summer school options for all levels. Graduation will be held virtually as of now, Beutner said, asking for input from graduating students on ideas for celebrating the occasion. He also said educators and community colleges are working with students who are a few credits short, so no one "slips through the cracks."
Beutner compared the transition between in-person learning and online learning to the way newspapers had to adapt from print to digital platforms, saying students in affluent families or schools with more funding, or those with an aptitude to learn independently, might fare better than others. He said schools in the district will be creative and resourceful to serve all students' needs during this time.
"In closing, I want to return to the young woman and her cry for help," Beutner said. "There are many more like her. A noted columnist recently shared his thoughts on this topic in the New York Times, and here is what he had to say: 'I'm reminded that this is the time to practice aggressive friendship with each other, to be the one who seeks out the lonely and the troubled.' We are in this together, thank you for your continued patience and support."
California was one of the first states to start locking down regions to slow the spread of coronavirus. The state was also one of the first to start closing schools. In March, Governor Gavin Newsom placed the entire state under a stay-at-home order, shuttering all businesses except for those deemed essential, like grocery stores and pharmacies.
As of April 11th, there are 21,794 positive cases and 651 deaths in California, according to the state's Health and Human Services Agency, which has yet to update its numbers for April 13. Approximately 203,400 tests have been conducted and at least 190,238 results have been received, the agency said.