My office, the Sonoma County Office of Education, in collaboration with the 40 Sonoma County school districts that we support, is working closely with the Sonoma County Department of Health Services and the California Department of Health Services to ensure student safety. Ultimately, each school district will need to work with their local conditions. So the best source of
Safe Schools
Preparing to Begin In-Person Classes
information on what your child’s school will look like in the fall is your local school district.
By Steven D. Herrington, Ph.D., Sonoma County Superintendent of Schools
T
he year 2020 has been one of uncertainty for students, their families, and school staff alike. Once again, I am amazed by the resilience and strength of our school community, which in the last three years has faced fires, floods, power shutoffs, and now a pandemic. I want to thank parents, guardians, students, and community members for the patience and adaptability they’ve shown when confronted with one challenge after another.
As we head into the fall, I know that families are eager to hear what school will look like for their children. Safety During Uncertain Times I want to be honest and transparent: Schools are dealing with perhaps the most challenging set of circumstances I’ve ever seen in my four decades in education. As of presstime, we unfortunately do not have all the answers. We have seen state guidance 16 SonomaFamilyLife
It is safe to say that school will look very different than usual.
on important issues, like masks, change repeatedly within the space of a month. The virus itself will dictate how safe it is to reopen schools, and we cannot accurately predict what the state of the virus will be in mid-August. However, I can confidently assure you of one thing: student and staff health and safety will be the top priority when reopening schools.
I am encouraging each school district to make sure the concerns of their communities are being addressed. Additionally, I am urging each school district to offer distance-learning options. In our reopening guidance for schools, which you can find at scoe.org/covid, we encourage each school district to keep the following guiding principles in mind: 1. Protect student, staff, and community health. 2. Foster student learning and progress. 3. Maintain positive learning environments. 4. Foster student emotional health. 5. Care for our most vulnerable populations. What We Know (and Don’t Know) While we don’t know exactly
July 2020 www.sonomafamilylife.com
