We learned on Tuesday that San Diego County has entered Tier 1 (Purple). This designation will not interfere with our phased reopening plan as we initiated in-person experiences in early October. This news has led to questions and concerns from our staff and parents. On Friday I spoke with two parents. One expressed frustration that his/her child was only back on campus in a limited capacity and questioned why we weren’t more aggressive in our reopening timeline and approach. The second expressed fear while questioning if our actions to date were reckless and actually compromised the ability for all students to be back on campus by placing our staff and students at risk of contracting the virus.
The fear is real.
The frustrations are valid.
Some reminders:
- What we offer, from an equity and access perspective and in order to preserve the integrity of instruction, pacing, and assessment of learning, must be congruent with the experiences provided via BRIDGE. This includes expanding the cohort model and hybrid schedules via live streaming. Districts that reopened and subsequently were ordered to close did not have these systems in place and, as a result, instruction and services to students were interrupted.
- Comparing our phased reopening plan to districts in other states, abroad, or private schools is like comparing apples to oranges. We are beholden to State and County regulations and operate with the resources provided to districts in order to serve the public.
- Our best efforts to curb the spread of COVID on campus are interrelated with the actions and behaviors of the greater community.
- We have and will continue to provide updates and information to our constituents. This information is presented weekly via district and principal newsletters and updated regularly on our website.
We remain committed to and guided by hopeful and responsible decision-making. We are prioritizing the return to campus as quickly and as safely as possible. We will stay the course. Our Governing Board and community will hear an updated reopening plan with further phases on Thursday afternoon at the Board meeting.
Respectfully,
Karl Mueller
Superintendent
