Dear AUSD Community,
It has been an inspiring week as our students continue to learn either at home or at school. Elementary in-person students breezed through their second week and have quickly adapted to school safety protocols. Albany Middle School opened its doors to many smiles from students participating in their hybrid classes. Albany High prepared for the return of some students into their hybrid Academy program to begin immediately after Spring Break.
Fall planning: At the April 6 Board of Education meeting, I reiterated my commitment to fully reopen in-person learning at our schools for the upcoming 2021-2022 school year. We expect to reopen with additional safety measures in place, and with defined plans to allow AUSD to pivot quickly if conditions require it. To develop these plans, the Reopening Planning Advisory Task Force will be reconvened. More details about this will be communicated at a later date.
Expanded summer school: It is our desire to continue engaging students in ongoing learning opportunities. To that end, we are planning a greatly expanded summer school program that may enroll as many as 350 students. Summer school will include high school credit recovery to keep students on track to graduate, an English language learner summer bridge program, an extended school year program for students with special needs, intervention and enrichment programs, and other bridge programs for students who may require additional support. We intend to staff the summer program with expert AUSD teachers and will incorporate social-emotional and mental health supports for students as we emerge from these difficult times.
LCAP: We need your input! Community input is a critical factor in our Local Control and Accountability Plan (LCAP). The district must show that it aligns its resources according to community thoughts and values. Especially this year, your input is critical to achieving our mission of providing excellent public education. LCAP input meetings will be held from 6:00pm-7:00pm via Zoom webinar (Link: https://ausdk12-org.zoom.us/j/94432399959) on the following dates: April 13, 15, 19, 21, 28 and 29. The ThoughtExchange can be accessed here: https://my.thoughtexchange.com/474675604. Meeting attendance is encouraged but not required to participate in the ThoughtExchange.
Distinguished visitor: On Thursday, Alameda County Superintendent of Schools L. Karen Monroe visited Cornell Elementary School and Albany Middle School to see Albany’s in-person instruction. County Superintendent Monroe let me know that she was in awe of our schools, and the work being done by our leadership and teachers is simply amazing.
Next week is Spring Break! There will be no classes, and all schools will be closed. I ask all families to pay careful attention to the California Department of Public Health’s new travel guidance. Travel could exacerbate community spread of COVID-19 within our school community, so please stay safe!
Stay hopeful and encouraged,
Dr. Frank Wells
Superintendent of Schools
Albany Unified School District