In an effort to ensure equitable learning opportunities across Los Angeles County, the County Board voted on Monday to send a letter to Governor Gavin Newsom and Superintendent Tony Thurmond requesting adequate resources for all K-12 students transitioning to online learning amid the coronavirus pandemic.

Intending to provide Los Angeles youth with additional support in the midst of transitioning to virtual learning, the Board of Supervisors approved a motion authored by Supervisor Kathryn Barger and co-authored by Supervisor Mark Ridley-Thomas to ask the state of California to provide additional support to ensure equitable distance learning for all students.

The motion specifically calls for special consideration of the most vulnerable, including those who have special needs, are low-income, English learners, experiencing homelessness and foster youth, according to the L.A. County Equitable Education Access motion. 

The Board of Supervisors is pursuing equitable and consistent educational requirements; access to computer equipment, tablets and Wi-Fi; community resource centers for children and youth who need a safe place to learn; establishing appropriate plans for students whose distance learning can be compromised; and resources to keep childcare centers operating.

“The closure of schools in L.A. County has severely impacted families and students and has further exacerbated the digital divide in our communities,” Barger said. “The communities experiencing increases in COVID-19 cases and unemployment due to extended closures are the same communities that are negatively impacted by distance learning.”

Implementing government supported programs at local libraries and parks can help bridge the digital divide among students as well as provide social outlets, according to Barger. 

“We must help children return to a sense of normalcy and equip them with the tools they need to learn and socialize even under the constraints of the pandemic,” Barger said. 

 The proposal additionally requests the County Chief Executive Officer to partner with the Office for the Advancement of Early Care and Education, the Superintendent of Schools of the Los Angeles County Office of Education and the Director of Mental Health and youth-focused community-based organizations to prioritize the needs of students amid unprecedented learning circumstances. 

The proposed partnership will be responsible for informing parents of available resources including programs that provide access to distance learning from safe locations other than their homes and access to mental health services to support youth who actively feel the impacts of isolation and depression. 

The motion also asks for the state to consider alternatives to site-based learning to bring support into the home, such as in-home childcare, tutoring, associate teaching and expanded home visiting.

“We know that learning is not a one-size-fits-all endeavor, so we must be attentive to the gaps in resources to serve the social, emotional, and intellectual needs of every child,” Supervisor Mark Ridley-Thomas said. “This motion seeks to address the barriers families and children face in this critical moment. We are directing the County Chief Information Officer and various County departments to identify how to best establish expanded access to cellular and Wi-Fi in County unincorporated property to help minimize the digital divide that disproportionately affects communities of color.”

A copy of the motion can be found here.

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