In Response to Governor Newsom’s Announcement of a School Reopening Deal with the Legislature, Dr. Elisha Smith Arrillaga, Executive Director of The EdTrust-West, Issued the following Statement:

“It’s good news that the Governor and legislature have reached a deal to get schools the resources they need to start safely bringing students back into classrooms. Parents are increasingly worried about the academic, social, and emotional development their students are missing through distance learning—and with good reason. Starting with early grades and English learners, foster youth, and unhoused students in all grades is a good start,  but we also need to move quickly to get older students who have had the least access to quality distance learning back in school. 

But let’s be clear: reopening schools is just the beginning of our work. We can’t simply return to doing things the way they’ve always been done—it wasn’t good enough before the pandemic and it certainly won’t be good enough now. Students need expanded learning and instructional time at a moment when they are already exhausted and burnt out. That means schools will need to work with parents and community partners like never before to generate creative, engaging, fun learning experiences while tending to students’ social, emotional, and mental health needs.”