In this difficult time, LACOE remains committed to improving the lives of students and our educational community through service, leadership and advocacy. Here, we share best practices, tips and success stories from the county’s 80 districts as we innovate and adapt together to ensure continuity of learning and safety of students, staff and families. |
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Honoring the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. |
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On January 18, we celebrated the life of civil rights icon Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Honoring his legacy felt more significant and urgent than ever as we recommitted to our focus on equity and social justice that Dr. King championed. He recognized that educational inequality is one of the major obstacles to achieving these ideals, and we're proud that LACOE is part of a movement to address this challenge.
In a video released on Martin Luther King Day, students from across LA County -- inspired by Dr. King's iconic "I Have a Dream" speech -- envision their own dreams. The video also features Dr. Kathryn Edwards, LACOE Director of Equity, Inclusion and Diversity. She highlights LACOE's mission to ensure all students have access to high-quality education that meets their unique needs and supports their individual dreams.
Dr. Edwards shares some resources on teaching and learning about Dr. King that enhance our youth’s understanding of the ongoing fight for racial equity.
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Equity-focused professional development |
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There's still much work to be done to achieve Dr. Martin Luther King's dream of an education system that truly provides equal opportunity for all our children. Below is information on equity-focused professional development being offered by LACOE to help educators put Dr. King's aspirations into action. |
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Navigating Difficult Conversations During Challenging Times
(4 Day Event) 01/25/2021 - 02/10/2021
Event Dates: 01/25/2021 I 01/27/2021 I 02/03/2021 I 02/10/2021
3:00 pm - 4:30 pm
Offered by LACOE in collaboration with Museum of Tolerance and partners
This workshop series for teachers and administrators will offer insights and strategies for navigating challenging conversations in schools, exploring what makes conversations difficult, the opportunities they present and the mindset and skills to lead them with better outcomes. The series includes live sessions with speakers and asynchronous experiences such as virtual museum tours, videos and readings.
Participants will walk away with toolkits and teacher guides. Certificates of completion are provided for 7.5 hours including synchronous and asynchronous learning.
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Critical Media Literacy for Social Justice
01/22/2021
3:00 pm - 4:00 pm
Words matter. Spreading disinformation has consequences. UCLA professor Dr. Jeff Share will lead this session on how educators can guide students in analyzing the messages and information they see online and on social media platforms. The workshop will offer practical strategies on how to begin this important conversation.
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Nurturing Positive School Culture and Climate to Facilitate Anti-Bias and Social Justice Education
(4 Day Event) 02/15/2021 - 03/03/2021
Event Dates: 02/15/2021 I 02/17/2021 I 02/24/2021 I 03/03/2021
3:00 pm - 4:30 pm
In this virtual institute, participants will focus on cultivating a school climate that supports the goals of anti-bias and social justice education. Live workshops will be led by Sarah Wicht from Teaching Tolerance. Guest speaker Dr. Terrence Roberts, one of the Little Rock Nine, will talk with participants about how to grapple with difficult history and perspectives on achieving racial justice in schools today. Asynchronous content includes on-demand museum virtual tours, videos and readings.
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Turning events at the Capitol into teachable moments |
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Reeling from the U.S. Capitol siege and news of more unrest, many students continue to grapple with confusion and concerns over varying viewpoints. The Constitutional Rights Foundation and civics education experts have created new classroom activities to help educators and students discuss recent events in the context of American democracy and how to strengthen it.
LACOE's History-Social Science Coordinator Dr. Michelle Herczog has compiled classroom activities and other resources to guide educators in helping students turn current events into real-life civic learning lessons.
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State Seal of Civic Engagement
Los Angeles County Collaborative
Wednesday, Jan. 27, 2021
3:30-4:30 pm
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Is your school or district interested in the State Seal of Civic Engagement for your students? California students in 11th and 12th grades are now eligible to earn the Seal during the current school year. School districts will need to develop local criteria based on guidance adopted by the State Board of Education. LA County educators are invited to join a collaborative to brainstorm ideas and share resources to implement guidance for the Seal.
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Where you are in the vaccine rollout |
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The supply of COVID-19 vaccines will be limited for the first few months, which means that the vaccine will be offered to different groups of people at different times. When enough vaccine is ready, it will be offered to everyone. You may check the phases for estimated time frames by visiting VaccinateLACounty.com
LA County is expanding its capacity for large-scale COVID-19 vaccine distributions. LACOE's Education Center West facility in Downey has been designated as one of five large-scale vaccination sites across the County. Each of these sites will be able to vaccinate approximately 4,000 people per day, significantly increasing the number of frontline healthcare workers vaccinated. The County aims to complete 500,000 additional vaccinations among healthcare workers by the end of January.
Access more vaccination resources and help spread the word:
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Human Trafficking Awareness Month
Communities urged to promote prevention education
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Human trafficking is a $150 billion-a-year global enterprise, with more than 100,000 children and youth victimized through commercial sexual exploitation in the United States each year. Schools serve as hubs for recruitment, often targeting the most vulnerable, including youth experiencing high levels of trauma and low parent involvement.
In a resolution, the LA County Board of Education has declared January as Human Trafficking Awareness Month and called on districts, schools and community organizations to promote trafficking prevention education. LACOE has been selected as one of eight agencies nationwide and three in California to develop and implement the Human Trafficking Youth Prevention Education ( HTYPE) demonstration program.
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Students uplift holiday spirit amid pandemic |
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The holidays may be over, but it's not too late to enjoy the uplifting holiday music created by students from El Monte City SD and Arcadia USD. Teachers continue to provide unique learning and performing opportunities during distance learning. El Monte City SD's music department created a series of virtual performances that were shared to bring joy to families over winter break. Arcadia HS students performed a beautiful holiday wind ensemble arrangement to ring in the New Year with much-needed positivity. Each of the 52 student performers played their part individually, then all 52 videos were synchronized to create one magnificent piece.
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January is School Board Recognition Month. LACOE joins the California School Boards Association in honoring boards of education at school districts and county offices of education statewide. We thank all our board members for providing critical support for California’s 6 million public school students.
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CCU offers college scholarship grants |
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The California Credit Union (CCU) invites college‐bound students in LA County to apply for its 2021 College Scholarship Program. CCU provides $20,000 in scholarships annually to recognize Southern California students who are motivated in their academic studies and active in their schools and communities. “We realize that managing the costs of higher education can be difficult for many families," says CCU CEO Steve O’Connell. "Now more than ever, during these challenging times, we want to extend a hand to help support our local students and their families.”
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LACOE Deputy Supt. Arturo Valdez weighs in
on governor's school reopening grants
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Los Angeles County Superintendent of Schools Debra Duardo, who has been quarantining since last week after contracting the coronavirus, gave a positive update about her recovery. “I’m sharing this as a reminder that we are all vulnerable and we must work together to stop the spread. Be safe,” Duardo said.
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Jewel Forbes, LACOE's school counseling and school-based mental health expert, was interviewed live on NBC4 on Jan. 11 about how to help young people understand and deal with the recent violent assault on the U.S. Capitol.
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Resources for Families & Schools |
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Don’t forget, LACOE is regularly updating several pages of resources:
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