On Thursday, June 18, 2020, the Sweetwater District hosted a virtual Town Hall Meeting outlining opening plans for the 2020/21 school year. A huge thank you to all for tuning in to the live broadcast. We had more than one thousand viewers tune in via the districts YouTube channel as plans to open the school year were addressed.

The meeting provided detailed plans of a variety of educational and operational options for students, staff and parents. At this time, the new school year will begin August 3 with distance (virtual) learning as the current option for instruction. Planning for on campus instruction is still being outlined to ensure a safe and secure return for the entire Sweetwater community.

“Part of today’s purpose is to receive input and feedback from parents, families and community members to meet students academic needs,” said Sweetwater District Superintendent Dr. Karen Janney.

The district outlined four guiding principles that steered the town hall conversation in the areas of: health and safety guidelines, flexibility, LCAP Goals and Reinvention. The draft outline reflects the districts plan to address the ever- changing reality to keep students and staff safe while striving for equitable continuity of learning.

For the past several months, the district has worked with LCAP inspired working groups that focused on the current state of family and community engagement, health and safety, systems and equity, and teaching and learning. Through that, the district has and plans to continue to conduct surveys, forums, provide opportunities for committee involvement, circles of collaboration and communication plans to complete that work.

Health and safety essential components were also discussed during the town hall, specifically on district facilities, schools, classrooms, and staff and students. The discussion further detailed plans for implementing social distancing on campus, to potentially detecting/reporting COVID-19 cases.

Distance learning will be supported in several ways, one being the distribution of laptops, iPads and other devices for students in need, as well as mobile hotspots for connectivity. Athletics and use of athletic facilities/equipment will still be restricted until further notice.

Lastly, students will be given the option to enroll fully in the districts online campus, Launch Academy. The virtual instruction option will provide one-to-one online learning as well as college and career support.

We understand not everyone was able to join us for the live Town Hall Meeting. For those unable to attend, the full video can be found via the Sweetwater Districts YouTube channel @  www.youtube.com/suhsdk12

In addition, the district is requesting input from the Sweetwater Community. Input, comments and questions can be provided here:

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdpRX1blaOEfLDrupn6_WUpIEvfjJo_sSt6zj3TQwyesaDv0g/viewform

As we complete a school year unlike any other in our academic history – a year which saw educators teaching students remotely. A year where social distancing became the refrain of public health officials and face coverings and masks the norm. A year which saw the rapid rise in the use of videoconferencing platforms, such as Zoom and Teams, as the primary instrument for teaching and communicating. A year where millions of people have lost their jobs with no guarantee of support or income for their families. A year where over 103,000 U.S. citizens, including countless educators and students, have lost their lives as a result of a global pandemic which has painfully and disproportionately impacted communities and people of color.  And finally a year, where we contemplate whether education will ever be the same, it is the death of one man, George Floyd, whose death was unrelated to COVID-19, that served as a stark reminder of North America’s social complexities and injustices that we, as educators, must continue to address.

We are sure many have asked, what was your reaction when you saw the video of a cop kneeling on the neck of George Floyd? Others have asked, is this just another instance of a White cop killing a Black man? Or, as in the recent killing of Ahmaud Arbery, the case of White citizen killing a Black man (similarities to the Trayvon Martin shooting). Regardless of the questions and answers, the images of George Floyd begging for his life were powerful. The desperate cries for his mother were agonizing. His death was unthinkable and inexplicable. We will mourn his death for years and acknowledge the resultant anger regarding the dubious circumstances. While George Floyd’s family grieves, our nation grieves, and citizens, of all races and ethnicities, are angry. And as educators, we must recognize that many of our students may be traumatized and/or angry by the circumstances related to George Floyd’s death – images which were witnessed on national television and have been shown on national media outlets for the past week (for ways to support our students, families, and colleagues, please check out the resources listed at the bottom of this letter).

Although the images of George Floyd’s death were intense, the power, strength, and capacity of education is formidable. It should be noted, and is generally accepted, that no societal institution, including schools, are perfect and some have even been characterized as biased, discriminatory, or racist. However, there is little doubt that schools and educators have frequently been asked to address social injustices when others have been reluctant. For instance, when society has been slow to address racial integration, schools and courts clumsily stepped in. To address issues of racism and bias in society, schools have introduced multicultural practices, diversity training, and now, antiracist perspectives. And it has been schools and educators who have promoted the inclusion of our LGBTQ communities when the greater society has been resistant. While schools across the nation continue to struggle with such issues as achievement and opportunity gaps, disproportionate suspension and expulsion rates, access to certain programs (e.g., AP classes, Honors Classes, Gifted Programs, etc.), special education placements, and other structural matters, schools have been a place where dialogue on these issues can and has occurred. With the death of George Floyd, it is imperative that schools and educators are now prepared to take on the critical issues of policing, racism, brutality, social injustice and humanity.

The Sweetwater Union High School District believes in a welcoming community that is inclusive and equitable and where relationships between and among students and between and among staff and community matter. We are committed to ensuring a safe and collaborative culture that empowers each student to actively engage in a meaningful educational experience. If school campuses were open, we would ensure students could share their thoughts, feelings and fears in class discussions or peaceful demonstrations. Our campuses are closed, so right now, the most important action we can take is to listen to our students and our colleagues with sensitivity, understanding, empathy and hope.

While we encourage the sharing of resources, books, articles, and other material, we each must start by being introspective. Our critical analysis must consider ways that we or the institutions we serve, have contributed to biased student outcomes. An honest review of our behaviors is necessary to determine if our actions may have inadvertently contributed to a lack of access, inclusion, and opportunities for some student groups and staff. This introspection takes courage and conviction – both of which are traits of our Sweetwater team.

So as another, albeit unprecedented, year comes to a close, we urge you to stay safe and healthy. Please practice social distancing, wear your facial covering and gloves to prevent the spread of the coronavirus. We also encourage our incredible Sweetwater family to help prevent the continued spread of the “racism virus” by addressing and eliminating all personal and institutional practices/policies which lead to social and educational injustices. Lastly, a quote from basketball icon Kareem Abdul-Jabbar is appropriate as he described the demonstrations by stating: “what you should see…in the age of coronavirus is people pushed to the edge, not because they want bars and nail salons open, but because they want to live. To breathe.” Please take care of yourselves, your students, each other and breathe…because breathing is an unalienable right.

In Unity,

Karen Janney, Ed.D.
Superintendent

Joe Fulcher, Ph.D
Asst. Supt. Equity, Culture & Support Services

If you want to go fast, go alone; if you want to go far, go together

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the Board of Trustees of the Sweetwater Union High School District at its Regular Meeting to be held on June 8, 2020, will conduct a Public Hearing to consider comments and recommendations regarding the Preliminary Proposed Budget for the 2020-2021 school year.

The Public Hearing of the District will be held on June 8, 2020, will begin at 6:00PM or as soon thereafter as practicable.  Due to the COVID-19 crisis, we are currently using MS Teams for meetings, and the public can view on YouTube and provide written comments prior to the meeting to be read by staff at the meeting. Agenda can be located at the following:  https://schoolboard.sweetwaterschools.org/agendas-and-minutes/