On July 21, the Beverly Hills Unified School District (BHUSD) Board of Education held a Study Session unanimously voting to approve the drafted reopening plan for the fall of 2020. BHUSD Superintendent Dr. Michael Bregy presented the “Return 2 Learn” reopening plan with two options: A virtual learning plan called the Independent Learning Center (ILC) and a distance learning option called Live@BHUSD that will replace the hybrid learning option. Live@BHUSD includes increased expectations for live instruction and classes held in a routine that mirrors the bell schedule and will return in phases to the physical classroom when deemed appropriate. A detailed reopening plan that includes distance learning expectations, health and safety measures, cleaning and disinfecting operations, gradual reintegration steps, social emotional wellness, and more is expected to be published late this week. However, there is no exact timeline yet as to when the physical school will reopen for students. The meeting came four days after Governor Newsom announced new guidance prohibiting both public and private schools from reopening for in-person instruction if they are in counties on the state’s “monitoring list,” which tracks Coronavirus data. During the Study Session, Bregy repeated that in all likelihood, BHUSD will begin the school year on August 17 with a new statewide required rigorous distance learning plan that includes: daily live interaction for every child with teachers and other students; class assignments that are challenging and equivalent to in-person instruction; devices and connectivity so that every child can participate in distance learning and targeted support for English language learners and special education students.
“Learning is non-negotiable,” Governor Newsom declared in his July 17 statement. “The virus will be with us for a year or more, and school districts must provide meaningful instruction in the midst of this pandemic. In California, health data will determine when a school can be physically open – and when it must close – but learning should never stop. Students, staff, and parents all prefer in-classroom instruction, but only if it can be done safely.”
