UPDATE From the Superintendent
April 1, 2020
Dear EUHSD families,
There are many questions circulating after remarks by Governor Gavin Newsom and State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond about if and when California campuses will reopen this school year.
The Escondido Union High School District and the San Diego County Office of Education continue to carefully monitor guidance from federal, state, and local public health and education agencies. All decisions about reopening will be made in conjunction with local public health officials. We continue to hold out hope that campuses will reopen later this spring, but while our campuses are currently closed, we continue to provide teaching and learning.
I want to be very clear that the 2019-20 school year is not over, it has just transitioned from classroom instruction into distance learning. As Superintendent Thurmond said today, “schools are closed but classes are in.”
The Escondido Union High School District is quickly transitioning into a new way of teaching and learning to meet the health and safety impacts of COVID-19. Please click here for information regarding the thoughtful distance learning support that our teachers and staff are working to provide our students beginning April 14. In addition, please see the guidance regarding our grading protocols here in our hold harmless approach. Families of students attending Del Lago Academy and Valley High School will soon be receiving additional information from their school Principal regarding grading and distance learning.
We are also extremely concerned about the social and emotional well-being of all of our students, and are working on ways to stay connected even at a distance. We also know that many students especially our seniors, who we know were looking forward to celebrating graduation ceremonies are very concerned about missing out on end-of-year activities and celebrations. Please know that we are planning how we might offer these experiences in different formats and/or at a later date. As we all work together to flatten the curve of COVID-19. we are hopeful that public health guidelines will permit these opportunities for our students in the near future.
In the coming days and weeks, we will provide families with information regarding how grades, graduation, transcripts, scholarships, summer school, and continued distance learning instruction will be handled.
While we recognize this situation poses challenges and hardship to many families, the most effective way to slow and disrupt the transmission of this pandemic – and therefore get back to normal — is by continuing to implement social distancing practices. We are grateful to our community for everything you are doing during this unique and difficult time.
We appreciate your patience and understanding during this unprecedented time. In the meantime, please trust that we are doing everything in our power to prioritize student safety, keep our community updated, and work toward the goal of getting our teachers and learners back together as soon as we can.
Sincerely,
Anne L. Staffieri, Ed.D.
Superintendent