Special Message from LBUSD

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Dear Long Beach Unified Community,

Together we’ve endured so many challenges amid these trying times for our schools and our nation. Your resilience and dedication to supporting our students provide great hope and inspiration as we look forward to a new year of possibilities.

Who would have predicted back in March of 2020, when we first closed our campuses, that more than 20 months later we’d still be grappling with a global pandemic? Since that first day of school closures we have seen the pandemic take a financial and psychological toll throughout our society.

Through it all we have persevered to keep teaching and learning alive, and to make it better and more equitable over the long run for more students. 

Our students, their families and our employees should be commended for adapting to unprecedented times. Their diligence following health and safety protocols, including vaccination, masking, COVID testing and self screening, home quarantine when needed, hand hygiene and other measures allowed us to welcome most of our 69,000 students back to campuses and to keep our schools open. 

The importance of in-person learning cannot be overstated. While our teachers and everyone in our school communities made valiant efforts to provide virtual learning earlier during the pandemic, that experience only confirmed what we had known instinctively all along. The magic happens in the classroom, and most children need the socialization, relationships and face-to-face connection that only a traditional school environment can provide. In fact, while there are still many students struggling, we have already seen the positive impact of students being back to school. 

Even as we continue to cope with the pandemic, our Board of Education and leadership team is keeping an eye toward the future and a post-pandemic world. Earlier this month our Board passed an Excellence & Equity policy, courageously stating their support for each student in our District. Our Learning Acceleration and Support Plan included the hiring of hundreds of certificated staff, including teachers, counselors and social workers, all to ensure that our students have what they need to emerge stronger and better from the pandemic.

Even during such a challenging era, LBUSD continues to be recognized as a leading school system at the national and state levels as evidenced by the many news items we’re sharing this week on our websites and social media channels. Now more than ever, we do not take such recognition for granted, nor do we forget the team efforts that result in such success. 

Here’s to welcoming a new year of possibilities, united in our resolve and our hope for the next generation.

With deep appreciation,

-Jill

Jill A. Baker, Ed.D.
Superintendent of Schools