Alliance Blog

The Linked Learning Alliance applauds Governor Newsom’s proposed budget for recognizing the importance of creating a student-centered education system. It sends a clear message: Providing students with a continuum of integrated supports across the educational journey is critical to ensuring success in both college and career.

After careful consideration and several conversations with many of you today, it is with a heavy heart that I have to announce that we have decided to postpone the Linked Learning 2020 Institute, which was scheduled to take place March 16-17, 2020 in Long Beach, CA.

While votes are still being tallied, it appears that the largest school facility bond in state history will fall short of the simple majority needed despite bipartisan support and little formal opposition. Proposition 13 would have provided California’s schools, public universities, and community colleges with a much needed $15 billion in bonds to upgrade facilities and build new ones.

I hope this finds everyone well and coping as best you can with this new reality—which, honestly, feels anything but real. Most importantly, I hope each and every one of you has found a way to navigate the demands of caring for your loved ones while supporting your work families—your fellow educators, schools, districts and, most importantly, the students and communities you serve so passionately and well every day in Linked Learning pathways. It is a challenging time to say the least, and we are all trying to get through it together.

On April 1, 2020, the Linked Learning Alliance held the first in what will be a series of facilitated online conversations for Linked Learning educators and district leaders across the state to discuss, listen, and collaborate on the circumstances they are dealing with in the face of school closures resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Alliance has been curating resources and online learning opportunities to help support Linked Learning educators as you continue to provide students with high-quality, integrated college and career readiness educational experiences amid the coronavirus pandemic.

To further support pathway success in the months ahead, the Linked Learning Alliance will provide weekly updates and insights on timely policy issues that are relevant to the Linked Learning community.

As the world adjusts to a new normal, policies related to funding, accountability, and other student and family supports continue to evolve. This week’s update draws attention to movement on several key federal and state initiatives that have direct impacts on funding at the local level.

Last week the Alliance convened its second virtual conversation with Linked Learning educators and administrators to better understand how schools are moving from planning to implementation in delivering integrated, high-quality college and career experiences remotely.

This week’s update focuses on California’s ongoing efforts to address the technological and connectivity issues creating barriers for school districts. We also share the latest on Governor Newsom’s executive order detailing how districts can meet requirements in Local Control and Accountability Plans amid COVID-19, as well as new information on federal funding relief for states and teacher-directed professional development opportunities.