Urban Families,
In the many COVID-related updates you've received since March – and I know there have been quite a few – we have tried to balance pragmatism with optimism, the need to plan with the shifting guidelines from the San Francisco Department of Public Health (SFDPH). Back in early August, we set September 30th as our horizon, with a possible reopening in mid-October. And just a couple of weeks ago, I wrote to inform you (and you may have noted in the press) that the City has instructed high schools located in San Francisco County to expect possible reopenings "in November." Accordingly, our teachers are now planning their virtual classes through the end of October. If the City surprises us, we will, as I have emphasized before, work to create non-academic opportunities for in-person activities on or near campus.
While SFDPH, and thus our timeline, has followed a pattern of continued deferral, there are signs of progress. For the first time, SFDPH has articulated the procedure for reopening, and, as far as I know, all of the independent high schools in the City, including Urban, have begun an application process. Some things are still unclear, including the timeline for approval; however, we do know more specifically what the application requires, which is critical for completing the comprehensive Safety Plan that we will finalize and distribute in the next week or two. (You'll see an abbreviated "at-a-glance" version of the plan in next week's This Week at Urban.)
I also want to offer a collective reminder that any in-person Urban experience, whenever it is possible, will not only require permission from the City, but a true partnership with families – a shared and authentic commitment to the health and safety of our entire community. Some of this commitment will be made explicit in required protocols, be they daily health checks, required testing, or a signature on a pledge of community partnership. Much will depend on our ability to sustain disciplined behavior, as challenging as that may be, even as – especially as – others relax around us. None of us knows what the next few months will bring, but we do know that we all have a critical role to play in our ability to move forward safely.
I will continue to offer updates every couple of weeks, including some specifics of the protocols for reopening referenced above. With continued appreciation for your patience and good faith, Dan Dan Miller
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