Oakland Unified announces it will start school year with all students in distance learning on Aug 10, then phase in in-person instruction

One month before school is set to start in Oakland Unified, the district announced that all students will begin classes remotely on Aug. 10, based on recommendations from district staff and public health experts. This means all students will learn from home in virtual online classes until it is safe for the district to begin phasing in in-person instruction for the most vulnerable students, including those who are in special education, and those who are homeless or foster youth, said district spokesman John Sasaki. However, the plans are still being negotiated with the teachers union and are not yet finalized.

The district expects the distance learning phase to last at least four weeks, before it begins offering blended learning that would include some small group in-person instruction on one or two days, followed by distance learning the rest of the week, Sasaki said. The district is in the process of negotiating its new 2020-21 procedures and protocols with unions and expects to release more information Monday, when it will host an online community town hall meeting from 5-7 p.m.