Struggles with distance learning are leading to more D and F grades among L.A. Unified middle and high school students, but they still won’t be able to get back to in-person classes through at least the end of this calendar year, LAUSD Superintendent Austin Beutner announced in Monday’s update to the district community.

“How do you best address that? Find a path to reduce COVID so schools can reopen. That’s the answer,” Beutner said in an interview with KPCC/LAist. “It's not expecting a miracle to happen when teachers are working day and night to do the best they can with students.”

In his address, Beutner said the Los Angeles area “is still well above the guidelines state authorities have set for schools to consider reopening” and with COVID-19 cases increasing in the county, LAUSD schools generally will have to remain closed through at least January, if not longer.

In the meantime, Beutner said, LAUSD will expand in-person tutoring, assessments, and services for kids with special needs from one-on-one sessions to now include small groups of up to three students each, starting on November 9.

Read more on LAist.

Guest:

Carla Javier, education reporter for KPCC; she tweets