Stick To The Science, Stick To The Facts, And Stick Together

… a great mantra, as important for quotidian matters as during this time of pandemic. It was invoked as the guiding light of the State’s Covid-19 task force according to Carmela Coil, head of the CA Hospital Association (@1:04:04). Our public officials have been scrabbling all day to forward practical advice and transparency amidst directives hewed from excruciating tradeoffs – earnings, childcare, learning, economic impact, public health, safety, protection.

As Mayor Garcetti says, the choices we each make to further social distancing, do matter. See an example of our actions “flatten the curve” here (@ 5:25). And an exploration of geometric growth (@ 2:34) that demonstrates its potential convincingly and explains the course of a pandemic. Empirically simulate these phenomena for yourself to comprehend more intuitively how quickly these numbers grow, and may be contained. Figure 1 below shows the progress to date of diagnosed cases in Los Angeles County.

Growing likewise geometrically is a vast array of resources compiled by fellow parents and District staff to aid the forced homeschooling of so many. The “Science Mom” (assisted by Math Dad) who explained Covid-19 above has initiated a daily “QuaranTime” livestream (8am PST) that will make all of us (aged 7-12+++; I am learning a lot) smarter and happier.

Even while, it has to be said: there is no one out here who is happy with all this. Widespread, in fact, is a sense of grief among everyone, from college students forced back into the nest from emerging adulthood, to young children missing their friends. Everyone’s parents are in mourning: scared, harried, bewildered, angry, distracted, stressed out. All of which is best combated with a little more knowledge:

LA EdEx’s updated resource links follow ~

Governmental response including health information, public health measures

• • Federal Center for Disease Control (CDC), comprehensive authoritative health information including a testing tracker and even open source public health images!
  • International World Health Organization (WHO) coronavirus outbreak website
  • State of CA Department of Public Health CV information
  • Governor’s videos addressing Covid-19 response and policy. Directives include: Emergency Legislation to fight Covid-19, Executive Order ensuring state funding for schools even in event of physical closure; Call for the Closure of all bars and wineries, self-isolation of seniors and high-risk individuals
  • Los Angeles County background and symptoms information including daily count updates and FAQ in 14 languages [Note the City of Los Angeles’ health agencies are part of the County government not municipal]
  • LA County residents can also call 2-1-1

Data banks

• • Continually updating series of data-centric factoids and issues surrounding Covid-19
  • Johns Hopkins mapping project of CV outbreak include state-by-state counts, population denominators
  • Schiffmann CV tables tracker (a HS student)

Employment Concerns

• • CA Labor & Workforce Development Agency resources for employers and workers, including information on filing a Paid Family Leave claim and other FAQs

Resources for families

• • LAUSD’s latest Communications; statements on school closures, resource center staffing, news links, cool videos on handwashing (though the Wildcats seem proverbially shy of the water).
  • LAUSD Hotline for questions from families (213-443-1300) and staff (213-241-2700)
  • LAUSD Family Resource Guide, Guía de Recursos Para Los Familias
  • A very full and weighty page of LAUSD Resources, including map and list of the 60 “Grab And Go” Food Centers; free educational resources from PBS SoCal, KCET and KLCS-TV; student and parent resources for instructional continuity, including for students with disabilities; online learning resources and IT support
  • The Los Angeles Public Library is open online!

Practical, helpful blogs and articles with kid-centered information, instructional activities and ideas

• • Facebook Groups: Parents Supporting Teachers (formed during the UTLA strike of early 2019) – join here for links (active only upon membership) to:  Learning Resources – for Elementary, Middle and High Schools; Business Resources, including information about free wifi and hotspots for K12 students
  • Another Facebook group with great ideas: – Momtivist
  • Covid19 Los Angeles Community Resources by theebighonk@gmail
  • Quarantine with a Toddler by Jayna Zweiman
  • Giant list of ideas for being home with kids by Princess Awesome & Boy Wonder
  • 150+ Enrichment Activities for Children While Parents are Working Remotely
  • Virtual Field Trips and birdcams
  • Education Companies Offering Free Subscriptions Due to School Closings
  • Resources for teaching K12 statistics including lesson plans, live weekly graphs discussion and more
  • So You Think You’re About To Be In A Pandemic by virologists Ian M MacKay and Katherine E Arden
  • How To Survive A Pandemic by NELA LAUSD mom Erin Plossmor

Please add your favorites in the comments below. We’ll include them in this running feature. Thanks!