Long Beach Unified plans to cut more than forty positions that help families, including those that do not speak English, navigate elementary and middle schools, as the district attempts to staunch financial losses.
Spanish-speaking families attended a recent school board meeting to voice fears over what these cuts mean for their ability to advocate for their children and stay connected to their schools — as well as concerns about the district’s priorities around English learners, who represent one out of six students in the district.
In recent months, LBUSD has announced a flurry of reductions in staff and programming as it enters a period of austerity intended to mitigate its $70 million deficit. Recent casualties of the tightening pursestrings are the 42 liaisons between parents and schools. These positions were created in the 2022-23 school year when the district had a reserve of Title I funds to strengthen family engagement and support — by leading workshops, communicating with parents across languages and advocating for student needs, a spokesperson for the district said.
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Yet the roles were not intended to be permanent and will sunset after this academic year, the spokesperson said. She added that systems of support are now integrated into the district’s schools and that the transition does not reduce the district’s commitment to supporting families who speak multiple languages. Multilingual staff at school sites will remain in place, and translation and interpretation will remain available, she said…