K-12 learning in the time of COVID-19, California schools and San Francisco Bay Area

K-12 students across California are out of school due to the coronavirus with little initial guidance on ways to learn at home.
​SF Bay Area school resources and California guidelines are now available, with tips for parents on creativity in being proactive.

With schools closed to K-12 students due to the COVID-19 crisis, it's been difficult for some parents to tackle home schooling, initially due to a lack of available resources along with the stressful situation the shelter in place mandate has created. Now that we're resettling into this new reality, there are more learning tools available.

​The SFUSD, individual schools, and CA state guidelines now offer a collection of resources for learning. 

See the resources below. The CA Dept of Education mandates compulsory
free ​education for all students, including classes at home with online schools approved by the state. 

Below are links to helpful information for parents and students. Plus, many Bay Area museums adhere to homeschooling parameters during regular school sessions and now some offer virtual classrooms/lessons for home learning. Also, be sure to check specific school websites as lesson plans and guidance are generally there. 

California Department of Education:
"The CDE does not provide guidance on how to home school; however, a lot of information on all aspects of home schooling is available online to assist those who are educating their children at home. In addition there are other resources such as California homeschool organizations and possibly local homeschool groups or meet-ups."

• ​Information and resources regarding Coronavirus (COVID-19)​
• ​COVID-19 Guidance for K-12 Schools

San Francisco Unified School District​ (SFUSD):
Search this site for information and resources (two linked below)

• Resources for Learning
• Learning: Curriculum and Standards

Education Week, California:
Review this publication for information and resources.

• 7 Tips for Remote Teaching (video)

San Francisco Public Library (SFPL):
The newly updated site creates a virtual classroom and resource center for kids, teens, and educators.

• The redesigned Children's Website offers Read, Play, Events, and Learn resources that cover a range of subjects, along with materials that kids and teens will enjoy. There is so much here to view and choose from, and the site is helpful and easy to navigate for parents and students. Teens have their own pages named The Mix that includes Kanopy Thoughtful Entertainment movie streaming, eBooks, music and more. The Mix at the SFPL will resume its teen events when the library reopens, but for now the new site is a good virtual option.

Many Bay Area museums adhere to homeschooling parameters during regular school sessions and now some offer virtual classrooms and lessons for home learning. Below are links to museums that have something to offer now, and may have updated resources for extended stay-in-place. Be creative in using what you find here along with additional materials and/or interactive tools. 

California Academy of Sciences:

• Virtual Programs: ​Click on Resources and Grades for a variety of materials; search though site for additional educational pages.

 Exploratorium: Explore the Education menu here for resources.

• Tools for Teaching and Learning

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De Young Museum: A range of useful art-centered resources and materials, including set-guided gallery visits for K-12

• Teen Programs: Teen studio Gallery Guides

Red Tricycle: A variety of tools and links to educational, learning, and exploratory adventures around the Bay Area. Spend time looking around this site for the sheer amount of resources, activities, ideas, and links it provides.

• A Parents Guide to Virtual Classroom Resources​, by Subject

Children's Discovery Museum of San Jose: A wonderful discovery-land for the little ones

• Explore the Virtual Purple Museum for a wide assortment of at home activities, educational videos, virtual walks, recipes for cooking fun, and much more.

Oakland Museum of CA: Prepare for an in-person visit when this excellent museum reopens.

• Education, Teacher Resources: Web resources, curriculum, guides + worksheets linked to current and past museum exhibits, with downloadable pdfs to support learning about the people and subjects of the exhibits. Here's an opportunity to be proactive and create your own lessons! Digital images of the exhibits are available at the online collection.