State honors school district for response to pandemic
In the fall of 2020, when most Marin school districts were still in remote instruction mode because of the pandemic, the Sausalito Marin City School District was the first to reopen for classroom learning.
The district, which received a waiver from the state to reopen its elementary grades, ended up having 176 student days during that year — the most of any in Marin, according to the Marin County Civil Grand Jury.
For that and other efforts to maintain instruction standards during the pandemic, the district
has won a 2022 California Pivotal Practice Award from the California Department of Education.
It is the only school district in Marin to receive the award, which replaced the former California Distinguished Schools awards program. One school program in Marin, Nova Independent Study, was also selected for the honor.
Statewide, 727 schools and 121 school districts were granted the 2022 CAPP awards.
According to the state education department, the award is given to the school districts that have established best practices and exemplified exceptional resolution during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“The California Pivotal Practice Award is a testimony to our courageous staff, our resilient students and to the vision of our board,” said Itoco Garcia, the superintendent of the Sausalito Marin City School District. “When we stand united in the face of adversity, we can accomplish anything.”
Brody Fernandez, spokesperson for the California Department of Education, said the district's documentation indicates it was especially proactive on social-emotional effects of the pandemic. The district also reported no in-school coronavirus transmission, he said.
“Their hybrid distance learn