Dear CO-CABE Community,

Like all of you, the Colorado Association for Bilingual Education has been monitoring and adapting to the rapidly changing Coronavirus pandemic (COVID-19) and wrestling with its impact on our work on behalf of the emerging bilingual community. We are also committed to doing our part to support public health efforts while keeping our important work going at a critical time for our nation and our community.

We wanted to provide you an update of the new measures we have instituted to protect the health and well-being of our staff and their families, and the communities we serve.

Below are some of the immediate steps we are taking:

• Out of an abundance of caution, we have cancelled or postponed several convenings and events including:
  • 2020 Concurso de deletreo Colorado Spanish Spelling Bee scheduled in April has been cancelled
  • 2020 Board Yearly Retreat scheduled for March 29 postponed or to be held electronically
  • 2020 National Spanish Spelling Bee-in consultation with the National Spanish Spelling Bee scheduled in July has been cancelled
• We have been engaging in a remote telework phase of operation for our organization. We are operating via email, phone, and continuing our work through electronic means  until further notice.

This pandemic is affecting everyone, but it has been particularly challenging for the most vulnerable in our community—children and seniors, the uninsured, families living paycheck to paycheck, and our undocumented community.  We are in the midst of one of the biggest global crises of our lifetimes. We know it will be very difficult, and may get worse in the coming months, but we know we can get through this together.  We are grateful for the leadership of state and local leaders who have made the hard decisions that can protect our communities. We are grateful for school district leaders across the state that have stepped up to support our most vulnerable families with food distribution. There are many families that need support as well as a growing list of organizations to meet those needs including food, healthcare, mental health supports, childcare and supporting their kids at home. Additionally, we are encouraged by the school districts and educators, of all backgrounds, who are stepping up home learning resources for all ages of kids.   

The advocacy and programs we provide are urgently needed now and will most certainly need to adapt quickly in this new environment in order to protect and support communities most impacted from this crisis.

We will continue to stay in touch with more developments as we navigate through these trying times.

In the meantime, CO-CABE has set up a web page with resources in English and Spanish for students, families, and educators. We hope that with your help we can develop a unique and targeted bank of resources that best serves the current and emerging bilingual learners of Colorado, their families, and the educators that are working tirelessly to support them through this crisis.

On behalf of the Colorado Association for Bilingual Education, please take care of yourselves and each other and practice physical distancing with social solidarity. Together we can get through the uncertainty and overcome the many challenges that we will face.

Cuídense mucho,