BUSD for kids from more conservative families?

I'm hoping to hear from more politically conservative families who have their children in the Berkeley public schools. I hear quite a bit from people who are in step with Berkeley politically about how much they love the public schools. That's great, but we'd like to know how people with more conservative views rate the education, environment, and culture. We are also Christian and are curious to know how other Christian children do in the school. One of the reasons why we are considering the schools is because of the diversity. However, I do want to make certain that the schools are tolerant of children whose beliefs do not line up with the more liberal, secular environment of Berkeley. I'd also like to say that I am not bagging on Berkeley at all; I enjoy living in this town. I am only hoping to ascertain whether or not the environment would be OK for my children. I also don't want them to feel too fish-out-of-water-ish. Lastly, I would ask respectfully that I only receive replies from other conservative families. I'd really like to hear firsthand experiences. Thanks so much. -Anon

Class Sizes in Berkeley Elementary Schools

We are researching kindergartens for next year. Can someone please share with us the latest on class sizes in Berkeley elementary schools? Is it true that class sizes are lower in Berkeley because of a special tax? Will this last? We currently live in Oakland but are considering moving to Berkeley specifically for the schools. (Though I have noticed that the test scores in Berkeley schools are very similar to the higher scoring Oakland schools.) Can anyone share their experience between the two districts at the lower grade levels? Does class size play as much of a role in the likelihood of our shy child having a good experience as I think it does? Thank you for any insight!

SO, while what the State will do in terms of continuing to financially support class size reduction is anyone's guess, especially since fewer and fewer Districts are able to ''match'' funds to maintain the 20:1 ratio, Berkeley's parcel tax ensures that the District has funds to make small class size for all grades a priority. Karen Hemphill

The 3 middle schools are great. My high schooler loved King. My 6th grader does too. Don't let the large size deceive you. Staff works hard to ensure that 6th graders, especially, have small groups and are looked after. Counseling staff and principal are excellent. strong after school sports program. other enrichment is very easy to acces like music, drama, crafts. Edible school yard (garden and kitchen) are great. Easy to find like-minded kids to make new friends with. bUSD parent

Outlook for Berkeley schools - funding, testing, curriculum

Is your Berkeley public elementary school going to hell in a hand basket?

In the six years that my children have so far attended Berkeley public schools, I have seen cuts to our elementary school's music program and science program and cuts to weekly assemblies. Attempts to start garden and cooking programs have been thwarted. The bicultural program - once a mainstay of the school - is being phased out. A popular after-school enrichment class was cut in order to turn the tiny room that was used into a reading recovery center.

All these cuts have been made while PTA fund raising has increased, even soared. Site funds cover remedial language arts and math education, and a large chunk of PTA funds (raised through the never ending dollar drives, etc) are being used to fund an "unfunded mandate" to teach English to ELL students.

When tests are about a month away, the teaching focuses almost exclusively on test prep. Teachers tell me they have no time to teach Shakespeare; they must prep the kids for the test. Kids who score well on tests generally can find themselves in remediation if they score poorly on one test. We have had 2 different math programs and 2-3 different language arts programs (changed based on test scores - everyone is looking for that silver bullet that will magically transform the test scores of some). The curriculum seems centered around test scores, and why not? The school has even gotten an award based on test scores. While I agree that equity needs to be addressed, it seems that the narrowing of the curriculum hampers the education of all and that this narrowing is coming as a result of the tests. Don't all kids need more music? Foreign language? Science? Doesn't having a broad arts education actually improve English and math ability for all?

While state/federal funding is decreasing and teachers and principals are being pressured to raise the scores of some kids in 2 subject areas, it seems inevitable that the curriculum for all will narrow still further and that the pressure on the kids to do well on those tests will increase. (I say inevitable because none of the parents I know is in any way able or interested in changing the status quo.)

What is the situation at your elementary school? How has it changed over the years? Has it expanded its curriculum or narrowed it? Do you receive enough Title I funds to cover remedial math/language arts? Does your PTA pay large sums for unfunded mandates? Are you happy with the state tests and do your teachers teach to the test? Have they changed their teaching as a result of the tests?
-Would like to know what's happening city-wide

Our elementary PTA spends most of it's funds on enrichment to broaden the curriculum, not on unfunded mandates. The enrichment is both during the regular school day and after school. We sponsor a vocal music teacher for the lower grades and worked with the local rec dept. to sponsor an after school instrumental music class for the upper grade students. In addition, we pay for field trips, classroom supplies, assemblies, and have sponsored hands-on science enrichment/instruction in the classrooms. We are not Title 1 but the school does have many students with special needs and/or kids who qualify for reduced school lunch. The only funds spent on testing or test prep would be a small allotment on snacks for testing--granola bars, etc. during the 2 weeks of testing.

The middle school PTA funds academic department grants, lunchtime crafts/sports activities, library materials, and parent ed programs. We are also willing to buy an overhead projector or printer for any teacher or administrator who requests one. We understand supply budgets are tight now.

Yes, the fundraising burden is significant but, on the other hand, what most parents contribute is probably equal to one month's tuition at a private school. And in our community, private school enrollment is decreasing due to the economy. Most families understand they need to step up and support the public school so they are happy to contribute. It's strictly voluntary.

Our after school enrichment program offers video production, gardening, Shakespeare's dramas, science, tennis, dance, etc. Some classes are taught by parents, others by instructors who get a percentage of student fees.

One bonus to PTA-sponsored enrichment: Most public school teachers are fabulous. A very few are not so great. If the PTA sponsors an instructor or activity leader and they don't connect with the kids, the PTA can find someone who does so we have some terrific PTA-sponsored contractors.

Even with all the fiscal challenges California is facing, I think a good K-12 public school supported by caring parents and staff offers a fine education. --public school mom

The school we're at has mostly improved during our stay. We do get Title 1 funding, mainly because we have a principal who will go personally to each family to get the forms in. That helps considerably with funding, as you know. Our PTA donates the typical large Berkeley amount, and our school's site committee determines what to fund, in large part based on an annual parent survey. That money, combined with the BPEF funds deposited for our school, tends to take care of many of the enrichment and academic assistance programs that our school's admin knows are essential for good student outcomes.

We no longer have a staff gardening teacher, but we have a very well-qualified community volunteer and several parents who have taken on the job, so our younger kids still get some quality garden instruction each week. I wish we had more art and PE, and maybe a foreign language, but we've never had a lot of that, so it's not like that's fallen back. There's still science and music 2X weekly, lots of field trips [that kind of depends on the teacher -- our boy has had a ton of exceptional trips this year], and a decent number of performance-based activities at our weekly assemblies. There's enrichment every day in the afterschool program.

As for testing, it's certainly a drag, but it does take up less time than I originally thought it might. The teachers begin some test prep in mid-April for the early May tests, and in my kid's 4th grade class at least, it was about an hour a day. The test prep seemed to consist of the class reviewing stuff they'd been learning all year, and then a few sample tests. And from what I saw, it wasn't stuff that was so bad for them to be tested on. I mean, they should know certain math concepts, grammar, and language arts, right? The test prep and the tests are one way of finding out where some students have weak areas. Anyway, our scores have gone up across the board, among all sub-groups, and that's a good thing. [actually in-class work and assessments have also improved.] We've not experienced teachers ''teaching to the test'', although that might largely be an individual thing. I can honestly say that the testing has not impacted my son or his friends in a negative way. They seem to be pretty blase about it all, in fact. To them, it's just a test.

I know that not all schools are like this. I think it would be incredibly demoralizing to be at a school where you felt so out of control regarding something so integral. I wonder if middle school will present a better experience for your family? I hope so. I also hope the state begins funding schools again at a rate that can sustain the programs that help all children succeed. -not hell in a hand basket... yet

Donations to PTA are down campared to previous years. Although some elemenatry schools in nearby towns and in Berkeleley seem to be doing better than other years. not sure why. Some of these programs do depend on PTA funds. Each school site in Berkeley finds it own balance of funding between ''district'' funds, Site Governance Council funds, PTA funds, grant funds and other funds. The principals can be quite skilled in making it all work - it is quite a challenge and appreciated nearly enough. If any of these funding sources decrease, something has to give. The same is true if salaries or other costs increase. If you'd like to get more involved in dollar decisions at your school site, I suggest youmake time to sit on the SGC or at least go to the SGC meetings at your site. From what I know, BUSD schools do not teach as much to the test as schools elsewhere in the state or country. We are quite fortunate in this. If they focus a lot on the test for one month only, then we are doing well. If the district is looking for the best programs to address challenged students' needs, then that is a good thing. Although changing course too often is challenging, too.

At my child's elementary school, i have not seen curriculum narrowing over the 10 plus years we have been at the school. What I see is experienced and skilled teachers drawing on their tried,true and rich units, projects and lessons to bring a range of topics to their students. With enough vounteers in the classroom, they can present great projects that still get the content across. And with enough volunteers, they can reach students with a range of challenges and skills. Level of Title I funds depends on the flux in the number of Title I kids from year to year. Some years we have it, but not all. Who is happy with the state test? But testing is reality in our society and our teachers and kids do great with it, considering. All in all, we are happy with BUSD and grateful for teachers, staff, administrators, volunteers and families who all do their best every day. a BUSD Mom

That said - I am taken aback by your description that the school is ''going to hell in a hand basket.'' My kids attend this same school and I am continually impressed by the teaching staff and principal - we have a lot to be proud of at this school! Whether it's what kids are learning, the tremendous progress in yard/recess/social climate over the years, and just an overall positive, fun energy at the school - I feel fortunate to be there. I feel like my kids are learning, happy at school and engaged. Yes, I have to supplement to have more art, music lessons - etc. I recognize that there has been a greater emphasis placed on reading/writing/math over the years. However, my experience has not been of a school solely focused on testing and language arts/math. Though I doubt anyone will respond that they are happy with the state testing system, I have never experienced a teacher doing only test prep for a month before testing, or assigning kids to remedial programs for doing poorly on only one test, and if that was your experience I encourage you to talk to the principal about it.

PTA fundraising has soared while budgets have been slashed by cuts. The PTA, instead of being more on the sideline, is integral to school programs. By the way, most of the PTA budget goes to support school-wide programs, whether it's PE, yard supervision, reading programs (books etc. for all classes), field trips, etc. But given the budget crisis can we fault the professionals whose mission is to ensure that all kids in our school community learn and are at grade level, who are committed to fulfilling the Berkeley Vision 2020 goals of closing the achievement gap -- and therefore ask the PTA to also fund some core academic support programs?

In Berkeley we've been sheltered from the more drastic impacts felt by neighboring districts: closing schools and soaring class sizes (30 and above). I commend our staff for continuing to offer a great education given the much reduced funding. We are also a smaller school, so we don't get as much BSEP money or Title 1 money (for instance that funds the gardening/cooking programs at other schools).

But in short (ha ha) my answer to your original question even given all these factors is actually - yes. Our public school has gotten better over the years - maybe because of everything that has been strengthened and the proactive approach of principal and staff. It is good to have a dialogue about these issues, to reflect on what we need to do as a society to adequately fund public education and achievement for all students, and to explore additional funding sources -- I have heard that some other schools do have a chunk of money from grants, that is something that needs parent support and involvement. anon

Berkeley schools with Latino/a students?

We are looking for a good public elementary schoool in Berkeley which has a good number of Latino/a students. Any suggestions or recommendations? Thank you very much. Lara

Violence in Berkeley Schools

I am distressed reading the reports of students and non-students bringing guns to the campus of Berkeley High. No child should fear for their safety, especially at school. My husband and I live in Berkeley and have a four year old son. Is violence present in the Berkeley elementary schools? -everyone is a concerned parent

Violence is taken very seriously at Berkeley schools. Most students feel very safe at elemenatry schools in Berkeley, and the staff and parent community all work together to provide positive behavior support for everyone. The teachers, counselors and other staff work with those students (and their families) who need extra behavior support, so that that student and the whole school community, benefit.

Regarding your distress, the Berkeley High issue is a real concern, and it appears that it is being taken seriously by the students, the Principal and the Superintendant. My students feel safe at elementary and middle school. Any concerns are addressed as they arise. I fully intend to send my students to Berkeley High and my students are excited to attend. anonymous

Best Berkeley Schools and Zones

Hello, We want our kids in public school all the way through high school (also, can't afford private), and currently reside in a neighborhood with a very bad school. So, we are thinking of moving to Berkeley from Oakland. Can anyone comment upon which zone has the best elementary schools or, conversely, which has the worst? Also, if anyone has experience with the middle schools and can comment upon which are the best/worst that would be appreciated too. We value diversity, the arts, and good solid teaching tailored to the children above mere standardized test scores (although I know this differs from the State's approach to public schools). Thank you!

So don't worry about the zone, just go with your local zone. The berkeley public schools are not perfect. But they are free! Use the money you save to supplement your kids with art and music outside school. anon

You can check GreatSchools.org to see which schools are rated the highest, test-score-wise. Of course, test scores basically reflect the socio-economic make-up of the school more than anything else, but that still tells you something. Namely, you are likely to find more motivated parents at the higher ranked schools, because motivated parents gravitate to higher ranked schools. If you read past discussions on the BPN website about school choice in BUSD you will see that motivated parents are very persistent in getting their kids into one of the higher ranked schools. It seems to me that the more motivated parents there are at the school, the better the school.

So, find a neighborhood you like in Berkeley, make your school request, and then if you don't get what you want, be persistent. BUSD veteran

Busing, after-school, registration

I heard that BUSD provides school bus for kids within the zone, but live more than 2 miles? away from the school. Where is the bus stop? What about after-school, as in 5pm? How safe is it? Also, we are assigned to School A that we don't plan to have our child to attend, but were told that we have to register with the school anyway just to be on the waiting lists for other schools. Our spot at School A is therefore not open for others to take. It doesn't seem to make any sense. Of course, when I called to check on the waiting list positions, ours are virtually unchanged. clueless and confused

Registration: If you don't register at the school you are assigned to and are on the waiting list for another school then you will lose your spot for your assigned school. If your child does not attend the wait listed school then you will not have a back up school to attend. That is why you must register your child in the assigned school. I don't know how the BUSD wait list works so I would call the district office to find out specifics. Good Luck! Kristine

Discouraged by Berkeley Public Schools

I'm becoming discouraged with BUSD. We have two children enrolled at a top performing BUSD public school and I'm worried that their academic needs are overshadowed by the constant struggle of the school staff and teachers to secure funds, meet the needs of the more challenged students, the learning disabled students, etc. Though I have been proud of my children's empathy for others, their patience and understanding waiting for their teachers who are handling behavioral issues in the classroom and their overall commitment to school, I am beginning to see my older child lose interest academically and become bored with school and make statements such as ''I like my school, but we don't have enough math and the other work is pretty easy''. And, no, I don't think my children are gifted, I think they're average kids who are not being challenged in the classroom. I have also seen friends' children reach a certain grade level, usually around 3rd, when social problems ensue with little or no guidance by overburdened staff and teachers through what are most likely the natural developmental and social issues expected at this age. And now we're facing huge budget cuts at the hands of our current governor which will increase the class sizes again, lead to lay-offs of qualified teachers, and put severe financial pressure on the schools. I find myself day-dreaming about moving to a State that values education and invests in our children. Are others feeling discouraged by BUSD? Feeling Defeated

Berkeley Schools and No Child Left Behind

Does anybody know how the Berkeley Schools are handling the fallout from the No Child Left Behind Act? If a school is rated as not making adequate yearly progress (such as Rosa Parks), how is the transfer process going to work? Can you transfer to only schools within your zone? What if you are enrolling for the first time? concerned parent

Itms better to look beyond the strict measures of No Child Left Behind and see how a school is really performing, and how it performs for children in your demographic. If you are really concerned about test scores, you should see how children like yours are doing on the tests. There are many resources on the web where you can look at disaggregated data for a particular school, and that will give you a better picture of how your child will do ON THE TEST. But it is not a measure of how well your child will thrive in a school (like Rosa Parks). BUSD parent

A school's test scores could be spiraling down, but if a number of other parameters measure well, they will not be considered PI. On the other hand, a school's test scores may be doing great, but they get dinged as a PI school if the number of kids who showed up to be tested was just under the mimimum requirement of 95%.

One school's test scores may seem low but it turns out they're on a clear upward trend; whereas, a school with higher test scores may be on a downward trend and may even have gotten their first PI ding for some reason - but you have to be dinged two years in a row to rate as a PI school, so you have to ask to find out.

Families at a PI school can transfer to another ''non-PI'' school in the same zone. (So if you want to use this as an excuse to transfer to the school closest to your house, it'll only work if it's a non-PI school in the same zone.) Free tutoring is also offered for students at Year 2 or higher PI schools, I think. Priority for all the above is given to lower achieving students, or lower socio-economic students.

If you are enrolling for the first time, the district lottery works the same way regardless of the PI status of any given school. No extra preferences are granted.

If you have more questions, the two best people to talk to are: Admissions and Attendance Office - Francisco Martinez at 644-6504 State and Federal Funding - Christina Faulkner at ???

They're both very approachable and knowledgeable. Good luck, and again, don't get too worried about the PI stuff. All the schools in Berkeley are very good with comparable strengths and weaknesses. Look at NCLB mainly as a tool to motivate people to keep getting better.

White flight from public schools by 4th and 5th grade?

I have been making the tours of the Berkeley public schools in my zone and I was wondering if anyone else has noticed the disturbing trend of fewer and fewer white kids as the grades progress? In one school, for example, there were five white kids in 3rd grade, two in 4th and none in the 5th grade classroom. Where are these kids? And why are they leaving???? anon

I think the kind of migration you are observing happens for 2 reasons:

(1) Many families who have attended a small elementary school are reluctant to enroll in a large middle schools and some of them drift away beginning in 4th grade. I have a mixed race fourth grader and most of the kids in his classroom are the same ones he started out with. His cohort has stayed together pretty well but now that we are all approaching middle school, I see parent looking at other options--charter, private, other public schools, etc. I'm not sure how many will end up with him at our local middle school.

(2) Most parents feel that the best thing about public school is reduced class size. Unfortunately, our legislature stopped at 3rd grade so parents often hit larger sized classrooms and decide that they want to bail on public schools.

Most of them end up returning to public schools in high school so I wish middle class parents would consider staying in the public middle schools (and work to make them better). Also, it would be helpful if the inflexible bureacrats who run school districts could think outside the box for a change--maybe consider offering a few more options for worried parents--i.e., K-8, 7-12, smaller middle schools, etc.

Academics in Berkeley public schools

My wife and I are strongly considering moving from Berkeley to another region in California universally considered to have a very good public school system. I realize that this topic has been discussed frequently but after reading previous posts on this topic, I realized that a couple of relevant issues have been relatively overlooked. Most prior positive reviews of the Berkeley school system cite the presence of diversity in the student body, sense of community and preservation of extra- curricular activities. While I recognize the importance of these factors, I would like to get feedback from like-minded parents with children in Berkeley public schools on what I would consider the single most important component of a quality school--how well is the student educated. In the elementary school level, how well are the students taught to write and do math? Are academics highly emphasized by the teachers and appreciated by the students. I am particularly concerned about this issue after I read an insightlful post in which a parent sadly admitted that an anti-intellectual or academic culture seems to be pervasive, at least, in late elementary school and junior high school levels. This post also speculated that part of this problem may be due to the fact that many students in the Berkeley school system come from imporverished/unstable families. This fact is supported by statistics showing a very high percentage of families receiving free or reduced lunches in Berkeley schools, 40-50%. I'm all for exposure to diversity in all dimensions, but I do not consider this high a percentage of children from impoverished families, necessarily conducive for building an academic environment. Before I get innundated by thoughtless response on this matter, I grew up in a poor family and I know first hand that it is very difficult for a child to focus on academics when the parents are worried about paying the bills.

If you want to get into the details of test scores and who scores at what level, you can find a lot of detailed data on the California Department of Education web site.

You should know that in this geographic area, given the high cost of real estate, most folks are struggling financially, not just the low income folks. Cost of housing (rent or mortgage) eats up a huge percentage of our incomes.

If you find after considering everything, that you'd like to have your kids in Berkeley Public Schools, then fantastic! We'll welcome you and your family with open arms and will be glad to have your participation at your new school. Berkeley Mom

I feel the schools are fine until 3rd grade since the class size is limited to 20. After that, the discrepancy in learning levels really kicks in. My child was identified as a gifted child, but very, very little is done to cater to their needs for more challenging instruction. We are currently applying for a private school for 6th grade for that reason.

We're certainly not the only parents concerned about this. It's been with great regret that we've watched many involved parents pull their child out of the public school my child attended and either move to Lafayette or enroll their child in a private school. (It was particularly disheartening to witness two of our school's PTA presidents do just that.) When the kids start out in KG, the classes are indeed very diverse. By 5th grade, it seems to me that minority kids make up most of the class. Many, many families -- in my experience mostly white -- have opted out of the system.

I think this is a very sad, regretable development. And I'm not sure how to address the problem.
Parent of kid about to Leave Public School

That said, I don't consider school the only place where my child is learning. We go to museums and cultural events, and have enrolled our child in language, math and science classes outside of the school day/school year. My child also independently reads and writes for pleasure which I suspect will have an academic pay-off in the long run.

If you are going by test scores alone, you can look at the more detailed breakdowns, and you will see that Berkeley children of college-educated parents do as well as, or better than their peers over the hill. On the other hand, if your children aren't self-motivated, they could get lost, particularly in the middle school years, and if they are looking for trouble, it isn't hard to find as the children get older. (Though I remember plenty of drug culture in the suburban high I attended. I also remember feeling bored and alienated at that highly rated school.)

These decisions are really hard, and in the end there is no other way to make them than to jump in the pool and be ready to play lifeguard if it isn't working out. anon

Here is my experience: by 4th grade my kids were in a classroom culture where most of the kids were not into learning. It was not cool to be engaged academically and this was even more true in middle schools and high school. Not to say that smart students cannot succeed in BUSD - they can, and some of my kids' BUSD schoolmates went to top colleges, well prepared. But these kids succeeded in spite of a pervasive anti-intellectual culture. I don't believe their success can be credited to the BUSD. What I saw was either a very driven kid or very driven parents. If you or your kid are not driven, your kid is at risk academically the longer he/she is in the BUSD. That's my opinion.

I don't want to give the impression that BUSD does not have the resources to provide a rich learning environment. My kids had talented teachers, and a wealth of enrichment and extras and field trips that rival local private schools. However, I did not find a culture of learning in Berkeley public schools. In my experience, academic expectations were low for all but the most motivated kids. In higher grades, as the motivated students moved in to advanced classes, many other kids (like mine) were stuck in a dumbed-down curriculum with few challenges and no expectations that homework would be turned in, tests would be studied for, or anything would be learned. My kids had so many assignments that were seemingly tuned to the lowest common denominator - rote, brain-dead busywork or drawing and coloring projects more suitable for much younger kids. After a few years of this a kid will lose interest in all schoolwork, may start to hate school and resent the time wasted in meaningless activities. Mine did. But it was left up to individual children and parents to figure out how to make their way through this and end up with an education, because the schools really were not focused on academic achievement for every student.

I heard administrators say more than once that the school's main responsibility was to the less advantaged kids who did not have books at home and afterschool classes and other kinds of enrichment. The theory was that the kids who are better off will succeed anyway, so they do not need any particular attention from the BUSD. At the time it made some sense to me but now I just think it's really cynical. No one wins except the kids who are going to win anyway no matter what school they're in. And too many of those high achieving kids are no longer in the public schools anyway, having realized that BUSD doesn't care much how they fare in school and will devote few resources to their educations. This leaves a much larger and ever growing proportion of kids who need extra help, so it's a vicious circle. The BUSD seems really unconcerned about this, as if it is not a problem.

Another problem: a kind of resigned acceptance of bad behavior. The BUSD provides all sorts of wonderful opportunities for kids and then sabotages them by allowing disinterested students to undermine the experience for the interested ones. Rude and disruptive behavior was commonplace in the classroom, on the playground, on field trips, at graduation ceremonies. I helped out in the classroom a lot. My kids had classes where the teacher was lucky to get 10 minutes of real knowledge imparted in a day because so much time had to be spent disciplining misbehaving students and repeating instructions for slower students. These teachers are so dedicated and it was heartbreaking sometimes to be in a classroom where half the kids would rather be anywhere else but here, and are making sure everyone knows it. I went on field trips where kids basically made their own rules for behavior, running around out of control, talking and cutting up during performances, completely missing out on a cultural event or a day in nature, preventing everyone else from getting anything out of it and ridiculing anyone who did. I went to middle school graduation ceremonies where parents screamed and carried on to the point where you couldn't hear your kid's name when it was called, and no school official ever stood up to ask for peace.

Being in an environment like this year after year can be very defeating for a child who starts out wanting to learn. By middle school all but the most dedicated students just stop trying. When disruption and rudeness and inconsideration are tolerated by their teachers and principals, children get the message loud and clear that this is acceptable, that the school tolerates a non-learning environment. And this was the message my kids got: we are not here to learn. We are here to have fun, be in a diverse group, learn about other cultures. If an academic experience is wanted, you're on your own. I feel like my kids really got a raw deal and in retrospect I am sorry I didn't figure out some way to get them into a school where learning could happen. Anon

I don’t think that poverty per se is the issue. The problem is that some families do not consider getting an education to be of utmost importance, do not teach their children discipline, do not stress academics at home, and do not participate in the schools (PTA, classroom volunteering, etc. ). And the BUSD exacerbates these problems by focusing its resources on promoting ''diversity'' rather than on promoting academics. I think that Berkeley children would be much better served if the BUSD were to stop stressing diversity above all (e.g. by not spending its scarce resources on programs such as the diversity- enforcing school assignment process) and start promoting academic achievement above all. This could be done, in part, by dividing the resources equally among all of the children regardless of their background or level of performance rather than devoting the lion's share of the resources to the under- performing kids.
BUSD alumnus and parent

1. Many teachers providing high level academic experiences - 5- paragraph essays in 2nd grade, 10 chapter novels (first outlined for structure) in 5th grade, 7-10 page analytical (not just narrative) research papers in 9th grade, major research writing projects in 11th/12th grade as well as analytical based mathematics (not just rote drills), and great academic enrichment through field trips and guest presenters and secondary school internships. However, while the district must follow state curriculum guidelines, there are few standards of how curriculum is taught, so that academic standards can vary dramatically from teacher to teacher. Few principals have had the leadership to insist upon comparable quality among teachers, intra and inter-grade communications, and data driven assessments for continual improvement and the District is struggling to instill such standards systemwide.

2. Low expectations about the performance of students of color - especially in secondary school: I've seen many, many students of color that performed close to or average to beyond grade level in elementary school that ended up turned off and close to failing sometime during middle/high school. Assumptions that students/families of color and lower income students/families don't care about academics are rampant in the District and these assumptions reinforce the media driven peer pressures (and basic adolescent laziness) to dumb down. Its common to see differential discipline for the same offense between white and students of color, seen teachers profile students the first day of class by directing black kids wearing urban wear to sit in the back of the class (and I knew they were honor roll students), and heard staff and teachers tell students and parents of color that they shouldn't be so concerned if their kids were making at least B's and C's and routinely assume that families of color didn't expect their students to attend 4-year college.

3. The District's liberalism tends to be not so much about diversity as it is about academic choice, personal freedom and is arrogance based. This has been disastrous for many students that need structure to succeed (both white and of color) and many Berkeley liberals (ie. white liberals) seem to think they ''know'' why many kids of color aren't succeeding in the district (and blame it purely on socio-economics and culture) without even talking to families of color. Virtually all of families of color I know (and I'm of color too) routinely say that they wish that teachers were MORE rigorous in their expectations, MORE strict, focused MORE on academic and study skills - they want the high school campus CLOSED, LESS academic choice, MANDATORY tutorials, teacher accountability (especially! in giving progress feedback) and high achievement publicly recognized and rewarded.

4. Academic success is often correlated with family involvement and in the secondary school, many teachers prefer having an ''adult'' one on one relationship with students (university teaching). Its VERY difficult to obtain syllabi, work assignments, and/or feedback on student academic progress. Many adolescents simply aren't mature enough to be self-advocates or even to be organized and focused enough to stay up with class assignments (the #1 reason for failing students according to ALL the teachers I've spoken to at the high school - NOT basic skill level or ability).

5. Academic support services are inadequate. Many middle income students are successful because of private tutoring, especially in math and science. Parents that cannot afford private tutoring and don't have in-house expertise due to language or their own academic skill barriers find it extremely difficult to provide help when needed. By the way, virtually all of the academic support services are grant funded and do NOT take away resources from ''academically strong without help'' students.

Bottom line: BUSD is alot like Cal. A world class education is available - but not everyone is going to succeed there, especially students that are relatively immature and not self- motivated - whatever their natural ability or skill level. And, because of the relative lack of teaching standards and systemwide accountability, the classroom experience will vary (there are some REALLY bad profs at Cal as well as the outstanding ones). And, students of color may very well feel that they are NOT welcome and not expected to succeed (and told that their accomplishments are due to ''affirmative action'' or ''liberal'' grade giving rather than their own merits - which I as a Cal grad student of color was told more than once by fellow students). So far my children are succeeding and overall have had an outstanding education at BUSD, but its taken constant monitoring, participation, and sometimes hell-raising to make it so. But then, my friends whose kids are at private school have had their issues too...
Eyes open public school advocate

Regarding my kids school, I think it has been excellent so far! One kindergarden teacher was poor & yelled at kids and parents (a bit maniacal) and all of us parents, we just talked about it, went to the prinicipal, I even discussed a bit with the teacher, and the principal let go of her at the end of the year, which I think was the right thing to do. A lot of the kids liked her despite the negatives (she was also fun and creative), so I'm glad she wasn't send away in the middle of the year; it would have been disruptive for the kids, but I'm also glad she didn't stay for another year. Also, our principal listened to us! He never really said ''I agree with you'' at the time, but I think in his position he has to be diplomatic, i.e. can not gripe about one of his teachers with the parents, but he listened and took action.

In second grade, there was one child from a poor family who was behaving abysmally (stepping on other kids fingers on purpose, tried to trip my daughter, etc etc). I just kept communicating with my daughters' teacher and other parents and also the prinicipal. In this case, the teacher had some reluctance about being 'the bad one' in having to address the child's behavior, but I kept discussing that the child and all the other children in the class and ultimately she herself too as teacher would be much better served by simply not tolerating this hebavior, and the teacher started getting tuff on the child! There also was a boy in my son's kindergarden class room, from very poor family, who really misbehaved; eg kicked a girl during recess on purpose, and wouldn't come when a supervising parent called him, etc. The K teacher was SUPER with this boy, using the 'carrot and stick', eg 'if you come when the parent calls you, you can still have half of your recess', etc, and the boy improved a lot! The first grade teacher both my kids had is superb too. She had a child stay home on Halloween because he was pushing and shoving other kids! I think it really made an impression on the child and he behaved better too!

I just so believe in public school, and yes, I believe in helping the poorer students who don't have all the advantages my kids have A lot of these families are struggling. I just try to spend a LOT of time at my kids school! I hear a lot from other parents, talk to the teachers a lot and find out a lot about the assignments, the classrooms, and the dynamics that way, and, yes, I do try to help those students that just need help with behavior. I talk to help them understand the effects of behavior, sometimes just shadow them, and when they do good, I'm sure to tell the teacher so they get their just rewards. So far, I am very happy. Also, the principal started out this year saying more differentiated instruction is planned, and therefore disruptive classroom behavior will be tolerated even less! My friends' children did BUSD all the way and are in Hopkins now... Regarding the disruptive behavior: can we just all get togther more as parents and set better limits if needed? If we all work together, we CAN make the changes! And it may cost less then that private school tuition! The more involved parents that speak up, yes, of course, the better off we'll be! BUSD parent

I don't think she had that much problem with her math facts as it was that she didn't like the school and didn't want to do homework or take tests for the teacher. Now in 4th grade in the same school she seems to like her teacher better and we haven't gotten as many comments about her not being ''up to par.'' So my conclusion has been that a lot of what makes a child succeed in school is not just good teachers, or a good school district, but the attitude of the child (and the parents) about school.

Discouraged about Berkeley public schools

I just finished reading the posts about the academics in the BUSD and know that there were probably many more that were too negative for the fourm to post. I have a son who will start kindergarten in the fall and we've just moved into a house we can barely afford just to get him into Berkeley and out of Oakland and I am just wondering how the schools in a town with one of the best public universities in the country could be in such a state. I believe in public education, I am a product of excellent NY public schools and an excellent VA public college and want the same for my children. Do I have to leave Berkeley to give them an excellent public education? From the posts it seems that elementary school may be ok but after that it's all downhill. I love Berkeley and all that it has to offer but I want my children to have a future, an academic future. I appreciate the honesty of the responses, I think I'm just wondering what to do with the information...
is berkeley worth the cost?

Academics: My son came in already ''well prepared'' academically and then some, but is still growing and learning academically even t hough many of his classmates are still working on the building blocks. He's writing daily, learning to use strategies (other than ''ask mom'') to spell words he doesn't know by heart, improving his fine motor skills through repeated writing and other activities, and learning a lot about patterns and other concepts in the math area. Although the homework is very easy for him, I think he's finding enough challenge to keep him interested academically. My impression is that all the kids are making great strides academically.

Is he learning?: You bet! And in my opinion he's learning what he needs to right now: how to interact with kids from a variety of backgrounds, how friendships work, about the world from the many caring adults at school who have a whole wide range of interests and experience, how to be a part of a bigger social structure. He's thriving on this new range of experiences. Not only are all these things great for my son, they're great for all the other kids who are going to Malcolm X too, some from families very different from our own.

I feel a lot of energy at the school going into making it work for everyone: teachers, parents, experts, neighbors, the kids themselves. I have to trust that when we get to middle school and high school some of that energy will still be there to make those experiences rich and dynamic also.
- Happy kindergarden mom