Berkeley town hall meeting discusses reopening of local schools
Vanessa Lim/File
The timeline for reopening schools is expected to be pushed back several weeks due to the high positive COVID-19 test and transmission rates that prompted the stay-at-home order. Once these indicators decline, elementary schools are set to reopen, and middle and high schools are set to follow after.
Berkeley Mayor Jesse Arreguín and Berkeley Unified School District, or BUSD, Superintendent Brent Stephens discussed the reopening of local schools in light of the regional stay-at-home order at a virtual town hall Monday.
Arreguín and Stephens addressed several questions from Berkeley community members regarding the timeline of reopening schools, which is expected to be pushed back several weeks due to the stay-at-home order. They also discussed the potential for hybrid learning and teacher vaccinations. Arreguín emphasized the city’s commitment to opening schools as soon as regional health orders d
Berkeley Unified School District addresses sexual harassment concerns
Sunny Shen/File
According to an email from Berkeley Unified School District, or BUSD, spokesperson Trish McDermott, the district has hired a Title IX coordinator and a Title IX investigator. BUSD has also continued training administrators and updated its “Final Rule” regulations.
Last Updated December 14, 2020
Following student-led protests last spring, Berkeley Unified School District, or BUSD, is working to meet commitments it made to student advocates regarding sexual harassment policies and resources.
In February, Berkeley High School, or BHS, students staged a walkout to call upon BUSD to provide better resources to schools following a negligence lawsuit the month prior. As a result of the protests, BUSD met with student advocates and made commitments to address this issue.
Special ed in the age of COVID-19: ‘The school bus for distance learning came. But it didn’t have a ramp.’
Berkeley Unified has reduced special education services during distance learning. Some parents say this violates federal law.
While many parents at Berkeley Unified say distance learning is going relatively well, 40% who have a student with a disability say that Zoom classes are not working, according to an October survey conducted by the school district. Photo: Annie Spratt on Unsplash
Since schools shut their doors in March, Dalilah’s son has been struggling. When classes moved online, Adam began to despise school. First, he refused to open his computer. Then came the meltdowns.
Berkeley Unified School District, or BUSD, board members unanimously approved a motion to rename Jefferson Elementary School after Ruth Acty at a special meeting Wednesday.
As the district’s first Black teacher, Ruth Acty was chosen by BUSD’s name advisory committee from options that were proposed based on their popularity among students, parents and faculty. According to Natasha Beery, director of the Berkeley Schools Excellence Program, Acty always wanted to be a teacher but faced many obstacles, including the death of her parents.
“As a woman of color, she expands the type of BUSD school names, and she would be the only Ruth Acty Elementary School in the world,” said Grace Kong, former name advisory committee chair and BUSD parent, during the meeting. “As an incredible educator, she really exemplifies what we’re trying to lift up in public education.”
S.F. is embracing a totally new elementary school assignment process. Will it create more diverse classrooms?
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San Francisco Board of Education emergency closed session meeting with health officials at the San Francisco Unified School District to discuss the response to the coronavirus. On Thursday, March 12, 2020. San Francisco, Calif.Jana Asenbrennerova / Special to The ChronicleShow MoreShow Less
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Parents pick up work packets at George Peabody Elementary in San Francisco’s Richmond District on Dec. 9, 2020. The school is among the district’s 73 elementary programs that will have a new schools assignment process starting in 2023.Emily FancherShow MoreShow Less