Linda Maio, via Brad Smith

[Heather Wood]

This email wasn't sent to me, but was forwarded by someone else. Just
thought you should know Linda's concerns about the neighborhood's
safety issues:

Dear Neighbors,



Councilmember Linda Maio recently sent the following message to the
Berkeley Unified School District Board.



-- Brad





TO: BUSD Board



RE: Proposed Community School (CS) at the Adult School



I am away from Berkeley at this writing but wanted to get a message to
you before you voted on placing the CS at the Adult School. As the
Councilmember for the District where the Adult School is located I am
well acquainted with the neighborhood issues regarding locating the
proposed Community School at that site, largely regarding safety.
While we continue to look into that issue, this letter concerns the
quality of the space, and by extension the educational program,
proposed for the CS students.



Recently I was invited to a meeting in the very classroom that has
been proposed to house the CS program. The room is large and has
several offices along its far wall. As I understand it, these offices
are where the 20 – 40 independent study (IS) students will be coming,
once each week for a one hour meeting with an instructor. A large
number of students, one at a time, will open the classroom door each
day and walk through the classroom to get to an office. Each will
leave the same way, through the classroom where, ostensibly,
instruction is taking place.



If indeed this is the case, that much traffic raises questions about
the quality of an educational experience for the up to 15 students who
are in the classroom during school hours. An environment of constant
interruption can hardly contribute to focused study and learning.
Again, if this is the plan, to invite a large number of IS students
into the regular class environment, it is a configuration that would
compromise the environment needed for true study and learning.



Linda Maio

[Charis Kaskiris]

After careful reading of Linda Maio's letter and the way it was disseminated
to us I am starting to have grave concerns regarding our district's
representation at City Hall.

Dissemination Method:
Linda Maio has our group's e-mail address and many of our e-mail addresses
from multiple contacts from us. She represents us and she should have
contacted us directly. Why were we not directly contacted? Are we not part
of district 1? Are we not the ones directly impacted by this issue?

Quality of Space Argument:
The educational content and format of this class is not up to our district
to decide. Making the space suitability an issue not on the merits of
safety, or regarding locating it amongst adults including ex-cons and sex
offenders but that it is ONE classroom is a losing proposition. All the BUSD
needs to do is get two classrooms!

But perhaps this is problem with Linda Maio. She does not represent us; she
represents herself. She makes the argument that a resident of MLK and
Berkeley Way would make; not a resident of San Pablo and Francisco. After
all she did call herself an "educator."

Safety:
Linda Maio will NOT demand anything from the BUSD regarding safety - I hope
she proves me wrong but I don't hold my breath. Her intent is for this to be
her sole input to the issue as she already says "I am away from Berkeley at

this writing but wanted to get a message to you before you voted on placing

the CS at the Adult School." She effectively states that HER concern is
academic even though her CONSTITUENTS' concern is public safety. She even
acknowledge that: "As the Councilmember for the District where the Adult

School is located I am well acquainted with the neighborhood issues
regarding locating the proposed Community School at that site, largely
regarding safety."

So who is Linda Maio really representing?
Do you feel your concerns are adequately addressed or that your position is
represented?

Charis
DO NOT FORWARD OR REPOST WITHOUT PRIOR PERMISSION. COPYRIGHT (c) 2011

Dear Neighbors,

-- Brad

TO: BUSD Board

are where the 20 - 40 independent study (IS) students will be coming,

[jim hrabetin]

Charis,

Thanks for all your info and letter writing.  I hate doing this sort of thing myself.  I hope the use of the word "starting" in reference to your concerns about Lida Maio was rhetorical.  Linda is long overdue for dethroning and her arrogant, self serving dynasty needs to be dismantled.  She does not fight for the people she is suppose to represent and has never listened to the concerns or acted on the behalf of the people in our neighborhood. 

I really like your focus on safety, as that avenue is one area she could utilize in trying to influence this decision.  Folks brought up the same point when the BAS was rammed down our throats, but she refused to make an issue of it.  Her response was that this is a BUSD matter and our only influence was at the voting booth.  Our house was burglarized just over a year after the start up of BAS, very much traumatizing my 4.5 year old son and my wife.  I was out of town, as is often the case, and this fact too, serves to bolster my concern for the current action by BUSD.

I fear once again that this matter will be out of our scope of influence.  One of the major problems w/ Ms. Maio is that no one remotely qualified ever runs against her.  Whether or not the neighborhood is successful in altering the BUSD decision, maybe this community school debacle will be the impetus to organize an effort to expel LM as our "representative".  Many neighbors, you, Heather, others have done great research and posted informative data.  You have written thoughtful, intelligent, articulate and broad minded letters that kept all of us well informed about your actions and this ongoing debate.  Imagine if we had a city council representative that did anywhere near as much to help the community as you folks have done.  Now I realize that to us regular folks, who might where tennis shoes or an occasional python boot, might find nothing more repellent than running for political office, but were any of you to step up to the plate, you would have my enthusiastic support. 

Of course we need to get rid of most of the school board as well.  As one with a degree in education, I have blindly supported every measure to throw money at the school district that has come to vote in the last 30 years.  I hate to say, for me those days are gone.  I can no longer support a school district/board that operates with such negligent indifference to the concerns of the community and neighborhoods in which they operate (to say nothing of the safety and well being of the kids trying to get an education by attending our schools).   I guess that's another battle though.

Thanks for all your work,

Jim Hrabetin
Virginia St.