Further Problems with BUSD and BAS

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Charis Kaskiris

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Jun 29, 2011, 3:12:15 AM6/29/11
to Maio, Linda, bas-acc...@googlegroups.com

Dear Linda,

I want to raise further concerns with the way BUSD contacts itself with regards to the premises on 1701 San Pablo (currently the Berkeley Adult School). A week ago we were informed that while the Adult School is closed for the summer, the premises will be used by 125 middle-school students for a 5-week summer program. This was dumped on us without any prior information or action item appearing in any of the BUSD Board meeting agendas! This was even “decided” while the BUSD tried to sneak the CDS/Independent Study alchemy project at BAS without any public participation (until they were caught).

The bigger issue however is that as neighbors we feel that we have to deal with an entity that changes business models, scope of work, and patterns of operation depending on the season. Had they being a private enterprise the City Council wouldn’t have allowed them to operate the way they do (each business would require a different permit!!). It is my belief they would have gotten the same treatment from the city as the U-Haul has 4 blocks from BAS. The current BUSD approach of just dumping whatever facilities problem they have into our neighborhood and into our businesses (there are at least 20 landlords around BAS) is highly problematic as it interferes with our privacy, peaceful residence, impacts our conduct of free enterprise and through impact on crime rates affects our property values. Programs on the premises are disrupting the neighborhood either at night with the Adult School or during the day with 125 least academically inclined middle-school kids or with had BUSD’s failed attempt (so far) to locate high-risk youngsters in a CDS on the same facilities. What is next?

What I see in the BUSD minutes is an acknowledgement that adult education needs are shrinking (http://www.berkeley.net/uploads/school_board/2011spring/05-11-11_minutes.pdf) and that most of the instruction at BAS is by contractors (http://www.berkeley.net/uploads/school_board/2011spring/03-09-11_minutes.pdf) which begs the question what is BUSD’s long-term plan with the 1701 San Pablo location?

 

Burr Guthrie, principal of the Berkeley Adult School, recently informed us that in the coming months a middle-school summer program (125 kids) will be run at BAS. I was further personally informed by Mr. Guthrie that the request by BUSD came in May 2011 in response to on-going roofing projects at Middle School sites. On June 13 Mr. Guthrie posted on the BAS Blog that this 5 week program will be located at BAS. Going through minutes of BUSD meetings these projects are expected to be completed in September 2011. What is absent from the BUSD board meetings is any information/action item that pertains to this summer middle school kids program being run at BAS. As such the BUSD has selectively and deliberately EXCLUDED public participation.

Then I inquired with the BUSD board and posed the following questions:

·          Was this summer program at BAS planned all along in the original roofing proposals?

·          Why wasn’t the community informed especially given how poorly the CDS proposal was handled with respect to the community impacted?

·          A summer school principal (Who is s/he?)

·          No information on whether the cafeteria will be operational or whether the cafeteria can really support 125 kids.

·         Don’t you think that restricting entry point access to the school on a small street like this will require safety officers as it increased the risk of accidents?

·         Have you made a provision for such an officer?

·         Is the campus going to be a closed campus?

·         What are your provisions for respecting the integrity of the Community Garden that is on the premises?

·         As we asked many times before where is the plan/proposal for this program?

·         Can you provide me with the written plan for this summer program? Since these kids will be roaming in my front yard all summer long I think it is highly appropriate to share it.

Furthermore, during the May 11, 2011 BUSD board meeting John Selawsky kept asking to locate at-risk middle-schoolers on the CDS. Sheila Jordan advised Selawsky that these kids are too young to be located in a CDS. Effectively John Selawsky presented evidence that there is a pressing problem with middle school at-risk youth. Are any of these kids in this summer program part of the group that John Selawsky was referring to?

·         Are you knowingly locating at-risk youth at BAS for the summer?

The response I got: “Unfortunately, I do not have answers to many of the questions you've raised. I do know that the summer school will not house "at-risk" students, but is instead being offered to kids who need additional academic support to facilitate promotion to the next grade level. I am hopeful that district staff  will respond promptly to your other programming/logistics questions.”  Leah Wilson (Sunday, June 26, 2011 5:20 PM)

 

The questions I posed were predominately operational and with the program is starting next week it is disturbing there are no answers to most of my questions.

 

If the BUSD wants to work like this that is their problem and of the people who voted them in. However, as far as the business practices of BUSD do impact the peaceful living of city residents I would expect some corrective action against BUSD the same way corrective action was taken against U-Haul on San Pablo.

 

Thank you,

 

Charis Kaskiris

 

 

 

 

 

Charis Kaskiris

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Jun 30, 2011, 3:40:59 AM6/30/11
to bas-acc...@googlegroups.com

Here is the response I got from Linda Maio’s office.

 

Charis

 

From: Maio, Linda [mailto:LM...@ci.berkeley.ca.us]
Sent: Wednesday, June 29, 2011 1:55 PM
To: cha...@kaskiris.com
Subject: RE: Further Problems with BUSD and BAS

 

I will pass your email along to Councilmember Maio for information purposes.

Thank you,

 

Nicole Drake
Legislative Aide, District 1
Office of Councilmember Linda Maio
(510) 981-7110

Erika Kemp

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Jun 30, 2011, 12:43:33 PM6/30/11
to bas-acc...@googlegroups.com
Maybe we should try to schedule an appt. with her. Then a group of us can go and ask questions and get answers in real time. We can send the list of questions and an agenda in advance to make the meeting as productive as possible. Thoughts? I would be happy to organize this.

- Erika
--
Erika Kemp
1641 Kains Avenue, Berkeley CA 94702
510-295-9308
erikasmi...@gmail.com


CHRISTINA TWOREK

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Jun 30, 2011, 8:40:35 PM6/30/11
to bas-acc...@googlegroups.com
Charis,

Referring to the remarks (in your Linda Maio letter) from BUSD Board minutes regarding "Adult School needs are shrinking" and that "most of the instruction at BAS is by contractors": to clarify--

•A statewide situation with Adult Schools is that each District may now choose to take any or all of the state money given for Adult Schools and put that money into the K-12 system. This has been going on about 
2 1/2 years. In addition BAS is now charging tuition for ESL classes when none was charged before. Citizenship classes--part of ESL, for example, are no longer taught. So the state money is shrinking and therefore the number of classes is shrinking. AND students are being charged for classes which have been free. Are the needs shrinking or ????

•As an adult school teacher who has taught in the ESL departments of three local public Adult Schools during the past 11 years, I have not been a "contractor" but an employee of the school districts for whom I've worked. I can't believe that BAS is any different.

However, I, too wonder what the long term plan for BAS is at its present location.......and what the long term plan is for the property currently known as BAS, formerly Franklin Elementary School.

Tina Tworek


From: Charis Kaskiris <cha...@kaskiris.com>
To: bas-acc...@googlegroups.com
Sent: Thu, June 30, 2011 12:40:59 AM

Charis Kaskiris

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Jun 30, 2011, 10:18:41 PM6/30/11
to bas-acc...@googlegroups.com

Hello Tina,

 

My concern is that the current situation where any *problem* BUSD is transferred to the 1701 San Pablo facility. The problem is that all different programs run have different impact on the neighborhood as a whole. It is different to have adults, middle school kids, elementary school kids, etc. Heck for all we know the facility could turn into a research facility for BP for all we know.

 

I do agree however that the BUSD conclusion that “Adult School needs are shrinking” may not based on facts but rather on funding issues as you point out. Note that the reason they were mentioning it was for changing Burr Guthrie’s title to Principal, Adult and Career Education effectively turning the Principal of the Adult School to also be the leader of Career Technical Education. Does that mean that at some point the current facility will turn into CTE facility (based on BUSD’s comment: ” This lines up well with the growing needs in CTE and the shrinking needs in adult education.”)

 

Does that mean a satellite BTECH?

 

That is why I believe it is important to organize as neighbors and demand planning, analysis and accountability.

 

Charis

Charis Kaskiris

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Jul 1, 2011, 12:40:26 AM7/1/11
to bas-acc...@googlegroups.com

Hello Erika.

 

I think it will be productive if we have a consistent set of questions to ask and consistent set of actions we want to be taken. We might want to do some homework before we contact her as her staff Nicole) is useless at doing any work.

 

Maio can represent us or we can represent ourselves. The most effective way to do the later is by incorporating an organization that does so. I suggest that we try to approach the rest of the neighbors. I think the name BAS and Accountable have served their original purpose well however in order to attract the interest and support of the neighbors it needs to be an organization that is interested in supporting the neighborhood, supporting the neighbors, and even helping organize neighborhood community events.

 

That way we are not solely dependent on our district representative at City Hall even though BUSD board members do “respect” her opinion endorsement.

 

Please share your thoughts.

 

Charis

Erika Kemp Smith

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Jul 1, 2011, 1:04:25 AM7/1/11
to bas-acc...@googlegroups.com
Hi - I agree that a consistent list of questions to be answered and a plan to be implemented is pretty critical. Would love to come together in person as a group to discuss exactly what those should be. Ideally, we can bounce around ideas via email, do our research and then hammer down the details of a specific plan in person at a community meeting (we are happy to try and host - or we can see about Cafe Leila after hours if we have a big turnout.)

While I agree that Councilwoman Maio is a less than ideal representative (I campaigned for and voted for another candidate during her re-election run last November), in my opinion (and I speak for no one but myself) I would like to see our group work with the Councilwoman as much as possible. I feel that if we go to her with a solid, well thought out proposal then it's a boon if she supports us and if not, we move on to find other supporters. 

I agree that we should try to fold more neighbors into these issues and would love to also bounce around some ideas for outreach. I am happy to knock on doors and get support from fellow neighbors, however I feel we need a solid, easily digestible message that transcends the variations in our individual points of view (or is "greater than the sum of its parts.") Again, I think this is something that can be developed over the coming weeks via email dialog (thanks to a great suggestion by Jamie Day I'm actually trying to develop a forum on the blog for just this type of conversation) and then solidified in an in-person meeting.

Would love to hear feedback from others on this list - does anyone else have an opinion on next steps?

And thanks Charis for your unwavering passion and focus on this issue - you have definitely been a big beacon shining light on these issues and your contributions have truly been invaluable!

Best wishes, Erika

Heather Wood

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Jul 12, 2011, 11:18:49 PM7/12/11
to BAS Accountable
Erika, sorry it's taken me so long to reply. I think we really need to
group as an entire community with an internet Forum so that we can
keep the dialog open. we need to organize a neighborhood watc, and we
all have to stay abreast of what the School Board and BUSD are doing,
via ongoing dialogue and staying "up" on the Board meetings. We need
to be involved as an enthire community and use the weight of our votes
as leverage to keep our representatives in-line with our well-being.

I am disappointed with Maio's lack of responsiveness to our concerns
and using Nicole as her firewall. Maio doesn't even read her own
emails. Whatever is deemed worthy is forwarded to her by Nicole. This
just shows a complete lack of interest from her office.

Burr Guthrie's changing role at the Adult School should give us some
ideas about where the school is moving -- and that is, away from open
adult education. What that means, exactly, I do not know. We need to
arrange a meeting, individually or as a group, with him when he
returns from summer break.

There's a lot we can do, but we need to organize and it will take a
lot more involvement than the few of us who are vocal and available to
have any power.

As I think things out, we can talk about things.

Peace,
Heather

On Jun 30, 10:04 pm, Erika Kemp Smith <erikasmithdes...@gmail.com>
wrote:
> > What I see in the BUSD minutes is an acknowledgement that adult education needs are shrinking (http://www.berkeley.net/uploads/school_board/2011spring/05-11-11_minu...) and that most of the instruction at BAS is by contractors (http://www.berkeley.net/uploads/school_board/2011spring/03-09-11_minu...) which begs the question what is BUSD’s long-term plan with the 1701 San Pablo location?
>
> > Burr Guthrie, principal of the Berkeley Adult School, recently informed us that in the coming months a middle-school summer program (125 kids) will be run at BAS. I was further personally informed by Mr. Guthrie that the request by BUSD came in May 2011 in response to on-going roofing projects at Middle School sites. On June 13 Mr. Guthrie posted on the BAS Blog that this 5 week program will be located at BAS. Going through minutes of BUSD meetings these projects are expected to be completed in September 2011. What is absent from the BUSD board meetings is any information/action item that pertains to this summer middle school kids program being run at BAS. As such the BUSD has selectively and deliberately EXCLUDED public participation.
>
> > Then I inquired with the BUSD board and posed the following questions:
>
> > ·          Was this summer program at BAS planned all along in the original roofing proposals?
>
> > ·          Why wasn’t the community informed especially given how poorly the CDS proposal was handled with respect to the community impacted?
>
> > ·          A summer school principal (Who is s/he?)
>
> > ·          No information on whether the cafeteria will be operational or whether the cafeteria can really support 125 kids.
>
> > ·         Don’t you think that restricting entry point access to the school on a small street like this will require safety officers as it increased the risk of accidents?
>
> > ·         Have you made a provision for such an officer?
>
> > ·         Is the campus going to be a closed campus?
>
> > ·         What are your provisions for respecting the integrity of the Community Garden that is on the premises?
>
> > ·         As we asked many times before where is the plan/proposal for this program?
>
> > ·         Can you provide me with the written plan for this summer program? Since these kids will be roaming in my front yard all summer long I think it is highly appropriate to share it.
>
> > Furthermore, during the May 11, 2011 BUSD board meeting John Selawsky kept asking to locate at-risk middle-schoolers on the CDS. Sheila Jordan advised Selawsky that these kids are too young to be located in a CDS. Effectively John Selawsky presented evidence that there is a pressing problem with middle school at-risk youth. Are any of these kids in this summer program part of the group that John Selawsky was referring to?
>
> > ·         Are you knowingly locating at-risk youth at BAS for the summer?
>
> > The response I got: “Unfortunately, I do not have answers to many of the questions you've raised. I do know that the summer school will not house "at-risk" students, but is instead being offered to kids who need additional academic support to facilitate promotion to the next grade level. I am hopeful that district staff  will respond promptly to your other programming/logistics questions.”  Leah Wilson (Sunday, June 26, 2011 5:20 PM)
>
> > The questions I posed were predominately operational and with the program is starting next week it is disturbing there are no answers to most of my questions.
>
> > If the BUSD wants to work like this that is their problem and of the people who voted them in. However, as far as the business practices of BUSD do impact the peaceful living of city residents I would expect some corrective action against BUSD the same way corrective action was taken against U-Haul on San Pablo.
>
> > Thank you,
>
> > Charis Kaskiris
>
> > --
> > Erika Kemp
> > 1641 Kains Avenue, Berkeley CA 94702
> > 510-295-9308
> > erikasmithdes...@gmail.com
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