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
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
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
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