Tempers flare over Berkeley High gun reforms - Article by Doug Oakley

[Heather Wood]

A school board discussion on what to do about guns being brought to
Berkeley's two high schools turned red hot Wednesday night when
trustees and a parent complained the district is taking too much time
and drifting from the issue.

That prompted a tense response from school district Superintendent
Bill Huyett.

"This isn't fair, it's not fair to our staff," Huyett said, his voice
rising. "We're not drifting. Our work is very specific. We've done
exactly what the school board asked us to do."

Seven students have been arrested and recommended for expulsion at
Berkeley High School and Berkeley Technology Academy between Jan. 1
and March 21. In the last incident, a student fired a gun in a
bathroom at Berkeley High. No one was injured.

By contrast, just one student was expelled from Berkeley High for
bringing a gun to school last year, according to the California
Department of Education.

During a presentation on what the district has done to address the
problem, board members Leah Wilson and Karen Hemphill raised questions
about the time it is taking the district to come up with solutions.
During a public comment period, parent Scott Tolmie also was critical
of the administration.

"At the April 13 school board meeting the superintendent and principal
of Berkeley High agreed measures would be immediate and that included
changing access to Advertisement the school and having ID badges,"
Tolmie said.

"Nothing has happened, there are no ID badges and anyone can walk on
to campus, nobody is watching. You said it would happen in a few days.
It's been six weeks and nothing has happened."

During a presentation by Director of Student Services Susan Craig on
what the district is doing, Hemphill said she was expecting action
sooner.

"The community was looking for a plan, immediate steps, and I meant
this year or as soon as possible," Hemphill said. "Our safety
committee we formed is saying attendance is poor, the group is adrift.
There are number of issues being raised by members."

Huyett called that statement "political."

"I want Berkeley to hear this," Huyett said. "If we want to solve the
problem, we need to be engaged. The district has responded
exceptionally well. If they think the committee is drifting, let them
say that in committee. We have done exactly what we were asked to do:
come up with a plan by the end of the year and form a committee and
give you updates every other week."

Wilson said she thought district staff was specifically supposed to
look at the issue of guns and what to do about them, "and now it
appears we are tackling many issues around the broader incidence of I
don't know what, bullying and violence, and I'm not sure what this
committee is doing."

Craig said since the last gun incident, Berkeley High School has
locked one gate permanently to restrict access to the campus and has
fixed a second gate so that students can only go out. A third gate is
locked after 8:45 a.m. and a fourth gate was fixed and locked. And the
school has posted staff at all the gates during morning and afternoon,
she added.

She said the school board will have specific items to vote on at its
June 29 meeting including mandatory uniforms for school security
guards, new procedures for visitors to the school, security staffing,
identification badges, student dress codes and partially closing the
campus.

Craig also said Berkeley police trained Berkeley High security guards
Wednesday in emergency communication and search and seizure protocols.

The committee, she said, also has looked at three years of suspension
data at Berkeley High and compared it to other schools and it has
compared the ratio of safety officers to the number of students to
other schools.

[Charis Kaskiris]

Notably: "Seven students have been arrested and recommended for expulsion at

Berkeley High School and Berkeley Technology Academy between Jan. 1 and
March 21. In the last incident, a student fired a gun in a bathroom at
Berkeley High. No one was injured."

That means that at least 7 of the expelled students to be located in the
Community School are because they know how to illegally procure, conceal and
carry weapons. They have also been arrested in possession of guns; in other
words they are criminals.

This is a fact not perception.

Charis

[Heather Wood]

Indeed, Charis -- you are right! This is how all of this type of
material ties in. Additionally, the lack of proactivity on the part
of the BUSD to ensure future safety at Berkeley High should give us
further pause for reflection about what they or ACOE would do when
problems arise as a result of these students being transferred into
the Adult School. Huyett's defensive posturing is indicative of how
much he appears to simply want this problem to "go away". Like to our
neighborhood and out of the spotlight.

The link to the article is here: http://www.insidebayarea.com/crime-courts/ci_18146428?source=rss

[LauraM]

I would add that according to local press coverage Susan Craig,
student services director, claims probation officers check in at BHS/
B-Tech daily. We now know from BUSD board meeting minutes that at
least two of the students were on probation, contrary to earlier
reports denying probation status. We also know that the most effective
means of removing illegal weapons off the street is by using legal
searches of supervised felons in community corrections. We also know
that CA communities will continue to experience substantial increases
in both juveniles and adults offenders placed in community corrections
programs rather than spend time in jail. It is imperative that
supervision programs improve their effectiveness and capacity. The
fact that at least two probated teens carried a weapon onto campus
exposes the need to improve practices. (refer to the Chief letter to
Supt and board listing recommended practices for school security)

Regarding the statement by Supt Huyett suggesting political
motivations were involved in Hemphill complaints, this is not far from
the facts. Hemphill and Wilson are both school board candidates
promoted by BOCA, UIA and PCAD.
BOCA is now the lead political organization unifying the three groups
efforts, they are in the second year advocating for funding their
latest idea. They are doing so outside of the usual funding process
for CBO (Community Based Organizations) which was completed at city
council last month. BOCA is once again behaving as if they deserve
special status, the program they discussed at the school board was
vague and not focused on the critical administrative issues relevant
to BHS security failures. Pastor McBride did include in his comments
references to truancy problems. ( I have presented at the city/school
2x2 meetings models for truancy reduction programs several times,
2002- 2006.) The city and school does not need to fund yet another
CBO to discuss the implementation of a truancy reduction program, the
police dept has presented the district with a recommendation that fits
Berkeley needs. Just do it!

here is a link to an article describing the school board meeting from
BOCA advocates.
"BOCA Presented Lifelines to Healing at the Berkeley School Board"
http://www.berkeleyboca.org/news?id=0006

I do not believe the district is on the right track nor is BOCA. Being
the former chair of ROC neighborhood group covering the beat
surrounding McGee Ave Baptist church I am very familiar with important
discrepancies in their claims.

[Oakley, Doug]

Hey Laura,

I've received your calls and e-mails in the last two weeks. My mom died a couple of weeks ago so I haven't been ignoring you out of meanness. Just out of the loop. Getting back to work now at half speed!

Doug Oakley
Berkeley Reporter
Bay Area News Group
510-843-1408

[LauraM]

Doug,

Sorry to hear about your mom's death. Moms are wonderful!

As to the story I suggested to you and all the other local reporters,
no one bothered to cover the issue. The school board approved funding,
the council is in process, and BOCA will continue to enjoy its favored
status and "friendship" with both agencies, along with the ability to
request funding for vague and questionable initiatives outside of the
standard, competitive RFP process.

On Jun 13, 9:15 am, "Oakley, Doug" <doak...@bayareanewsgroup.com>
wrote:

>  winmail.dat
> 9KViewDownload

[Charis Kaskiris]

I think Doug's e-mail addy did not go through.