On Tuesday, Oct. 8, 2024, the Berkeley High School Civic Leaders Club hosted a School Board candidate forum in BHS’s Little Theater. The event was hosted from 5:30 p.m. until 6:45 p.m. This forum allowed the candidates to give opening statements about their goals if elected, and answer questions submitted by the Berkeley students and community. Club leader Eva Levenson opened the forum, followed by the moderators and club leadership team, Winta Clark, Berkeley Unified School District's Students School Board Representative, and Jules Droz, BHS Civic Leaders Club Vice President.
The 2024 School Board Director candidates are Laura Babitt and Ana Vasudeo, seeking re-election, as well as Abdur Sikdur, Jen Corn, and Norma J.F. Harrison. They were asked questions on topics such as achievement gaps, budget cuts, sexual harm, and more.
“I am running for re-election to keep championing your concerns," said Laura Babitt at the forum.” As the proud parent of three daughters who attended Berkeley’s public schools and as a long-time volunteer, I deeply understand the issues and care for all our students, families, teachers, and staff," reads her website (laurababitt.com).
Jen Corn worked in Berkeley public schools as a teacher at Sylvia Mendez Elementary, a literary coach at Rosa Parks Elementary, and principal at Oxford and Thousand Oaks Elementary for 13 years. She is currently working for Oakland schools as the Director of School Improvement. “My many years of experience in education mean that I am uniquely prepared to anticipate how the school board's budget, program, and policy decisions are actually going to play out in your classrooms,” said Corn in her opening statements. Corn is married to Sarah Cline, co-director of BHS's Jazz Program.
“My position is that all people who have an issue on the ballot should be able to vote regardless of age, incarceration status, citizenship, and all other means they have of keeping people off of the ballot,” said Norma J.F. Harrison at the panel. Harrison is a “Born-again communist, fundamentalist Marxist, and devout atheist” according to her X profile. She has run for the school board elections many times before, beginning in 2010, and is 89 years old.
Abdul Sikder is currently an educator at San Francisco State University. He teaches computer science and business and has attended schools all around the world. He ran for school board in 2018, and Congress in 2022, basing his campaign on “empowering American youth” according to his website (drsikderforcongress.com).
“I'm honored to seek re-election to serve on the Berkeley School Board,” said Ana Vasudeo, “I've worked hard for our students in schools.” Vasudeo focused on safety, budget, and improving engagement for Latinx students in BUSD.
When asked, “Why do you think you would be an essential voice on the School Board? In addition, what unique qualities and experiences would you bring to the Board?” each candidate was given one minute and thirty seconds to answer.
Sikdur said, "I have a very diverse educational background and knowledge and expertise to make efficient decisions."
Babitt said, "I have a proven track record of advocacy, which has changed the scope, direction, and quality of programs implemented within BUSD."
Vasudeo said, "I have been a homeless student, I have been an English language learner, I have been a kid that was told I would never graduate from college, and I surpassed everyone's expectations in my life."
Corn said, "I'm the only K-12 educator in this race. I've spent the last 30 years of my life working in public schools, about half of that working in Berkeley public schools. I've implemented well-intentioned decisions, some of which played out exactly as they were meant to, and others that didn't, because the people on the school board didn't actually have a sense of how things work on the ground in schools."
Harrison said, "We need to end age segregation, there's no reason for it, it's a custom. Everybody does it that way."
This year is the first year that Berkeley students 16 and 17 years old will be able to vote in the school board elections after Measure Y1 was passed back in 2018. This was the first ever BUSD School board forum sponsored by and aimed at BHS students.