The Berkeley Unified School District School Board meeting on Nov. 20, 2024 began with Superintendent Enikia Ford Morthel's comments on the new mural on the corner of Bonar St. and University Ave, a land recognition of Ohlone Land. The mural is a collaboration between BUSD’s Ethnic Studies initiative, Sogorea Te’ Land Trust, Villages of Lisjan Nation, and Berkeley High School’s Native Student Union. "I encourage you not to pass by quickly but just to stop and allow yourself to be still and absorb and feel the energy, the positivity, and the love that I believe exudes from that particular mural. Thank you to all of those who brought that to life," Ford Morthel said.
Next was an opening for public comments, during which a BHS senior shared his acceptance to the University of Alabama through the College Bound program and thanked them for the opportunities it had provided him. In addition, another BHS student, Teiji Lackey, spoke about how the College Bound program educated him on opportunities post-high school, and his mother thanked the School Board for bringing the program to BHS.
"College Bound is a program that centers around college readiness for students all across California. The program provides services such as college readiness classes, financial literacy, and college opportunities. College Bound provides a safe space not only for Black students but a diverse range of students from all ages, backgrounds, and ethnicities," Zariyah King, ASB President and a BHS student in her third year of the College Bound program, said. These students advocated for the program's continuation in the Berkeley community and showed how important it is to them.
Multiple representatives from Latinos Unidos de Berkeley spoke. Latinos Unidos de Berkeley is "a grassroots community organization that looks to advocate, empower, and bring representation to the needs Latinos, Latinas, and Latinxs living and working in Berkeley," according to their Facebook group. These representatives, on behalf of Latinos Unidos, spoke of how they advocated for and supported the Latinx resolution, "in support of the achievement and success of all Latinx Students in Berkeley Unified School District." This resolution was approved and adopted by the school board on June 2, 2021. At the meeting, Marina Cruz spoke of Latinos Unidos advocacy for the Director of Equity, Achievement, and Belonging, and how the position is no longer being filled, with no explanation. This position's goal was to oversee targeted equity programs, such as the Latinx resolution, and bridge gaps in achievement among minorities in the district.
Cruz spoke at the meeting, advocating for a full-time Office of Family Engagement and Equity (OFEE) bilingual position that is currently part-time. Additionally, she asked for the Latinx graduation for the upcoming BHS graduates to be funded by the district and for better support for the Puente Project counselors. Puente (or Bridge) is a program made to help disadvantaged students "enroll in four-year colleges, earn degrees, and return to the community as leaders and mentors for future generations," according to berkeleyschools.net.
BHS student October Hertenstein spoke to recognize Transgender Day of Remembrance and to ask the district to maintain equity in supporting transgender students. They read a poem in remembrance of a student who passed away.
Once public comments were closed, district committees and unions were allowed to make comments., Rebecca Levenson spoke about the Gender Equity and Sexual Harassment Advisory Committee (GESHAC) and the ongoing harassment of transgender students. Levenson said, "As we think about how we're going to proceed, I want to make sure we are supporting the things that are essential."
The meeting then followed with Board Member and Superintendent comments, the consent calendar, a discussion of the Latinx resolution board update and African American Success Framework, and closed with an additional public comment segment and extended board member comments.