BHS attendance policy introduces detention, Saturday School
This year, Berkeley High school has initiated the Academic Intervention Program, as well as the implementation of new detention and tardy policies.
Traditional school drawbacks highlighted in transfers to BIS
“Of all the bad things that COVID shed the light on in our education system, the one good thing there are kids out there that can thrive in an alternative learning environment,” said Tamara Mays, mother of students in Berkeley Independent Studies.
School board: SLP assessments and parking lot construction
On Wednesday, September 7, The Berkeley Unified School District School Board convened, discussing compensation for teachers writing recommendation letters, speech language pathologist assessment limits, the 2021-22 Unaudited Actuals, and the Milvia Street Project. During the public comment section of the meeting, several teachers spoke about the need to either financially compensate teachers for
Balancing jobs and school strains students
In the fourth grade, Tyler Blue, now a senior at Berkeley High School, got his first job, and he’s been working ever since. “With my family circumstances, I’ve been doing any and everything to make a quick dollar,” Blue said. “My job was stuff on the street … I did
New Universal Meals Program: BHS free school lunch continues
As a result of California’s new “Universal Meals Program”, designed to expand on the federal National Lunch Program and School Breakfast Program, Berkeley High School, during the 2022-23 school year, will continue offering two free meals to all students every day regardless of family income. According to the Berkeley Unified School District Director of Nutrition
BUSD School Board discusses Bridge Program, new tardy policy, teacher recommendations, and mask enforcement
On Wednesday, August 24, the Berkeley Unified School District School Board convened, discussing topics including staff shortages within the Bridge Program, mask enforcement, new contracts for teachers, and the new tardy policy at Berkeley High School.
People’s Park must remain crucial pillar of Berkeley community
Berkeley’s very foundation as a city is rooted in activism on behalf of marginalized people. Since it’s revolutionary protests surrounding the anti-War, Free Speech, and Civil Rights movements of the 1960s, Berkeley has remained a haven for those fighting for a more equitable and peaceful world.
Meet Enikia Ford Morthel: Berkeley’s New Superintendent
The district’s superintendent of three years, Brent Stephens, announced he was leaving Berkeley Unified School District this spring. Since then, the search for a successor led to one finalist, Enikia Ford Morthel, the deputy superintendent of instruction in the San Francisco school district.
BHS Stop Harassing Presents to Middle Schoolers on Consent
On April 26, the Berkeley High School Stop Harassing organization began their consent education presentations to Berkeley Unified School District middle schools.
School Board Covers Teacher’s Wages, BSEP Budget
On Wednesday, May 4, Berkeley Unified School District’s School Board met to discuss growing class sizes, wages among teachers, and the Berkeley Schools Excellence Program’s budget. After acknowledging Asian American and Pacific Islander History Month, the board opened up the microphone for public comment, with nine members of the webinar sharing their thoughts.
Berkeley High Fosters Positivity For Students With Disabilities
“[The disabled community] brings unique experiences, ways of thinking, and talents. It can take additional time to get to know some students, but it’s worth it,” said Josh Austin, a teacher and education specialist at Berkeley High School. Roughly 320 students at BHS have Individual Education Plans, which focus on meeting the diverse
Berkeley Reparations Process Must Work to Counter Systemic Racism in Schools
On March 22, Ben Bartlett, a Black Berkeley resident and city council member, initiated the first formal step in issuing reparations to Black residents in the city of Berkeley.
‘Our Monologues’ Show Highlights Underrepresented Stories
One word echoed throughout the performances of Our Monologues: “amalgamation.” Amalgamation was not only heard, but also seen: an amalgamation of voices, ideas, and identities appeared onstage, a multicultural melange of stories that left audiences laughing and crying.
School Board Discusses Budget and Virtual Academy
Berkeley Unified School District community members gathered on Wednesday, April 13 for a school board meeting. Topics of discussion ranged from the plan to close BUSD’s virtual academy, an online school option for BUSD students, to a presentation on takeaways from a community survey on budget priorities.
Berkeley Community Reacts to Incident of Anti-Semitic Flyers
North Berkeley families were the latest targets of the Goyim Defense League, a hate group run out of Petaluma, California. On the morning of Sunday, February 20, hundreds of North Berkeley residents awoke to find plastic baggies carrying anti-Semitic flyers containing messages blaming Jewish people for COVID-19.
The Age of Achievement: Emphasis on Prodigy Hurts High-Achieving Kids
By age five, Dylan Heinstein was already topping podiums at national snowboarding competitions within a year of starting the sport. By age ten, Heinstein was driving seven hours each way to and from Mammoth Mountain every week to train during the winter season.
School Board Covers VAPA Equity, Special Education at 2/16 Meeting
The Berkeley Unified School District School Board met on February 16 to discuss Visual and Performing Arts equity challenges, the special education program, and new COVID-19 protocols.
How Berkeley Elementary Schools Are Celebrating Black History Month
With the beginning of February comes the question of how Black History Month will be approached by Berkeley Unified School District, particularly during the first year back in-person since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. In past years, Black History Month in BUSD differed depending on the student’s grade level, school, and teacher.