Teachers

An illustration of a handshake with the word fiction in a box and a turkey behind the handshake.

Teachers combat the misrepresentation of  Thanksgiving’s history 

News

At Berkeley High School, as Thanksgiving approaches, history teachers grapple with how to go about teaching the authentic history of Thanksgiving and how to educate their students on the experiences of Indigenous peoples in general.

A photo of a substitute teacher with a backdrop of a map of the world.

Why  do substitute teachers at BHS do it?

Features

Many students at Berkeley High School see substitute teachers around campus on a daily basis. Substitute teachers are a vital part of ensuring that teachers are able to take days off when they need to, and students are able to continue their learning, even in the absence of a teacher.

Jill Moniz teaches at Cragmont Elementary

Teachers across Berkeley take on second jobs to make ends meet

News

With the cost of living steadily increasing throughout the country, many teachers rely on second jobs during summer break to make ends meet. According to federal data from the 2020-21 school year, 16.8 percent of public school teachers work second jobs outside of the school system in addition to teaching.

Karl Kaku juggles work on multiple computers at his classroom desk.

Low pay, mental toll: Examining the ramifications of office hours on teachers

News

“The days I’ve saved for tutoring, I usually finish at about 4:45 p.m. or 5 p.m. and then I either have to drive an hour home or I have to take BART, which takes an hour as well.

A pill bottle

Teachers at BHS grapple with rising healthcare costs

News

Healthcare insurance costs increase yearly, and are expected to rise by 3.5 percent for Berkeley Unified School District teachers next year, according to Mollie Blustein, a teacher at Cragmont Elementary School and Berkeley High School graduate, who spoke at a recent school board meeting.

How Have Substitute Teachers Handled Online School?

Features

“Substitutes replaced teachers when teachers couldn’t get to school because they were either at home with their kids or on a field trip,” explained Huseyin Kulunk, a long-time Berkeley High School substitute teacher.

School Board Meeting Covers Reopening Plans, Anti-Asian Violence

News

The March 24 Berkeley Unified School District school board meeting included conversations about school reopening in the fall, possible reopenings later this school year, and the spike in violence against the Asian American and Pacific Islander community that has been observed over the past months.

How the Maternity Leave Policy at BHS is Impacting Teachers

Features

In January of 2019, Berkeley International High School Vice Principal Carrie Berg went on parental leave for the birth of her son. The policy at the time stated that Berg would receive differential pay; the difference in salary of what she would’ve been paid versus what her replacement got.

The Berkeley Adult School

Berkeley Adult School Parking Lot to be Converted to BUSD Staff Housing

News

On Wednesday, February 17, the Berkeley Unified School District board made the decision to approve the parking lot of the Berkeley Adult School for a new initiative that would build as many as 110 homes for BUSD staff.  The cost of living in Berkeley, California, is 80 percent higher than the national average, according

Teachers Combat Increased Temptation of Academic Dishonesty

Features

This year’s model of schooling from home has turned students’ worlds upside down. Homework has drastically increased to fit the shortened amount of class time at Berkeley High School, and with lack of monitoring from teachers, cheating on assignments is now easier than ever.