[BHS etree] BUSD: Letter from Superintendent on BHS Redesign Plan

[bhs at idiom.com]

PLEASE DO NOT REPLY to the etree, contact Mark Coplan
[mailto:Mark_Coplan at berkeley.k12.ca.us]

January 12, 2009
BHS Redesign: Worthy Changes, Fiscal Challenges

From: William Huyett, Superintendent, Berkeley Unified School District

The Berkeley High Redesign Plan has many attributes that change the school structure in order to make the programs more engaging, relevant, and meaningful to more students. While many students thrive at BHS, many others do not. I appreciate the school's conscientious effort and courage that went into developing and proposing this plan. Advisories, an 8-period day -- these are good things that can positively impact students' school performance and are consistent with the 2020 Vision to improve educational outcomes for all Berkeley students. However, it is important to recognize the challenges involved in implementing change at a time when the state is making severe cuts to the district budget.

This letter provides a quick summary of the advantages of the redesign and identifies the barriers in cost and implementation that the School Governance Committee and the Board of Education must consider when they pass judgment on the plan.

The Redesign Plan calls for a new four-year graduation requirement of Advisory Class and Community Access Period. These have great potential to broaden and make more relevant students' high school experience, though much work will need to be done to support such a large change. Providing time for advisory is an important way to involve students more closely with school and provide support for student academic success. Other similar Community Access Periods, such as AVID (Advancement Through Individual Determination), have demonstrated such successful results that they are high on the list of high school reforms touted by the State Superintendent of Schools.

The curriculum for Advisory Class will need to be developed and the community internships and mentorships have to be found and fostered. Before these new graduation requirements are instituted, thorough course syllabi and descriptions must be developed by the high school, and adequate time will need to be given to the School Board for review and approval.

The Plan also changes the format of the school day from classes meeting six periods every day to classes meeting four periods every other day. Having the potential for students to take 8 classes is one advantage of the plan. High schools are required to provide to students 360 minutes of instruction time on average for 180 days in a year. The new proposed schedule does meet this standard; however, it requires either an increase in class size or more teachers (at additional cost) to cover all the classes offered at any time during the day. 

Given the governor's proposed state budget that calls for about an 8% cut to our budget next year -- $5+ million dollars of General Fund cuts -- this fine initiative will be difficult, if not impossible, to implement. I have asked our district staff to give the School Board options on how it would be possible to move forward on this reform agenda. Some options include controversial solutions such as increasing class size or taking "0" and "7th" period classes and committing them to the core day. Even if none of the redesign is implemented, these same options may need to be considered to take care of the huge state budget cuts.

Nonetheless, we owe it to our students as well as the school community that have worked to improve BHS to examine what it would take and what possibilities there are to move forward even in dire financial times. District staff and I are discussing the cost and implementation issues with the School Governance Council, exploring the barriers and possible solutions to begin making progress on implementing change at BHS. The Board of Education will hear its first presentation at the January 28, 2009 regular meeting and will take action at a meeting in February.

William Huyett Superintendent of Schools