[BHS Etree] BUSD: Welcome Message to All Families

[BHS etree]

PLEASE do not reply to this email, contact Mark Coplan
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 Berkeley Public Schools
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mensaje en español
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Dear Families, 

As School Board members, the start of a new school year is as exciting for
all of us as it is for you. We want to take an opportunity to welcome you to
a new school year and share some of what we will be focused on this year.
With the implementation of California's new way of funding schools, and the
new set of new academic standards, this will be a year of exciting
transitions. We look forward to hearing from you and keeping you informed
about our work.  We plan to offer more opportunities for family and
community engagement, because student success depends on all of us working
together.

Our new superintendent, Dr. Donald Evans, officially joined us in July. His
new energy, creative thinking, and expertise in curriculum and instruction,
and in particular the new Common Core State Standards, come at the right
time for Berkeley. He has already been rolling up his sleeves, and getting
up to speed with all that we are doing for our students.  Soon you will hear
more about opportunities to meet him as he visits schools, attends community
events, and holds town hall meetings to get to know our community.

The new
<http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=0017t4Ldjo-Hj83pwVWzBZzDjsc3mL5iRIbef6JdGx5XEPU
UftH06RXHV8pohLq6pI9LZl3kVgeGQ8wW3phHkPOYG-5CR5JxrfmtO-qJD4hQ0Jogo7WYKIeGOSb
aGwjSaY59X28_8qWAOI5O83Z1KG2SO41GP61PuOi> Local Control Funding Formula
(LCFF) for K-12 public education in California was approved by the
legislature this summer. The formula provides base funding for each student
by grade level and additional funds for every English learner, foster youth,
or student from a low-income family. While this new formula is more
equitable, and we think it is a good thing for students, overall California
is still underfunding public education. Our current budget projections
indicate that it will take several years before our schools return to the
level of state funding we received in 2007-08, before the recession caused
reductions in education funding.

On a national level, most states have now adopted the Common Core State
Standards (CCSS), outlining what students need to know and be able to do at
each grade level. This means that children across the nation will be taught
and assessed on the same educational standards in order to better prepare
them for college and career. Our teachers and principals have jumped in with
enthusiasm and have shown their commitment to having these new standards
support our students. They are working in teams to incorporate new
curriculum and teaching materials, participating in workshops, and
developing new lesson plans. The goal is to fully implement the Common Core
in 2014-15.

The Common Core State Standards stress critical thinking, hands-on learning,
more technology, and in-depth practice of the key skills students need at
each grade level. There is a strong emphasis on analysis, problem solving,
and on the importance of reading more non-fiction materials in all subject
areas. Academic language helps students access and engage with rigorous
course content, and will be taught in English as well as in social studies,
and reinforced with vocabulary and writing in science and math. In math,
students will be expected to not only solve a problem, but also articulate
both orally and in writing how they reached their solutions. This year at
Back-to-School Night, every school will share more with families about the
new standards. We encourage you to visit the
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BhrBc3o28pGK_hq3COmEIjWBi7Hq2jBqlkL6fqmiqTlGhzJ6j4wVEzWlsXB0yBBKCQS08BLnOS4Y
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VJNTHgymiXkqaSpJSgQVJlzn2sa-chN_E0AWPwA=> school district website to find
some helpful internet links for parents/guardians about the Common Core.

In the coming months we will share more about current initiatives to
strengthen our schools.  You can look forward to more information on:

*    Accelerated Academic Achievement of African American Students 

*    Master Plan for English Language Learners

*    Consolidation of the Two Way Immersion program 

*    District-wide Safety Plan

*    Smarter Balanced Assessments

*    Cooking and Gardening 

*    Buildings and Facilities 

As you see, there is much to work on together. Please join us at board
meetings, use our public comment period to offer input on our work, and
reach out to us via email or in person at school and district events. You
will also see our liaison schools listed next to our names below.

  

Once again, our warm welcome to new and returning families in this new
school year!  

Sincerely,

Karen Hemphill, School Board President 

Josh Daniels, School Board Vice President 

Beatriz Leyva-Cutler, School Board Clerk 

Judy Appel, School Board Director 

Julie Sinai, School Board Director 



Board Member Email Addresses & Liaison Schools:

Karen Hemphill: karenhemphill at berkeley.net
Washington, BHS, B-Tech, Berkeley Adult School

Josh Daniels: joshdaniels at berkeley.net
LeConte, Emerson, Willard

Beatriz Leyva-Cutler: beatrizleyvacutler at berkeley.net
Cragmont, Thousand Oaks, Rosa Parks, Preschools

Judy Appel: judyappel at berkeley.net
Malcolm X, Oxford, Jefferson, King

Julie Sinai: juliesinai at berkeley.net
John Muir, Berkeley Arts Magnet, Longfellow, BHS

________________________________

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