Candidates are being sought for appointment to the BUSD Personnel Commission. Please contact Erin Ariñez, Human Resources Supervisor, at erinarinez@berkeley.net to indicate your interest no later than Thursday, April 29.
The Berkeley Unified School District Personnel Commission, established in 1943, is one of the oldest established personnel commissions in northern California. It is authorized by the Education Code and our Merit System rules and regulations. A “merit system” of employment is like a civil service system. It only applies to the District’s classified employees (those employees who are not required to maintain a teaching credential). The purpose of the system is to ensure that classified employees are selected, promoted and retained on the basis of merit and fitness, without favoritism or bias.
The Personnel Commission is an independent body composed of three members, and is an entity separate from the BUSD Human Resources Department. One commissioner is selected by the governing board, one commissioner is selected by the largest classified employee collective bargaining unit, and one commissioner is selected by the other two commissioners. Commissioners are appointed for a staggered three-year term and are compensated with a $50 stipend per meeting. The term of one commissioner expires each year. The current opening is for the board-appointed commissioner.
To execute these responsibilities, the State Education Code provides that the Personnel Commissioners shall:
- classify positions;
- recommend salary ranges based on the principles of “like pay for like work”;
- conduct appeal hearings regarding matters relating to discipline, dismissal, and examinations;
- conduct fair and objective recruitment, selection, and appointment procedures that result in the establishment of eligibility lists to fill vacancies with qualified staff; and
- prescribe rules and regulations related directly and indirectly to such personnel practices.
A full description of the Personnel Commission responsibilities and functions is provided at the BUSD Personnel Commission website.
Minimum Qualifications
The Personnel Commissioner must:
- be a registered voter
- be a Berkeley resident or connected to Berkeley Unified
- have a basic understanding of the Merit System and/or similar civil service systems
- support the Merit system principles
- meet at least once per month on the first Thursday from 4:30 to 7:30. [During Shelter-in-Place, meetings are held online.]