Dear Berkeley Community,
At the Board of Education meeting on July 15, Superintendent Stephens will make the following recommendations for the formal approval of the Board:
- BUSD will begin the 2020-21 School Year with an improved Distance Learning plan. The program will be very different from the online teaching last spring. There will be structured daily and weekly schedules for students, daily live instruction on Zoom, engaging remote learning content, assignments that are reviewed by teachers, and consistent communication with families. Further details of the schedule for each grade level will be provided at the July 29 Board Meeting.
- Elementary and middle schools would begin in Distance Learning for the first eight weeks of instruction, until October 9th. By September 15, the District intends to reassess and announce the capacity and timeline for the next steps to transition to on-campus teaching – if it is possible to do so in compliance with health guidance.
- High school students would begin in Distance Learning, most likely until the December break, supplemented by afterschool activities as described below. BUSD will assess the feasibility of transitioning to campus learning sooner, at the quarter break, although logistical issues for high school may compel delaying a return to campus until the semester break.
- BUSD will begin a phased, prioritized reopening of key programs as soon as it is possible to implement required risk reduction practices – as close to August 17 as possible. These prioritized reopenings will focus on providing in-person learning and care for the youngest learners and the most vulnerable learners, and will also provide social experiences and recreation for as many small cohorts of students as possible. These prioritized programs include:
- Early Childhood Education (preschool) programs at Franklin, Hopkins, and King CDC
- Services for students with IEPs (for services that can’t be provided online)
- Elementary after-school programs
- Middle and high school after-school activities, including some sports practices, physical conditioning, clubs, science labs, advisories, and more
- Elementary “Ed Camps” (a potential new school-day program that we are developing to support essential workers)
- Student support and intervention programs
All School Board meetings are open to the public and Berkeley Unified parents, caregivers, students and staff are encouraged to attend online.
Here is the Agenda for the July 15 School Board meeting.
The Open Session of the July 15 meeting begins at 7:00 pm with a public comment period, followed by Board and Superintendent comments, approval of items on a Consent Calendar, and approval of new and Revised Board Policies.
The Fall School Planning item is on the Agenda as item 12.3 and is likely to be presented sometime after 7:30. Since the time for Public Comment can be unpredictable, it could be that the item could start as late as 8:00 pm. You can also watch the presentation at your own convenience after it is uploaded to the BUSD YouTube channel. The slide presentation will be uploaded to the Board Agenda before the meeting.
How to Participate in the July 15 School Board Meeting at 7:00 pm
To observe the School Board meeting by video conference, please click here at the 7:00pm meeting time. It may help to download the Zoom app before the meeting if you don’t have it already. Instructions on how to join a meeting by video conference are available at: https://support.zoom.us/hc/en-us/articles/201362193 -Joining-a-Meeting.
To listen to the meeting by phone, please call at the 7:00pm meeting time (669) 900-6833, then enter Webinar ID 837 7062 3343, then press “#”, then enter the password 090337. If asked for a participant id or code, press #. Instructions on how to join a meeting by phone are available at: https://support.zoom.us/hc/en-us/articles/201362663 -Joining-a-meeting-by-phone.
There are two ways to make public comment at the prescribed time near the beginning of the meeting. The Board President will introduce the allotted period of time for Public comments, organize the comments, and indicate who will be speaking next.
- To comment by video conference, click on the Participants button at the bottom of your screen and select the “Raise Your Hand” button to request to speak when Public Comment is being asked for. When called upon, you will be unmuted. After the allotted time, you will then be re-muted.
- To comment by phone, you will be prompted to “Raise Your Hand” by pressing “*9” to request to speak when Public Comment is asked for. When called upon, you will be unmuted. After the allotted time, you will then be re-muted. Instructions of how to raise your hand by phone are available at: https://support.zoom.us/hc/en-us/articles/201362663 -Joining-a-meeting-by-phone.
