MX Mosaic Signs Project News!

Thanks to everyone who helped out this last weekend with completing the installation of our new MX Mosaic Signs! Youth Spirit is super pleased to announce we will not need the grouting day planned for Sat. the 25th because we are DONE! Artist Rachel Rodi will finish grouting and YSA will finish other final touches by Nov. 3.

The whole neighborhood and school is invited to the MX Mosaic Signs Unveiling PARTY:

When: Saturday 11/15

Time: 2:30pm to 4pm

Where: Ellis Street at Ashby Ave.

Enjoy free food and drinks, speakers, music, kids art making and poetry! For info text: 510-282-0396.

Sally Hindman

Executive Director, Youth Spirit Artworks

1740 Alcatraz Avenue Berkeley, CA. 94703

510-282-0396

http://www.youthspiritartworks.net

Berkeley PTA Council Hosts School Board Candidate Night, October 28, 2014

Berkeley PTA Council Hosts School Board Candidate Night October 28, 2014 at Martin Luther King, Jr. Middle School

The Berkeley PTA Council, the representative body for the Berkeley School PTAs, is pleased to announce a special opportunity to hear candidates for the Berkeley School Boards address issues of concern to the PTA community. With active units in every BUSD school, the PTA is a major representative organization for our students and their community and is uniquely situated to understand the challenges and opportunities of the District. This special event is designed to provide an opportunity for candidates to address concerns of the community they hope to represent.

Questions for the candidates will be generated by the PTA membership and provided to the candidates before the event for written responses. Responses will be published on the Berkeley PTA Council website http://www.BerkeleyPTA.org and the candidates will provide their answers to selected questions at the event. Time will also be reserved for audience questions at the event.

This is the first time in recent elections that the Berkeley PTA Council will host a candidates event. The community, the PTA represents, is directly impacted by actions of the Berkeley School Board. We hope that this event will be both meaningful and informative to the Berkeley community and invite everyone to join us.

Event Details:

What:
Berkeley PTA School Board Candidates Night

Where: Martin Luther King Jr. Middle School Theater, 1781 Rose Street, Berkeley, CA

When:
Tuesday, October 28, 2014, 7:00 pm - 8:30 pm

Berkeley PTA Council Executive Board

Tracy Hollander, President http://www.BerkeleyPTA.org

President@BerkeleyPTA.org

Thank You MX Community

Hey Walk-a-Thon-ers!

Thank you so much for finding sponsors, showing up to participate, volunteering and making it such a fun day while helping our school!

There were 268 registered walkers!! That is a record! Stay tuned for more Walk-a-Thon news coming soon!

BALSA Meeting Next Monday with Superintendent Evans

Next monthly meeting of Berkeley Advanced Learner Support and Advocacy (BALSA): Monday, October 27, 2014 from 7-9 p.m. at 2020 Bonar, Room 126. All are welcome!

"Advanced learners and BUSD: Finding the Way Forward Together"

Join Superintendent Donald Evans and Director of Programs and Special Projects Pat Saddler for a discussion of the "State of GATE" in our district. A middle school math coach will also be present to talk about differentiating within the Common Core.

Topics will include:

· Strategies for challenging advanced learners in math and other academic areas

· New proposals for district-sponsored enrichment

· Plans for professional development in differentiation

· The current BUSD rubric for GATE (“Gifted and Talented Education”) identification

More information is available at http://berkeleyadvancedlearner.weebly.com/speakers.html

Berkeley Half Marathon

Berkeley Half Marathon Individual School Teams - Ready to Go!

In its second year, the Berkeley Half Marathon has again named the Berkeley Public Schools Fund; http://www.berkeleypublicschoolsfund.org/ as the race's official local charity.  Last year, the Schools Fund raised $30,000 with the help of runners at each school  - $10,000 of which went to individual PTAs.

The race is Sunday, November 9. This year there will be a 5k race in addition to the Half Marathon, which will make it easy for families to run together to support their school.

The Schools Fund has already set up individual school teams; http://www.crowdrise.come/schoolsfund2014 on Crowdrise and there's a how-to video; http://www.berkeleypublicschoolsfund.org/video/2014-team-schools-fund/ for signing up. Also, joining an individual team qualifies runners for a discount registration code.

Running for an individual school will direct 50% of your fundraising to your school PTA and 50% to the Schools Fund. Last year, the Schools Fund directed money raised through the Half Marathon to a districtwide grant assisting curriculum transitions in 4th and 5th grade math at all elementary schools.

Some schools have identified a school project that they're fundraising for - find out if your school has a fundraising project goal. Let's try to double the funds raised for Berkeley schools this year!

Please contact us at any time with questions about the Berkeley Public Schools Fund or Berkeley Schools Volunteers!

Schools Fund schoolsfund@berkeley.net 510.644.6244 Erin Rhoades, Executive Director Diane Dew, Grants and Finance Manager Laura Brewer, Communications Coordinator & Program Assistant

Berkeley Schools Volunteers bsv@berkeley.net 510.644.8833 Jill Coffey, BSV Director

Ariana Cohen, Progam Assistant

BUSD Board Video Updates Oct 8 2014

BERKELEY UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT BOARD VIDEO UPDATES

BUSD Board Updates provides highlights of Board Meetings and other Board activities.

Note: Board Packets & associated documents are available at our website and on line at all Berkeley public libraries.

Public Information Office (510) 644-6320 BUSD Web Site: http://www.berkeley.net

BUSD Board Meeting October 8, 2014:

Closed Session and Approval of Agenda The Board approved the agenda. All Consent Items were approved.

See Closed Session: https://vimeo.com/108925287

See Approval of Agenda: http://vimeo.com/108847104

See Approval of Consent Calendar: http://vimeo.com/108847107

Meeting Overview

See Overview: http://vimeo.com/108847105

Public Comments

See Public Comments: http://vimeo.com/108847680

Union Comments

See BFT Comments: http://vimeo.com/108847106

Committee Comments

See PTA Council Comments: http://vimeo.com/108847687

Board Comments

See Board Comments: http://vimeo.com/108847682

Information Items

1. Facilities Plan Update

**

1. Maintenance and H/BB Third Quarter FY 2014 Report

**

Note: The Board does not receive a presentation on Information Items unless requested by a board member.

Discussion Items

1. Update on EL Master Plan

** See Discussion Item 1: http://vimeo.com/108847683

1. Update on Enrollment and Capacity

** See Discussion Item 2: http://vimeo.com/108847685

** Information about starred items can be found in the October 8, 2014 Board packet online in the Board Meeting section of the BUSD website:  http://www.berkeleyschools.net/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/Packet-10-08-2014.pdf?864d7e

All Board meetings are broadcast live on Berkeley Community Media Cable Channel 33 and re-broadcast the following Thursday morning at 9:00 AM and the following Sunday at 2:00 PM.

Schedule of Upcoming Board of Education Meetings:

Note: Listed below is upcoming board meeting dates, with associated major action or conference items as currently scheduled.

October 22 – November 5 – November 19 – December 10

-- Mark Coplan, Public Information Officer Berkeley Unified School District

510-644-6320 Cell: 510-472-3811

Order your Thanksgiving Turkey though Farmigo- Raise $$ for our school!

Get your order in by Sunday, Oct. 19 at midnight for a fantastic turkey from Farmigo and support your school!

I'm writing, to make sure you heard the word about the bird!  Turkeys are back and can be pre-ordered through Farmigo in the Market Place through this next Sunday, Oct. 19th by midnight only.  So, if you want your turkey for Thanksgiving- and you want to support Malcolm X- this is a big money generator for the school.

https://www.farmigo.com/malcolmxelementary  (this is our marketplace site)

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me:  rebecca.a.matthews@gmail.com

These are quite the turkeys, so it's easy to see how they'll go fast. The birds BN Ranch roam in grassy pastures, grazing and foraging, their diet supplemented with non-GMO feed when necessary — and of course, they're never fed any unnecessary antibiotics or other hormones.

By the way, in case you're wondering what the difference is between the White Turkeys and Heritage Turkey...Heritage turkeys mate naturally, and aren't bred for one trait over another the way commercial turkeys are, and are an important part of promoting genetic diversity. These heritage birds are the direct descendants of five distinct breeds: Standard Bronze, Narragansett, Bourbon Red, White Holland, and Spanish Black. They also have a greater dark-to-white meat ratio, and are intensely juicy and flavorful!

When you receive your turkey the week before Thanksgiving, Farmigo will send you an e-mail stuffed with recipes and cooking suggestions, whether you want to brine, baste, rub, or spatchcock your bird. Just to round everything out, we'll have a few tips on side dishes and desserts, too!

If you want to reserve your Thanksgiving turkey, just order either the Small (which feeds about 7-9 people) or Large (11-13 people) Turkey Deposit item in the marketplace — that's all you need to do!

On 11/19/14 you'll be charged the remainder of the price and your turkey will be delivered to you along with your usual Farmigo order.

If you're looking for bigger Heritage birds, or an extra large turkey somewhere in the 22-26 lb. range, they have those on hand too — just send an email to help@farmigo.com to ask about placing a deposit!

Some tips about placing your turkey order:

1. Be sure you didn't place your deposit as a recurring order! You can double check this by logging into your Farmigo account and viewing your shopping cart. Your Holiday Turkey deposit should have a "frequency" of "One-time" and not "Weekly". The number of deposits you placed will correspond to the number of turkeys you get.

2. The remainder of the price for the turkey will be charged to your account on 11/19/14, based on the exact weight of your turkey — for reference, the price is $5/lb.

3. Your turkey will be delivered to you on 11/19/14; now that you've placed your deposit, all you need to do is wait!

4. Your turkey will come frozen, so make sure you have room in your freezer, and that you leave enough time for it to thaw.

5. Remember, if you've ordered the Holiday Turkey (10-14 lbs.), it will feed roughly 9-13 people. This is also true of the Heritage Breed Turkeys (10-14 lbs.) If you ordered the Holiday Turkey (14-18 lbs.), it will feed roughly 12-16 people.

College Sports Day 2014 - October 26th - 12pm to 2pm

Join Coaching Corps and Cal Athletics for our 8th Annual College Sports Day at UC Berkeley!

On Sunday, October 26th from 12pm-2pm, at the beautiful Memorial Stadium,  young people grades K-6 will have the opportunity to get coached in sports drills by Cal Athletes.  Over 15 teams will be present, including Lacrosse, Football, Soccer, Rugby and more!

At 2 pm, Coaching Corps coaches will guide children and their families on a college tour of the UC Berkeley Campus.

This event is FREE and open to the public, so invite your  students, families, friends, schools, and community organizations. Click on the orange button below to download the official flyer and the gray button to download the waiver form.

We look forward to seeing you there!

- The Coaching Corps Team

Adults must accompany youth at all times and all youth must have a parent-signed registration form. Forms are available in advance or at event registration.

Contact Stacey Manley at staceym@coachingcorps.org, 510-496-5127 for the Spanish-version of the flyer or for more information.

More info:

Waiver- http://origin.library.constantcontact.com/download/get/file/1101485297738-309/College+Sports+Day+Reg+Form+Fall+2014+Update.pdf

Flyer-http://origin.library.constantcontact.com/download/get/file/1101485297738-310/Fall+2014+College+Sports+Day1.pdf

Free girls softball clinics

Fall Clinics updates:

Our fall clinics are just around the corner. We are again this year offering clinics for players, pitchers and parents.

These clinics are free and are open to ABGSL players from last season as well as any other interested girls in grades K to 9. Pitching clinics are open to any girl with an interest in pitching, regardless of experience. Parent clinics are open to adults regardless of experience -- we particularly encourage adults who have little or no experience to participate. Coach Bo will be leading be leading the skills and parents clinics, and Jen Deering will be leading the pitching clinics.

Clinic Dates: all fall clinics will be held on Sundays in Codornices Park (on Euclid between Eunice and Bayview. Upper field across from the Rose Gardens) *Sunday 10/19/14 *Sunday 11/2/14

Clinic Times: clinic times are based on grade level or pitching experience:

12-1:00 pm - Kindergarten and 1st grade players (New Micros)

1-2:00 pm - 2nd and 3rd grade players (Younger Division)

2-3:00 pm - beginners pitching clinic

3-4:00 pm - 4th-5th grade and 6th-9th grade players (Middle & Older Divisions)

4-5:00 pm - intermediate/advanced pitching clinic

Players should come to the clinic for the division they're going to be in next Spring, not the division they were in last season.

Players should dress in clothes that allow movement, bring their gloves, cleats and water. (We'll have a limited number of gloves available for new players to borrow.)

Parent clinics run concurrently too!

MX Mosaic Signs Volunteer Days

A Work Of Art

Be a part of the legacy!

Many of us will already be on campus for the Walk-a-thon this Saturday so why not stop by and Join Youth Spirit Artworks this coming weekend Sat Oct 18th & Sun Oct 19th-- any time 10am to 6pm as they complete the work of grouting Sign 1 and installing mosaic tiles on Sign 2. Bring gloves. It's tons of fun! For more info text: 510-282-0396

These two signs will be a hallmark of our school for years to come and you can say you were a part of it, not just a sign but a Work of Art, a Labor of Love and when your children send their children to MX they can tell them how they helped create these beautiful pieces!

Hope to see you this weekend!

Vicki Davis, MxPTA

Halloween musical comedy for kids, 7-12

TALES FROM VARLEY MANSION

(Episode One: The Brat Machine)

WHAT: TALES FROM VARLEY MANSION (Episode One: The Brat Machine) An interactive musical comedy for kids 6+.  Runtime: Approximately 45 mins.

WHERE: THE MONKEY HOUSE, 1638 University Ave. Just 3 blocks from N. Berkeley BART (510) 898-1979  info@themonkeyhouse.org

WHEN: October 18,  3 PM and 7:30 PM, October 19   3 PM,  October 25,  3 PM and 7:30 PM, October 26   3 PM

TICKETS: Opening day tickets, $5 donation. All other shows, $10 donation. Doors open 30 mins prior to showtimes and tickets are available at the door.

Reservations suggested:  reservations@themonkeyhouse.org

SYNOPSIS: A cranky scientist buys a long-abandoned mansion, in hopes of finding solitude to perfect his brilliant new invention. But instead, he finds himself in the company of a flamboyant ghost, a soft-hearted zombie, and worst of all, an audience full of curious children -- your children. Find out what happens when "the lucky ones" are invited onstage to serve as subjects for a strange and untested device.

Tales from Varley Mansion was a labor of love written by Ira Marlowe, the current composer/lyricist for the San Francisco Mime Troup. It's a fun musical Halloween show for kids, it's smart and engaging, and it features two very talented comic actors from the troupe. The Monkey House is a small, 50-seat storefront theater on University Ave.

Find out more here: 

http://www.themonkeyhouse.org/MONKEY_HOUSE/VARLEY_MANSION.html

Attention Ivy and Bean Fans!

Annie Barrows will be at Mrs. Dalloway's bookstore this Saturday, October 18th at 10:30 am, to present Ivy + Bean + Me A Fill-in-The-Blank book AND Magic in the Mix, the sequel to The Magic Half.  Ages 6-10.

-- Jennifer Gordon, Library Media Tech, Malcolm X Elementary School

We need you for the Walk-a-thon

The Walk-a-thon is just a few days away and Malcolm X Elementary needs your help!

In years past we've raised over $1,000 from the sale of baked goods. The bakesale is one of the simplest and most effective ways to raise money for the school. Cakes, cookies, brownies, bars - it doesn't matter what you make, hungry walkers will eat it up!

To volunteer to bake something for the sale, email April Lee ASAP or call her at (510) 508-5333.

And don't forget to get pledges for this crucial fundraising event!

Together We Can!

Also, we still need volunteer helpers for the Walk-a-Thon this Saturday Oct. 18th, now we are begging! Please go to this link to sign up to make the day great and help our school!

http://www.wejoinin.com/sheets/urhno

Or contact Jessica Bohn.

PTA Meeting Wednesday Night

PTA Member Meeting: Wednesday October 15 @ 7:00pm, Malcolm X Library

Join us for the first PTA member meeting this year! Babysitting and light snacks provided.

• Come meet your PTA Board Members and other Malcolm X families. Find out how much membership dues and the One More Month campaign has raised so far this year.
• Discuss what is being done about student population growth at MX, with updates from the BUSD board meeting.
• Share what topics/workshops you’d like to see the PTA cover this year.
• Learn about how you can help at the Walk-a-thon (Saturday, Oct. 18).
• The Silent Auction (Feb. 28th) is starting to gather donations.  Do you have a special skill or own a business with something you’d like to donate? Get the word out about your business!
• Interested in joining or starting an MX Affinity Group? - An affinity group is a group formed around a shared interest or common goal. For example, UNITY/PCAD, Rainbow/LGBT, Friends and Families of Children with Special Needs, BALSA. Come help build this great MX community!

Sample Walk-a-Thon Letter

If you haven't already, please consider sending an email out to your friends, family, and co-workers today to support this Saturday's Walk-A-Thon from 10 am to 1 pm.  Below is a sample letter that you may copy.  Just change the names.  Remember if you can't make it, designate someone to walk for you and you can still collect your pledges and turn them in. This participation still counts for the class parties.

You should have received a packet (envelope) with the pledge sheet.  If you have any questions or are willing to be one of the much-needed volunteers please, contact Walk-A-Thon coordinator Jessica Bohn.

To donate to the bake sale, contact April Swartz.

Thanks for efforts!

Julie Cowles, MX PTA Fundraising Chair

SAMPLE WALK-A-THON LETTER

Dear Friends and Family,

Please consider supporting Serene and her fabulous public school, Malcolm X Elementary, by making a pledge to this Saturday's Walk-a-Thon.  The students will walk laps, hula hoop, read books, and run sprints to raise money for many important programs.

Donations will support classroom supplies, drama, dance, music, gardening and other enrichment programs for all the children at Malcolm X Elementary. These programs would not exist as they do without PTA support. Last year's Walk-a-Thon raised $25,000 for the school.

You can pledge either a flat amount or make a per-lap pledge. Classes with the most pledges will win prizes.  Please let me know as soon as possible if you are willing to donate. Funds need to be turned in by Monday, November 3th.

Serene is excited to be walking laps for her school. I hope you’ll support her efforts.

Love,

Fundraising with Farmigo (news and referral program)

This new year with Farmigo has started off wonderfully! Thank you to all of its supporters.  So far this school year we've raised close to $800 just by eating healthy local foods. It's good for the Farmers, it's good for MX PTA and it's good for your belly! 10% of weekly sales is deposited directly into the MX PTAs bank account.

Farmigo is all local and organic.  You can purchase a Farmer's Veggie box or just items you want. They offer Fruits, Veggies, Dairy- cheese, eggs, milk, Pasta and sauces, Meat, Breads and pantry items! Check it out if you haven't had a chance. Place your order by Sunday at midnight and pick up your order on Wednesdays at 1:30 at the tables near the garden. Can't make it then? You are welcome to pick up after work at my house just 4 houses down from Malcolm X. There is absolutely no commitment and no sign up cost.

Link to our MX site:  https://www.farmigo.com/malcolmxelementary

1. Farmigo and Malcolm X were recently written in the magazine Fast Company up about our progressiveness and change from the old standard bake sale and candy bar fundraising to a healthy, community conscious model for raising funds.

http://www.fastcompany.com/3036171/second-shift/move-over-bake-sales-the-new-school-fundraising-model-sells-local-organic-groce

2. Farmigo is offering a great Evan is so damn cute. Right before I left referral program.  If you know someone who is a Farmigo customer, they can refer you and you'll both get $20 off your first order. If you need a referral, let me know!

3. If you haven't already used your coupon code from the beginning of the year, enter SCHOOLSBACK at check out. It will save you $10 on any order over $20.

Happy to answer any questions and hope to see you all next Wednesday!

Becky Matthews rebecca.a.matthews@gmail.com

The WALK-A-THON is almost here!

The Malcolm X Walk-a-Thon is one week away, on Saturday, October 18! We really need more volunteers! It is easy and fun. You can help track kids laps, time sprints, jumprope or hoola hoops, hang in the garden to keep track of reading, help with set up or clean up. If you can't do a whole shift, even 30 minutes is helpful! Contact Jessica Bohn.

We need more bakesale items!!! To donate to the bakesale contact April Lee.

Keep gathering sponsors! Can't make it? Designate someone to walk for you and you can still collect your pledges and turn them in. This participation still counts for the class parties.

We look forward too seeing you at a fun-filled community event.

BUSD Toolbox Training

Toolbox Parent Education Nights!

Childcare provided

Berkeley Unified will be holding two more “Toolbox Parent Education Nights” as listed below. At this event, you will receive more information about the Social-Emotional Learning curriculum being taught at school, the “Tools” and how they work, and tips on how to use them in parenting.

The Tools are simple, but they are not easy. They require practice, practice, and more practice. We invite you to support your child in learning and practicing these Tools at home and talking with them about what they are learning about the Tools in school.

You might also think about how you could use the Tools to make parenting easier.  You are your child’s most important teacher. By learning together about the Toolbox Tools at home, you are helping your son/daughter, and us, create a happier, healthier school community together. Please join us for more information!

When: October 15th 6:30-7:30pm (Spanish Translation Provided)

Where: 2020 Bonar St., Berkeley CA District Office Technology Lab room 126

When: November 19th 6:00-7:00pm (Spanish Translation Provided)

Where: 2020 Bonar St., Berkeley CA District Office Technology Lab room 126

Any questions or concerns should be addressed to your school’s principal. We look forward to seeing you there!

Noches de Educación para Padres del Proyecto de Herramientas

Childcare provided

Berkeley Unified va a tener tres noches de educación del proyecto de herramientas para los padres. Este evento es para recibir mas información del currículo de aprendizaje de herramientas sociales y emocionales que se esta enseñando en la escuela, cuales son las “herramientas” y como trabajan e ideas como se pueden utilizar estas herramientas en el ser padre.

Las herramientas son simples, pero no son fáciles. Requieren practica, practica y mas practica. Los invitamos a apoyar su hijo/a en su aprendizaje, en practicar estas herramientas en casa y en hablar con sus hijos/as de lo que están aprendiendo en la escuela. También los invitamos a pensar como usted puede utilizar estas herramientas para hacer ser padre mas fácil.

Usted es el maestro/a mas importante de su hijo/a. En aprender las herramientas juntos en casa, usted esta ayudando su hijo/a, y esta ayudándonos a nosotros, crear una comunidad mas feliz y saludable. Por favor venga para recibir mas información!

Cuando: Octubre 15th 6:30-7:30pm (Habra Traduccion) Lugar: 2020 Bonar St. Berkeley CA District Office Technology Lab room 126

Cuando: Noviembre 19th 6:00-7:00pm (Habra Traduccion) Lugar: 2020 Bonar St. Berkeley CA District Office Technology Lab room 126

Save the Date: Berkeley PTA Council Hosts School Board Candidate Night, October 28, 2014

Berkeley PTA Council Hosts School Board Candidate Night October 28, 2014 at Martin Luther King, Jr. Middle School

The Berkeley PTA Council, the representative body for the Berkeley School PTAs, is pleased to announce a special opportunity to hear candidates for the Berkeley School Boards address issues of concern to the PTA community. With active units in every BUSD school, the PTA is a major representative organization for our students and their community and is uniquely situated to understand the challenges and opportunities of the District. This special event is designed to provide an opportunity for candidates to address concerns of the community they hope to represent.

Questions for the candidates will be generated by the PTA membership and provided to the candidates before the event for written responses. Responses will be published on the Berkeley PTA Council website http://www.BerkeleyPTA.org and the candidates will provide their answers to selected questions at the event. Time will also be reserved for audience questions at the event.

This is the first time in recent elections that the Berkeley PTA Council will host a candidates event. The community, the PTA represents, is directly impacted by actions of the Berkeley School Board. We hope that this event will be both meaningful and informative to the Berkeley community and invite everyone to join us.

Event Details:

What: Berkeley PTA School Board Candidates Night

Where: Martin Luther King Jr. Middle School Theater, 1781 Rose Street, Berkeley, CA

When: Tuesday, October 28, 2014, 7:00 pm - 8:30 pm

Berkeley PTA Council Executive Board

Tracy Hollander, President http://www.BerkeleyPTA.org

School Board Meeting Tonight

PLEASE TRY TO ATTEND THE SCHOOL BOARD MEETING TONIGHT.  YOU CAN BRING YOUR KIDS.  IT'S FUN!  BRING SIGNS!  WEAR MALCOLM X CLOTHING!  BE VISIBLE!  BE COUNTED!

(The School Board members have openly admitted that they respond to numbers, so we need to show up in force to get our message across.)

School Board meetings are held in the District building at 2020 Bonar Street. (Enter on the side off of Addison)

Please try to get there early, between 7:00 and 7:15, and sign up for Public Comment.  Please mark "Yes" to the question about your comment relating to an agenda item ("Student Population") and submit your Public Comment card to the clerk.  YOU DO NOT ACTUALLY HAVE TO MAKE A PUBLIC COMMENT, IF YOU ARE NOT A PUBLIC SPEAKER.  You can give your time to somebody else.  But it's important that we "stuff the ballot box" with requests for Public Comment.  And if you do have a personal story to share about how "density" is impacting your family, all the better.

If you have any questions about attending, need a ride, or want to discuss this topic, please contact:

Joshua Room (joshua.room@doj.ca.gov) Anna Brock (annabrock@mac.com) Michelle Oram (michelle@planetoram.com)

We need to be present and heard at that meeting.  In this author's opinion, there are at least three "talking points" that we should emphasize in public comments to the Board:

(1)  We are grateful for the addition of an Assistant Principal, but we still need more staff, particularly in the vital categories mentioned above.  We have the same number of literacy coaches and special education staff as schools with half our student populations (and presumably half our caseloads).

(2)  The loss of our "flex spaces" (rooms not dedicated to classroom or other full-time use) isú having real consequences, including but not limited to the difficulty we are currently experiencing finding space to house our very popular and important Math Circles and Chess Tournament programs (run by Henri Ducharme, and funded by the PTA). similarly our PTA Afterschool classes were all over enrolled this past fall and limited space makes expanding the offerings to accommodate an increased student population difficult.

(3)  At least some School Board members seem to be seriously considering increasing class sizes as a realistic response to the population increase.  (This author's understanding is that under BSEP they could relatively immediately increase class size targets to an average of 26:1 across the district, with a State limit of 24:1 at K-2.)  This may be in part a result of the reality that some of the options to accommodate increased population (new construction and even installation of new portables) have a time horizon that may make them infeasible as solutions for next year.  So this may leave opening up the Adult School (or other site) or increasing class sizes as the only realistic options.

In addition to its potential impacts on individual classrooms, increasing class sizes might get us a flex space back (as it might reduce the total number of classrooms at Malcolm X), but it would not solve, and may very well increase, the "density" issues of our population (crowded auditorium, cafeteria, bathrooms, not enough space in Afterschool programs, etc.).  (I also think it would possibly spell political suicide for the reauthorization of the BSEP measure, which is scheduled for the ballot in 2016.)  So my view is that we need to help steer the School Board AWAY from increasing class sizes, and let them know that this is not (at least politically) an acceptable solution.  The best way to do that might be to ask (in our public comments) that the School Board members commit to not increasing class sizes as a solution, even temporarily.

Thanks for listening.  Together We Can!

Josh