Middle school students inspired on Martin Luther King Jr.'s Birthday
Two King Middle School students were presented with the "Next Generation Award" at Berkeley's 2nd Annual Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration.
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 Anjuli Arreola-Burl was recognized for her art (right) and Allie Bailey for her fictional poem in a King Middle School "Taking a Stand" art, poetry, and essay contest in honor of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s birthday. Four hundred Berkeley leaders and community members joined to honor Dr. King and recognize Anjuli and Allie, and all the students who participated, for reflecting on and continuing King's lessons.
Here's another great story with images of the art that won three Willard students recognition as semi-finalists in a national award program called The Dream@50 Art Contest.
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Willard Middle School receives TASH award  Congratulations to the Willard Middle School community for being selected for the annual June Downing Breakthroughs in Inclusive Education School Award! Willard's principal, teachers, and staff received this recognition on behalf of the whole Willard community for their courageous contributions in advancing inclusive education and equitable opportunities for students, particularly those with the most significant disabilities and support needs. While being recognized by the School Board for this award, Principal Ithurburn shared how proud he is of Willard's teachers and staff for their unwavering commitment to the full inclusion of students with considerable challenges.
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What's new about the Common Core?
School districts in 45 states are working to adjust grade level expectations in English language arts and Math to align with the Common Core State Standards (CCSS). The goal of CCSS is to ensure that all students graduate from high school ready for college and career training.
In this first phase of implementation, our teachers and staff are learning about the Common Core and how to integrate the positive changes into their teaching practices.
The Common Core emphasizes:
- A focus on teaching fewer topics in favor of greater depth;
- Literacy skills taught across subject areas;
Providing content-rich non-fiction and academic language; - Math standards as an extension of prior learning;
- The integration of math in science and technical subject areas;
- Sharing of results and best practices across the nation.
New state assessments aligned with the Common Core Standards will be online and replace the current "STAR" standardized testing in the 2014-15 school year.
More information and the K-8 Common Core Parent Handbook available on our website.
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Technology Update
Behind the scenes, our educators and technology staff are gearing up for an increase in technology use by teachers and students. Students must be able to use and be competent with technology, and teachers must have the tools and training to support student technology use.
Right now....
- Every BUSD K-12 school has wireless internet;
- Berkeley has the network infrastructure in place and is implementing a plan to be ready for students in grades 3-8, and 11 to take state tests online in 2014-15;
- We are working toward acquiring enough netbooks/Chromebooks to be able to give students access to computers and to effectively test students online at all schools.
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Budget News and Superintendent's Budget Advisory Committee (SBAC) With the passage of Proposition 30 and the Governor's recently proposed budget, we are hopeful that 2013-14 will be the first of the last five years with no new cuts to public school funding. However, the funding levels proposed by the Governor for 2013-14 are still 10% below the amount the State funded back in 2007-08. With these new parameters, and a possible new funding model in play, the 2013-14 budget development cycle is underway. Over the next several months, the State Legislature will weigh in on the proposed budget and the Governor will release the "May Revise" based on any new information and proposals. The BUSD Budget Development Calendar for 2013-14 outlines the process that will lead to the passage of our next year's district budget in June, 2013. Superintendent's Budget Advisory Committee Meetings 5:30 pm at 1720 Oregon St.: Tuesday, Jan. 29thTuesday, Feb. 12thThe SBAC meetings are open to the public, with dedicated time for public comment.
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