Friday, May 18, 2012
Loni Hancock co-founded organization, which helps low-income children and youth succeed in school.
The executive director of the Partnership for Children and Youth, co-founded by former mayor and state Sen. Loni Hancock, has been honored as one of nine “Afterschool Champions” for work advancing after-school programs. Honoree Jennifer Peck has worked with the Berkeley Unified School District, notably to forge after-school programs at the high school level. Peck also worked on California’s SB 429 which strengthens and adds flexibility to existing resources for summer learning programs, and helped craft the state’s new after school division to improve support for state and federally-funded programs. Peck flew to Washington, D.C. to accept the award at the “Breakfast of Champions” May 9. “This year’s champions are working in areas such as …
Land 'can and will accommodate both research and urban agriculture.' But misinformation abounds, chancellor writes.
The following open letter, signed by George Breslauer. Executive Vice Chancellor and Provost and John Wilton, Vice Chancellor, Administration and Finance, is addressed to the community. Now that preparations for agricultural research are finally underway on the Gill Tract we want to offer you, our neighbors, an update on where we are, and what lies ahead. First, and foremost, we want to express our respect for the hundreds of community members who, in recent weeks, have participated in debate and dialogue about the occupation and attendant issues through emails, phone calls and online postings. We deeply appreciate the support expressed by the vast majority of people we have heard from, while recognizing that the illegal occupation of our …
District would fold three language immersion programs into one at LeConte Elementary; superintendent encourages parents from all schools to attend one of two sessions.
Superintendent of Schools William Huyett is inviting parents of children at all elementary schools to join him at two community forums about the proposed consolidation of three two-way language immersion programs into a single one at LeConte Elementary School. The first takes place on Tuesday, May 29 at LeConte Elementary School at 2241 Russell St. (west of Telegraph Avenue). The second takes place on Monday, June 4 at Rosa Parks Elementary School at 920 Allston Way (west of San Pablo Avenue). Both are schedule to run from 6 to 7:30 p.m., and Spanish interpretation will be provided. Parents may offer feedback, voice concerns, and ask questions about the consolidation and all the issues related to it, including transportation, sibling …
Two arrested, charged with possession of controlled substances.
Police arrested two men in the early morning hours Wednesday as they prepared to snort cocaine in a car parked on the 2600 block of Shattuck Avenue. At about 1:20 a.m., a Berkeley patrol officer saw a car pull into the empty parking lot of an abandoned business and turn off its lights. When he investigated, the office could smell marijuana through the open windows and saw a plate between the two rear occupants bearing a razor, straw and white lines consistent with the cutting up and snorting of cocaine. During a probable cause search for additional narcotics, the officer, who had called for a backup, searched the occupants and found cocaine and hydrocodone, a prescription painkiller, in the possession of the rear passenger, a 25-year old-…
Wednesday, May 16, 2012
Activists march down Marin Avenue, decking the Gill Tract fence with sunflowers.
Tuesday, May 15, 2012
LeConte would be the single site for Spanish-English language immersion; board member says too many parents have been left out of the discussion.
The Berkeley Unified School District appears poised to fold its three language immersion programs into one at LeConte Elementary beginning in the fall of 2013. A majority of the task force appointed by Superintendent William Huyett recommended the change and Huyett concurred, “based on both pedagogical and logistical issues.” The board will vote on the proposal on June 6. As it stands, Cragmont, LeConte, and Rosa Parks elementary schools each house two-way immersion programs. The change would have no impact on the transitional bilingual program at Thousand Oaks Elementary. “The most important focus of this program is to serve our English learner students,” Huyett said in his report to the board. The single program would mean swifter …
Saturday, May 12, 2012
Minority high school and community college applicants rejected in large numbers, group says.
- POLICE & FIRE
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Saturday, May 12
About a dozen protesters were detained by police Friday evening while occupying an admissions office at UC Berkeley. The group By Any Means Necessary organized the rally to demand admission of minority students who were rejected by the university. "It is outrageous and unacceptable that there are thousands of gifted, meritorious and deserving (minority) students who are applying to these campuses in larger numbers...and in some cases their numbers are declining," BAMN organizer Yvette Felarca said. The rally began around 3:15 p.m. At around 6 p.m. the demonstrators were told they were trespassing and ordered to leave, a BAMN organizer said. The protesters were cited and released by police shortly after 7 p.m. Among those protesting were …
Friday, May 11, 2012
Nation's first Muslim college seeks 'Holy Hill' property.
A sold-out benefit in Houston Saturday for Berkeley's Zaytuna College will enable the country's first Muslim college to buy property on Berkeley's "Holy Hill." Some 1,000 people are expected to attend the event, which is part of a nationwide fundraising campaign. Now in the process of accreditation, Zaytuna works with UC Berkeley informally and uses its library. Zaytuna has partnered with the Houston-based Risala Foundation for the past few years, bringing speakers to address the American Muslim experience. They include Shaykh Hamza Yusuf and Imam Zaid Shakir, who helped found the school in 2009 with Hatem Bazian. The school grew out of a pilot seminary program that launched in 2004 as the Zaytuna Institute. "They realize we're young, we'…
Thursday, May 10, 2012
From kickstand to helmet, bikes and riders get extra layer of protection for Bike-to-Work Day at Civic Center Park event.
Cycles gained an exalted status as the East Bay Bicycle Coalition convened an interfaith Blessing of the Bikes in Civic Center Park May 5, overseen by Buddhist practitioner and coalition executive director Renee Rivera. Administering the blessings ("In the name of all things holy, may your bikes and you be blessed"), which included a chanted barucha, were Mayor Tom Bates, Jewish chaplain Nicole Bloom, zen meditation teacher Shivani Rey, the reverends Lauren Van Ham, David Funkhauser, and Joan Doyle. The event kicked off Bike-to-Work Day, which includes events around the city and the East Bay.
Trustees begin interviews this week to narrow a field of seven to three finalists; new superintendent takes over July 1.
This week, the Berkeley school board begins interviewing candidates for superintendent – a position soon to be vacated when schools chief William Huyett retires in June. “We’re about to hit a critical two-week period,” said president John Selawsky at last night’s meeting of the Berkeley Unified School District Board of Education. “The board has a lot of work to do.” At a closed session meeting May 2, the board made a first cut of seven out of 57 applicants. Three finalists will emerge from a round of interviews, each of whom will then interact with board members over dinner. By month’s end, the trustees will have settled on one candidate, who they will then visit on site. Union and parent groups from each district will confer with one …
Rebecca Rosen Lum
10:44 am on Saturday, May 19, 2012
Hi Rita. Try reading the attached pdf documents. Click on "Superintendent's recommendations." more ›