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B’game Real Estate “Reemerges”

It is a bit tough to link to the article in today SF Examiner on B'game real estate emerging since the real estate section is hosted separately from the regular paper and pops up in a different application.  But you can start here and you might find it.  The Examiner writes:

Since the real estate world changed in late 2008, Burlingame's performance has been all over the place….Depending on the month–or perhaps the week–Burlingame's market is up, down, torrid or frozen.

And

From April to August, Burlingame settled into a pattern of $1.2 to $1.4 million average home values with sales figures of 18, 21, 17, 25, and 19. ….Whatever its fluctuations, in the big picture Burlingame's role remains the same.  It consistently ranks fourth, fifth or sixth (depending on how Menlo Park and Portola Valley did that month) among San Mateo County cities in average home price.

The piece then goes on to complement our schools at all three levels and quotes the "stratospheric" API scores.  Nice boost for our hometown.

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58 responses to “B’game Real Estate “Reemerges””

  1. Lincoln mom

    I hope the people who voted against the recent BSD parcel tax read this and understand exactly how wrapped up their home values are in those schools. A dollar spent supporting those schools comes back to you many times over when you sell your house.

  2. Anne

    Lincoln Mom, you are absolutely correct!

  3. KRN

    The real estate argument is solid, but don’t confuse high API scores with high quality education.
    Burlingame starts with a stronger student population so we should be getting a better return on the dollar.
    The K-5 systems is very solid. The 6-8….? One subgroup at BIS dropped 31 point this last year. That is a HUGE drop. Our students need a stronger advantage against, Crocker, Taylor, Borel (Pre-IB Program!) when it comes to high school prep.

  4. Lincoln mom

    I get a phone call a month from some family in the city looking to move to Burlingame for the schools. Again, it just astounds me that some Burlingame homeowners won’t pony up relatively tiny donations to BCE and/or vote against the $150/year parcel tax.
    KRN, as a K-5 mom, I’m interested in why you think the 6-8 situation is lacking. Isn’t the same strong student population carrying on into BIS?

  5. KRN

    It isn’t the population. The K-5 community has a strong trust in the system. The 6-8 years are the foundation for high school and beyond. They are also years where the gaps in student ability become more challenging. We cannot put all students into the same classroom and give them the same curriculum and expect them to be stimulated. The system will tell you that classroom instruction is differentiated for each student. It is not. Some students need more work. Others need more challenge. Different needs at a critical time.
    The same population (Lincoln) does move on to middle school but they are merged with students from the other schools and given the same challenge.
    Example. Lincoln has 60 current fifth grade students who have scored in the Advanced range of the CST in Math and Language Arts. Franklin has 85 current fifth grade students who have scored in the Advanced range of the CST in Math and Language Arts.
    Is BIS going to offer all 145 students a seat in Pre= Algebra (6th grade Advanced Math)- No. There are only 60 seats. These are just the students from two feeder schools.
    BIS offers NO advanced Language Arts to sixth grade students. These advanced students will not be properly stimulated unless they are given a curriculum at their level.
    You may find school CST data at the following link.
    http://star.cde.ca.gov/star2010/SearchPanel.asp

  6. alittlebird

    Take your concerns to the school board, KRN. You are right on the mark! Don’t look only at the high achieving students and differentiated instruction; look at ALL the students. Are their needs being met? Something needs to change, and in a hurry. BIS continues to go down Alice’s rabbit hole……………

  7. KRN

    Last year, BIS (finally!) offered Algebra to a select group of 7th grade students. Of the 26 students, 15 (58%) scored Advanced and 9 (35%) scored Proficient on the CST exams.
    These students accomplished this goal WITHOUT having taken a pre-algebra course in 6th grade.
    BIS has now implemented a pre-Algebra course for a limited number of sixth grade students. How many of the 145 qualified students mentioned above will get into Pre-Algebra?
    The talent is there. BIS needs to increase the challenge (not the homework) in sixth grade to better engage students at their ability level.
    7th and 8th grades have Advanced Language Arts courses. Students need strong vertical preparation.
    Question: Why does the leadership keep stating that there is no difference between Advanced and Regular courses? If there is no difference, then how are the students being properly challenged?

  8. alittlebird

    And conversely, how are they meeting the needs of those average and below students, in there is “no difference between Advanced and Regular courses” when they are all grouped together?

  9. Lincoln mom

    Thanks for the primer on this KRN…ditto the request to take this straight to the school board. I’m officially scared of BIS.

  10. KRN

    The Board is well aware of the issues at BIS and what it needs to do to offer a more direct challenge for each level of student. Its the local leadership that isn’t moving on the issue. Maybe they need a personal blast from the bullhorn they use on the kids at lunch each day. (Really…we allow our children to be driven around the play yard by a bullhorn?)
    If parents keep saying “everything is fine at BIS,” then there is no stimulus for change. Parents need to speak up. A strong API score does not mean quality education.
    BIS is doing OK. Our students deserve better than OK.

  11. alittlebird

    KRN, if the board is aware of the issues with “local leadership” why aren’t they doing something to change that? A bullhorn? Really?! Maybe the kids should grab that and use it to turn the tables!

  12. KRN

    Yes, a bullhorn. The current campus environment is one of control, not compassion and support. Many K-8 parents do not know the expectations of higher education and are therefore “satisfied” with less.
    Aragon, Mills, and San Mateo High School have been offering a very successful course in AP Calculus BC (One step beyond AP Calc AB). The reason.. the other middle schools in the area have been offering advanced math for years. BHS can’t offer AP Calc BC because the preparation for this course begins in middle school. BIS just adopted 8th grade geometry this year.

  13. alittlebird

    Even if parents aren’t aware of the higher ed expectations, the school board should be well aware. If, as you say, KRN, the board is aware, why aren’t any changes taking place? That just doesn’t make good sense. There have been many changes in leadership over the past 10 years at BIS, so I wonder why nothing is happening now?

  14. holyroller

    Since everything in this conversation is about statitics, how do the ethnic backgrounds of the families have an impact on the results of this “casual study?”
    How about single parents?
    Reading between the lines of this post, all I see are people who are looking to drop a bomb on a teacher, or some struggling parents doorstep so “their child” will not be held back.
    You people are horrible.
    All high tides raise all boats.

  15. KRN

    HR
    There is no one dropping a bomb on a teacher or punishing a parent.
    If you were to read the API report you would find how one ethnic group suffered a significant loss in education this last year. WHY?
    The following is from the PTA minutes…
    The school is close to Program Improvement status since our socio-economic disadvantaged and Hispanic subpopulations of students are not making targets.”
    A review of school policy would also find that admission to the schools current advanced courses is selective and requires an application process and selection criteria that leaves many students left out of the advanced courses, even though they want to attend.
    The Program Improvement and Advanced problems are at each end of the educational spectrum, but there are problems.

  16. alittlebird

    Wow Holyroller, if you actually read these posts you will see that we are talking about meeting the needs of ALL the students, not just those of a certain “ethnic background” as you are so quick to say. Without people looking out for the good of the students in our schools, we would be in a lot worse shape than we are. In my opinion, the school board really needs to take a closer look at BIS and make some determinations about what is going on, or not going on for that matter. A bullhorn?! I am blown away by that notion. And, Holyroller, you cannot refer to API scores and findings as a “casual study.” It is waht makes our schools go around. Thankfully there are some of us out here who care about the kids who will be making up the next generation.

  17. KRN

    Why is the current leadership so focused on control? Under the new schedule, student class periods have been reduced to 45 minutes per class. That means after a 3 minute span to settle into class and a 3 minute span before class ends (as if middle school kids don’t fidget) that leaves 39 minutes for instruction. To make matters worse, student now have only three (3) minutes of a passing period between classes. Students do not have enough time to go to their locker and/or the bathroom. Why is there such a need to control the students?
    What makes things worse is that with only 39 minutes of instruction, teachers don’t want students to leave to use the restroom. So…what is so important that student need fewer minutes of class and fewer minutes between classes? We still have enough time to dedicate 90 minutes per week to non-academic coursework.
    In addition, the current leadership has also banned students from playing on the school courts and fields after school. It seems that they want students to first go home before they return to school to play. That makes senes. A student should hop on the bus, ride to lower Burlingame, get off the bus, enter their home, and return to BIS to play basketball. I think I’ll just watch TV.
    It is no wonder that our state has a problem with weight and health. Our local school does not want our students to play. Its time for a fix.

  18. JROC

    I had two kids go through BIS recently and I have only praise for hard working engaged teachers. Don’t be afraid Lincoln Mom. BIS is not as bad as these posts would want you to believe.

  19. krn

    No one has complained about the teachers. The comments are about the level of engagement that is offered to students and the leadership of the school.
    JROC, if you like what you received and it meets your standards for higher education, then you are a satisfied customer. There are others who know that a better product is available and should be on the market.
    Some of us don’t want to settle for “good enough.”

  20. guest1

    what a backhand compliment.

  21. KRN

    Nothing in the statements above are fabricated. They are for your evaluation.
    There are many hardworking parents and educators in Burlingame who contribute many hours and dollars to the local program.
    As a result, no one wants to comment or criticize the program as it will be looked upon as a criticism of the people and their efforts. The result is that no one is willing speak out about what is really going on. We all just gush about how great things are and how lucky we are to not attend a school in another local district.
    If Burlingame students could apply to college based upon the property value of their homes, they would all be successful. That is not the case. While strong API scores do support property values, they do not always reflect what is going on in the schools.

  22. holyroller

    Dear KRN,
    Thank you for the very grounded and reality based response.
    Depending on where you come from,”good enough” is a very good compliment.

  23. alittlebird

    Yes, nobody has said that the teachers are lacking or BAD or in some other way not doing their jobs. Quite the opposite, actually, for without some of the great teachers at BIS the place would really be far from “good enough.”
    Historically speaking, BIS was on a par with Crocker, but that is far from the case now. It is true that parents, for whatever reason, have become complacent or accepting or something, and are not vocal like in the days when my kids went through BIS. It is probably more important than ever that our schools provide quality education to our kids, and we simply are not doing that and that bullhorn thing has got to go. Again I ask, KRN, doesn’t anybody go to the board with these concerns?

  24. krn

    There is a growing base of K-5 parents who are ready to go to the board. Here is the catch… the K-5 schools do such a good job at meeting the needs of the students, that parents EXPECT that things will be the same in 6-8. Once grade six begins, there is no time to make adjustments…you are stuck with what you get.
    The board and school leadership KNOW that there is an academic gap in the students who enter BIS yet they continue to place them in the same classes. How can a student reading at the third grade level be equally stimulated as a student reading at the grade 12 level? It doesn’t make sense. Guess who get bored. Why should a student waste an entire year of school because the school does not want to offer a more challenging course. How many students are reading above grade level?
    Franklin has 83 students at Advanced
    Lincoln has 61 students at Advanced
    McKinley has 15 students at Advanced
    Roosevelt has 15 students at Advanced
    Washington has 23 students at Advanced
    These are the facts that the leadership knows, yet they do nothing to challenge these students in sixth grade. These students will be asked to do exactly the same as all others.
    No challenge = no growth.

  25. krn

    The scores posted above are for current fifth grade students. These are taken from their fourth grade CST Language Arts scores.
    Do these kids really deserve just “good enough” for an academic challenge when an alternative is available at no cost?

  26. alittlebird

    And, KRN, when kids get bored, that is when trouble can begin. Kids should never be bored in school, and when mixing kids of all levels in classes, that either leads to presenting the material to meet the higher or lower level students.That is only going to lead to one group or the other not getting what they need. To the board with the bullhorn!

  27. holyroller

    As children grow their personalities grow as well. Especially during puberty.
    Lots of dynamics involved.
    I hope we will listen to the teachers regarding the direction we go.
    After all they are,”Boots on the Ground.”
    I will not say the same for the Board, or Principles.

  28. KRN

    HR. Thank you for the comment. My comments here are as a parent, but they are shaped by my extensive background as a teacher.
    As a high school teacher with over twenty years of experience teaching college preparation and Advanced Placement courses, I feel strongly that students (and families) need the option to be challenged in school.
    The barriers to an option of challenge (not offering the class) are usually based upon “social” reasons or the establishment of “GATE KEEPER” entrance requirements designed to keep out all but the most talented students.
    At this point, our sixth graders are still lost in the mix.

  29. KRN

    From the BED School Board Minutes
    BIS
    $10,000 to create and implement school wide systems that promote positive campus behavior.
    How about starting with losing the BullHorn!

  30. Lorne

    Per the BESD 9/28 board meeting minutes, it appears Burlingame may be classified as a Program Improvement District. McKinley & Roosevelt are specifically indicated on this 2011-2012 “at risk” list:
    http://www.cde.ca.gov/ta/ac/ay/tidatafiles.asp
    More info on Program Improvement districts:
    http://www.calpirc.org/resources/program-improvement-schools

  31. KRN

    The Data is from the Schools at Risk of moving to Program Improvement.
    Burlingame Elementary”,”McKinley Elementary”,”Yes”,”Yes”,”Yes”,”No”
    Burlingame Elementary”,”Roosevelt Elementary”,”Yes”,”Yes”,”Yes”,”No”
    Here are the answers to the questions
    Indicates whether the graduation requirement was met
    Yes
    Indicates whether the Academic Performance Index (API) criterion was met
    Yes
    Indicates whether the math participation and percent proficient requirements were met
    Yes
    Indicates whether the English-Language Arts (ELA) participation and percent proficient requirements were met
    No

  32. KRN

    I just could not pass this one up: The
    “good-enough-is-good-enough syndrome.”
    We have come to believe that since what “we” have is better than what “they” have in schools, it must be good enough. Why should we bother to evaluate it if it is good enough?

  33. KRN

    How come I get “auto dialer” messages about fundraiser activities and trips to New York but I get NOTHING about academics or changes in the academic environment. BIS made significant changes to instructional minutes per period and passing periods, yet the parents received NO information.
    Its time to get serious. There are parents who are getting very angry about the lack of academic challenge (don’t read homework here), school communications, and related issues and want positive change now. The only problem with being in second, third, or fourth place is thinking that you are in the lead.
    BIS inherits a very talented group of students. The teachers are solid. They need leadership to allow the students to perform. Step up, or move aside.

  34. alittlebird

    Who are the leaders? Are they being evaluated, as is the case with the teachers? If the teachers are doing their jobs, so should it be with the leaders. Where does the board stand with all this?

  35. KRN

    Try this to see if it works.
    Imagine that you are sitting in your class of 30 students the bottom wing at BIS. There are no longer any school bells to start or end class and you have only three minutes between classes. Your destination is your next class at the top wing of the school.
    The teacher announces the end of class.(if they remember) You collect your books and place them in your backpack and exit the room with your 30 classmates. You then must negotiate the enclosed halls full of students to then enter the main hall where over 800 students are moving from class to class. You would like to stop to go to the bathroom or your locker but in doing so you may not make it to your next class on time. If you are tardy to class a certain number of times you will be suspended from class.
    I would like to see the adults handle this on a daily basis. The students don’t need the additional stress of getting suspended because they can’t get to class on time because the passing period is too short or that they are released late from their previous class.
    This is setting them up for failure.
    It is interesting to note that at Back to School Night, the parents were given five minutes to move from class to class.

  36. alittlebird

    KRN, it seems likes somebody is trying to pull the wool over the parents’ eyes! Again, where does the board stand on all this?

  37. KRN

    The Board can read the same data that I have!
    API Scores
    BIS
    Previous Administration (Why the drop?)
    2007 852
    2008 890
    Current Administration
    2009 879
    2010 880
    Comparative API 2010
    BIS 880
    Taylor 883
    Crocker 951
    Bowditch 912
    Abbott 832
    Borel 826
    Parkside 782
    Tierra Linda 917 (San Carlos)
    Central 872 (San Carlos)
    Hillview 934 (Menlo Park)
    La Entrata 970 (Menlo Park)
    Is this “Good Enough?”

  38. alittlebird

    If the board has the same data you have shown, KRN, I guess there will never be a change! Maybe the board members need to be changed.

  39. KRN

    The problem is that the parents think that “good enough” will do it. Look at the post from above.
    “I had two kids go through BIS recently and I have only praise for hard working engaged teachers. Don’t be afraid Lincoln Mom. BIS is not as bad as these posts would want you to believe.”
    It is only after they finish high school that they realize that they are behind.
    It takes just a few thin envelopes to change minds… but by that time, its too late.KRN@

  40. Lincoln mom

    KRN and alittlebird, do you have any hard recommendations for positive forward motion and engaging interested parties on this? My Lincoln playground discussions of this topic would suggest that many of us could be mobilized…we just don’t know the details about the issues or the route to success. Should we be asking to meet with Talarico?

  41. KRN

    I will post a plan but let’s just start with the following data and a single question regarding Language Arts scores.
    As posted above, the following are the Language Arts CST scores of the current 5th grade students in our district.
    Franklin has 83 students at Advanced
    Lincoln has 61 students at Advanced
    McKinley has 15 students at Advanced
    Roosevelt has 15 students at Advanced
    Washington has 23 students at Advanced
    What is the BIS plan to stimulate and engage these students in 6th Grade?
    What would you consider a satisfactory answer to this questions?
    By the way, business as usual is not sufficient.

  42. alittlebird

    Sorry to keep harping on the same thing, but KRN’s data should be presented to the board at a board meeting, for all to see and hear (only problem is that few attend the board meetings, I gather).
    Don’t we also want to be sure we are stimulating those students who aren’t scoring “advanced” so they can possibly get such scores?

  43. Two Cents

    VOTE NO ON PROP O.
    Dear Lincoln Mom,
    Sorry it astounds you that some people do not want to pay parcel taxes.
    We pay enough property tax. The school district has to manage their money and budget better instead of nickel and diming us every year. Since more than half of Burlingame is renters, the homeowners are always being asked to pony up.
    Lincoln mom; we are all not trust fund babies, we are not all housewives with no housework; many of us are hardworking people who think enough is enough. I am happy to support the schools through my property taxes but not so happy when they come back for more.
    VOTE NO On PROP O

  44. Lincoln mom

    Two cents,
    As I have no trustfund and work 50+ hours a week for the privilege of living in Burlingame, I will assume you are counting me as one of your “hardworking people” type of neighbors.
    If you’re concerned about inequity and injustice in the property tax burden, maybe you could direct your attention to Prop 13. I pay almost 20 times the property tax than my next-door neighbor, who could sell her home for a 2000% profit over what she paid for it back in the sixties. So when people in her situation get upset about a $150 parcel tax, it feels unfair and short sighted to me, because part of that profit relates directly to how good the local schools are.
    Enough is enough indeed.

  45. Lincoln mom

    And KRN, I’ll look forward to a plan to attend a future board meeting. Happy to disseminate information and recruit others to join along. Thanks in advance for your leadership here.

  46. KRN

    We are looking at Board Meeting dates right now. We are also planning a pre-meeting for interested parents.
    I spoke with a local educational consultant today who is working with current 9th grade students. He stated… “the students are not learning the skills in middle school that they they need to succeed in high school and beyond. They can ‘chug and plug’ to get A’s, but they are not really acquiring learning skills or mastering the material.
    The students are coming out of BIS with 4.0 GPA’s for “doing notebook” and they think they are prepared. Notebook does not translate into preparation for higher education.

  47. Joe

    Back on the real estate theme of this thread 🙂
    A local broker provides a September wrap-up as follows:
    No. of Sales: 12
    Avg Price: $1.145M
    Avg Days on Mkt: 58
    Avg % of Listing Price: 95%
    Does that seems like a bit of a slowdown?

  48. KRN

    Why the lie?
    At a recent PTA coffee, it was reported that only a few advanced math students were properly prepared to move on.
    In reality, last year’s 7th grade Algebra students (the first class of advanced math) outscored the 8th grade. The data provided at the meeting was also sent to parents to ask them to re-evaluate their child’s placement in 8th grade Geometry. Sadly, some parents removed their child from Geometry based upon bad data.
    7th 26- students (one full year ahead)
    56% Advanced
    35% Proficient
    8% Basic
    8th 256- Students (grade level)
    48% Advanced
    33% Proficient
    16% Basic

  49. KRN

    The data above is the CST Algebra 1 scores for BIS last year.
    Of the 26 students enrolled in the class, 56% scored at the Advanced Level.
    Sadly, the Gatekeeping entrance requirements administered by the school has blocked additional qualified students from enrollment. A single class of 26 could easily have been more students.

  50. Barry

    Stop being jealous of the people who have been living here for some time Lincoln Mom. What should we do? Throw out all the old people here that were living here when this city was touted as a ” Cheap Alternative to living in San Francisco”. Grow up!

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