Category: Schools

  • Graduation Requirement: Let’s have the Legislature go first

    Sometimes you have to laugh at the Sacramento hubris otherwise you will just cry.  Such was the state of affairs last week when the wise folks in Sac added "personal finance" to the required high school curriculum.  From the Merc:

    Last week, California became the 26th state to require high school students to take a stand-alone, one-semester financial literacy course when Gov. Gavin Newsom approved Democratic Assemblymember Kevin McCarty’s bill, AB 2927.  The personal finance course will teach students a range of topics, including banking, budgeting, loans, insurance, investing and credit.

    Schools will be required to offer the course by the 2027-28 school year, and the course will be a graduation requirement for the class of 2030-31.

    “We need to help Californians prepare for their financial futures as early as possible,” Newsom said in a recent statement. “Saving for the future, making investments and spending wisely are lifelong skills that young adults need to learn before they start their careers, not after.”

    I will add they especially need these skills if they want to start a career in politics.  Let's go back to February when two people who understand finance reiterated concerns about the mess called the state budget.  Studying "budgeting" and "credit"?  Let's let the Legislature take the course before the high school kids, please.

  • History: Two new Washington Park plaques

    I'm a bit behind with this post as the unveiling of two new historical plaques in Washington Park was a couple weeks ago.  The plaques were made possible by donations from two BHS Class of '62 members, Bill Walsh and Fred Hawley, and the services of the B'game Historical Society for the content and Park & Rec staff for the installation.  One at the entrance to the high school driveway covers the history of the school.  The other is deep in the park near the rose garden and covers the history of the Gunst mansion that stood on the site.

    Mr. Walsh is on the left and Mr. Hawley is in the middle flanked by three Historical Society board members–from the left, Joanne Garrison, Jennifer Pfaff and my lovely wife Cathy.  Check out these new historical additions to our town when you are in the park.  Hopefully there are more to come.

    IMG_4905

  • UC Berkeley: “Cluster hires”. What could go wrong?

    Let's do one more education-related post to keep the streak running.  The Sunday SF Comicle section titled "Insight" provided a rare sliver of insight this week.  I enjoy watching new words being created and this piece brought wider notice to the term "Pretendianism" to describe the act of faking your ethnic background to take advantage of ethnicity-driven hiring programs.  The piece titled "Pretendianism too common in academia" asks the question: How do so many people with no Native ties get away with using a false heritage to infiltrate some of the most rarefied academic spaces in America?

    I'll skip over the details of one Associate professor Elizabeth Hoover's gaming of the system because the article leaked an even more egregious practice at UC Berkeley that probably exists elsewhere in publicly funded academia.  It's hardly news and it's quite profitable as the Other Elizabeth has been proving for more than a decade.

    But deep in the article, this tidbit is revealed

    Contrary to some reports, Hoover was not a “cluster hire,” the faculty member said, which is when several new faculty members identified as members of a minority or historically disadvantaged groups are brought aboard simultaneously — a method has been championed at UC Berkeley to make “an immediate and substantial impact far greater than a few isolated hires.” 

    Yikes!  Is this a "cheaper by the dozen" approach?  Let's not spend time and effort examining individuals' skill sets.  We'll just hire a handful all at once that look the right way.  One wonders if that tactic would survive the "shoe on the other foot" test?  Is it any wonder that campuses are a mess?  California taxpayers are not getting their money's worth, and the faculty lounge is the first place where the shades should be lifted and sunlight should shine.  "Rarefied spaces" indeed.

  • BHS Baseball cracks the Top 15

    Let's keep the school post rally going by highlighting today's SF Comicle Top 15 high school baseball rankings.  BHS made the #15 slot–the only team not ranked preseason!  There are not a lot of public schools on the list–Los Gatos being one that has a rich baseball history–as does B'game.  Keep it up, team.

    BHS Baseball T15

    Update May 18:  Things did not go well for the Panthers today against Mitty at Washington Park.  It was a beautiful day for baseball, until it wasn't.  I arrived mid-game when BHS was down 6-1 and it went downhill from there.  I think it was 12-1 at the end due to strong hitting by Mitty and some very sloppy defense by the home team.  That's the way the ball bounces.  Making the CCS D-I playoffs is quite an accomplishment, and my guess is that is what the coaches are telling the players here after the game.

    Panthers last team meeting_2024

  • BHS students handling college rejection

    While we're on the subject of schools, imagine my surprise when I turned to page A7 in yesterday's SF Comicle and saw a photo of the BHS' Burlingame B bulletin board.  The article described a trend at "prestigious" high schools that students are posting their rejection letters from college admissions offices.  It's apparently an attempt at some sort of cathartic release.  The reporter profiled Lick-Wilderming in SF, Paly and BHS.  Good company, no doubt.

    For many high school students, the pressure to get into top colleges is intense, with students striving to get straight A’s, excel in extracurriculars, demonstrate leadership and share their unique qualities in a perfect essay.  Acceptances are celebrated while the rejections are shouldered in silence, the letters starting with “sorry to inform you” stuck on repeat in their internal soundtracks.

    Students at some of the Bay Area’s most prestigious public and private high schools, however, have decided to fight back against the pressure, publicly posting their college rejection letters at school in what students said is a cathartic sharing of grief and an acknowledgment that rejection is a normal part of life.

    The article goes on with the usual back-and-forth about the wisdom or damage of doing this vis a vis other students, parents, administrators, book authors, etc.  You can read through it yourselves for a taste of the high school zeitgeist.  The local angle is

    At Burlingame High School, senior Arda Inegol applied to 29 colleges in the fall, including some of the top universities in the country, hoping his 4.33 GPA, his impressive extracurriculars and athletics would result in a flurry of acceptances this spring.   “Sometimes not everything is as you expected it to be,” he said.  There was a day, he said, when four rejections came in. Eventually he had 13 “we regret to inform you” letters in hand, 11 acceptances and spots on five waitlists.

    At school, it felt like everyone was just talking about acceptances, Arda said, as if rejections didn’t exist. He felt his classmates should create a sense of unity from the experience and suggested to administrators and classmates they create a rejection wall.  His principal, Jen Fong, embraced the idea.

    “It’s a really important way for students to express their disappointments and join in solidarity,” Fong said, adding there is great concern for students’ mental health coming out of COVID. “It’s an opportunity to normalize a negative experience.”

    No body should expect to go 29 for 29 regardless of one's resume.  Admissions officers have multiple parameters, some of which have nothing to do with the individual applicant.  For example, school-based or region-based "quotas".  And given what we are learning from the recent Supreme Court ruling, there are even more factors–not all legal or ethical.  Inegol noted:

    “Once this whole process is over, you realize that it was so stupid. No college defines who you are,” he said. “Eventually you do get into a school that fits you well. I am happy where I will end up.”

    I would add even if the first school doesn't fit right, you can always transfer.  It's pretty easy–just keep the grades in good standing.  The real world is full of opportunities for disappointment.  When they turn into "shame" is when a rethink is in order.  If the bulletin board helps, go for it.

    BHS rejection board

  • Tracking SMUSHD legal activity…or inactivity?

    As a sort of public service and for everyone's reading convenience, I will post the "bottom-line" comment from a long time Voice commenter as a fresh new post.  Readers can always scroll…and scroll.. and scroll through the earlier post from October 2022 here.  OneManginiWay writes:

    Three points rather than three sentences… (and a few additional words)

    1. The defrauding of the public by the SMUHSD, its Trustees, and Superintendents.

    2. The Misappropriation of public funds of (estimated) almost $1 million in tax-payers money for fraudulent investigation and legal expenses.

    3. The destruction of the history and traditions of Burlingame High School by the (internal) Carpetbaggers who literally hate the town, its parents, (and their public standing) and the values of the community. (But love the money the parents give to put in their pocket).

    The Burlingame Voice has been the literal (and intentional) roadside billboard to document these actions. Why?  So the SM County Grand Jury can (once again) revisit the facts of what has transpired.

    For me, the big question is what's next?  So far, from the outside, it seems like this issue has stalled.  If the County Grand Jury isn't recommending anything be done, or if it is and the powers-that-be choose not to pursue it, what's next?  A Go Fund Me campaign for legal expenses?  Would that even kick start anything?  It's very hard to say.

  • BIS: Still Distinguished

    The 2024 California Distinguished Schools list is out with awards for 2023 and BIS has again made the list–one of only five in San Mateo County.  The state dashboard shows some details like English Language Arts declining 4.7 points while Math stayed the same and English learner progress was up 5.8%.  Here in town, BIS has not always had such a good reputation vis a vis the elementary schools and BHS as noted three years ago here and in the 64 comments on the post. In an era when elite colleges are realizing standardized tests like the SAT actually have value (big surprise!), getting the award is good news.

    Chronic absenteeism is in the orange warning zone at BIS and is a widespread problem as noted here.  The dashboard notes BIS had 1,013 students of which 17.4% are socioeconomically disadvantaged.  That's 176 middle schoolers in town who "are eligible for free or reduced priced meals; or have parents/guardians who did not receive a high school diploma."

    It's good to see we are keeping up with Belmont, Menlo Park, Portola Valley and San Carlos–the other four award winners.

  • What’s up with California school administration?

    Thankfully this post is not about Burlingame but given what we read on some of our longest running School posts like this one from October 2022 there may be some learning to be gained by looking at recent events at Pittsburg High School.  The Chronicle had a piece about the PE teacher and football coach at Pittsburg High School that left me with many questions.  First, some details with extra bolding:

    When school officials in the East Bay city of Pittsburg were told that a high school football coach had been accused of groping female students, they reprimanded him repeatedly for at least a decade — but allowed him to keep his job after each instance, then to quietly retire. In an agreement on the terms of his departure, the district made a major concession: It promised not to tell prospective employers about the coach’s history.

    The complaints about former Pittsburg High School coach Phillip Webb finally surfaced Wednesday after a lawsuit was filed by two of his alleged victims, young women who said he had touched them inappropriately when they were students in 2015 and 2016. Documents obtained by the women’s lawyers show that officials told Webb at least a half dozen times to change his behavior but never punished him.

    The state Commission on Teacher Credentialing issued a reproval against Webb this May, but did not revoke the teaching credential he had been issued in 1985. He had taught physical education in addition to coaching football.  That means Webb could still apply to other California school districts to work with youngsters.  The agreement was provided to the Chronicle by Lauren Cerri, an attorney for the two women, who obtained it under the California Public Records Act.

    Webb did not address any of the claims in the lawsuit, and said any further questions should be directed to his attorney. He has not been charged with any crimes.

    You can read through many of the details on-line as it is a long piece.  But it begs so many questions.  Many incidents were reported by students and other teachers (e.g. 2007, 2013, 2015, 2019, 2021 and 2022!). That last one was on a security camera.  How many warnings do principals and superintendents hand out before they do something more?  How transparent with the school community are they–and should they be when it's a "personnel issue"?  Where's the school board oversight?  One of the girls' fathers is quoted and is angry and confused by the apparent inaction, but at what point does a parent call their local police?  We've read a bit about the Commission on Teacher Credentialing here on the Voice.  What exactly does the CTC do?  What sort of investigative resources do they have?  How high is their hurdle?

    What's up with the agreement about retirement in three months and the secrecy?  Some of that is certainly personnel record law.  That's where the Chronicle ends the piece

    A 2014 law signed by then-Gov. Jerry Brown made it easier for schools to fire educators who commit misconduct, but many still choose to allow them to resign or retire in order to avoid potential legal battles. Bills that would forbid schools from entering into secret agreements that keep misconduct hidden from prospective employers have hit a dead end in the California Legislature.

    More questions.  How easy is it to fire someone under the nine-year old law?  All sorts of crazy stuff sails through the California Legislature and gets signed by governors, but this hits a dead end?  What's up with that, supermajority?

  • BSD has a new substitute teacher

    In the feelgood story of the month or maybe the whole year, our own Vice Mayor Donna Colson has gone through the process of becoming a "30-day substitute teacher".  Her column in the DJ explains the process so for those who are interested in doing the same I'll post it here for future reference:

    To be qualified as a 30-day substitute teacher, you must contact the district in which you would like to work and

    • submit your college transcripts as proof of a degree
    • apply for a Live Scan fingerprint and background check
    • obtain updated tuberculosis screening, and
    • pass a brief series of human resources training modules.

    The process takes only a few hours to complete, and the district office personnel are incredibly helpful. The credential must be renewed annually. With this certification, one can substitute short term in any school and in any grade in the district.

    B'gamers know Councilwoman Colson is a bundle of energy, but stepping into an elementary school substitute teaching role three or four days a month (that's her goal) is next-level energetic.  I recall as a kid the games that were played on subs (by the other kids, of course).  Here's betting that won't happen when Mrs. Colson is in class.  Click through to read the rest of the story.

  • BSD: Caught between two parcel taxes

    As the B'game School District trustees look at options for more funding, the same fatigue I wrote about here three-and-a-half years ago is still lingering.  The story gets more complicated by a competing proposal as reported in the DJ.  The first proposal extends the old 2014 Measure L (not the recent SMUSHD L) that you see on the property tax bills that arrived this week.  You see all of four current school-related line items on the bill.  The other proposal is different.

    During a meeting Tuesday, Oct. 10, trustees discussed their options for possibly extending and increasing Measure L, a $256 per year per parcel tax passed in 2014. The measure is set to expire by 2030 but the board can decide to ask voters for a renewal ahead of time.

    Also up for consideration was whether the board had an interest in endorsing a parent-led movement to pass a citizens’ initiative and whether doing so would be legal. That effort is being led by John Wood and Bryant McLaughlin, parents of Roosevelt Elementary School students, and if passed would charge property owners about 8 cents per square foot per parcel or $80 per vacant parcel, generating about $2 million annually. Someone with a 5,000-square-foot parcel would pay $400 a year.

    Per some consultant

    While a citizens’ initiative needs a simple majority to pass, the district would have no control over how that citizen measure was crafted. Meanwhile, a district measure would need a two-thirds vote for approval but it would get to use its resources to poll the community before developing ballot language, he said.

    The city and district would likely need to develop a memorandum of understanding regarding the citizens’ initiative including a possible reimbursement plan for the city fronting the money for the ballot measure (Ed: $330K-448K) were the citizens’ initiative to be put before voters and other oversight grounds if it were approved.

    The moving parts are what sort of tax format to use (rates, sunset clauses, etc) and who manages and oversees the monies (the City or the District).  Back in 2020, the bond Measure O passed with 60.17%, well above the 55% needed, so there is already $25 per $100,000 of assessed (not market) value per year in place.  And then there is the issue of getting it passed

    Trustee Florence Wong also suggested the study look into whether the public would support the district’s measure with or without changes if another tax measure was on the ballot. Reflecting on previous failed attempts by the district to pass a tax measure, Wong said incremental or smaller changes appear to be more appealing to voters.

    “People still remembered when the parcel taxes they tried to pass didn’t, so that’s a stinger when it doesn’t pass. There’s a lot of thought and anxiety about trying to add more taxes,” Wong said. “I feel very confident people would be supportive of continuing what we have.”

    She's right.  When the four flavors of tax already total to two grand per year, there is uncertainty about adding more.

    School parcel tax

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