District-wide Student Achievement Plan

By Karen (Johnson) Hemphill

I have the skills and demonstrated leadership to engage our school and wider community in the open, inclusive, and interest-based dialogue necessary to address student achievement from kindergarten through 12 grade in a comprehensive, effective and finacially sustainable way.

And, the result is staggering, despite the incumbent's public statements that "progress is being made", an increasing number of our elementary schools, all of our middle schools, and the Alternative High School are failing federal education standards and last year many schools and specific student communities did not advance in state-based standards. Last year, 25-40% of Berkeley High students taking core classes needed for college admission were in danger of failing by the end of the first semester and only 66% of African American students passed the high school exit exam by the end of the year. Special education, vocational and alternative education, and programs for academically gifted students have been ignored. And, the Board has been absolutely unable to deal with the "elephant in the room" which is that the District is failing African American children (30% of the District's students) and that many African American families become disillusioned, disconnected, and feel disenfranchised from the District.

The role of the School Board in developing a District-wide student achievement plan must be to lead and facilitate the school community as well as the university, community colleges, city, non-profit and the wider Berkeley community in a unified, not divisive process that can tackle the complex and sensitive issues that must be addressed to achieve academic excellence for all students. This requires Board members that have or can forge relationships with Berkeley's many diverse communities and interest groups, within and without the School District, something the incumbents have not done well. The plan must develop initiatives for core subjects, set guidelines for individual school sites to develop specific achievement plans, focus on academic excellence, for students all academic levels, from struggling students to those ready to achieve at the highest levels, include participation in the arts and athletics as a way of developing student self esteem, discipline, and joy of learning, and stress the importance of home-school partnerships.