1/15/15 Update on Berkeley Adult School

An update about the situation at Berkeley Adult School from the Berkeley Adult School Facebook page.  (For the backstory on the situation, see this AEM post or this Berkeleyside article.)

Some of the more than 100 supporters of the

Berkeley Adult School at the board meeting.

Photo: Seung Y. Lee

The immense support, letter writing, social media/blog posting, phone calls and participation in various meetings from friends of BAS recently have been received by our Board and it is important that we continue to advocate for our programs, to organize to inform and have a presence at meetings, write letters, and invite Board members to visit. We are moved and grateful for the unified support of ...our school particularly from our staff. Local stakeholders have written letters, made phone calls and spoken at meetings. At Wednesday evening's Board meeting, Superintendent Evans said "We're not in a position to talk about long-term solutions." While the Superintendent's recommendation to re-purpose our site as an elementary school has been postponed, it remains one of two long term solutions, the other to build a new elementary school at the Oregon Street property. In mid-February, the Superintendent's staff will be looking at projected enrollment for Fall 2015 and determining which elementary schools need new modular classrooms as a temporary solution. If elementary enrollment continues to increase we may have to face the possibility that our advocacy turns to keeping us whole and finding a new location. 

Students and faculty from Berkeley Adult School

stand and hold signs in solidarity

 against relocation of the school at Wednesday’s board meeting.

Photo: Seung Y. Lee

 Adult Education is a tool for social justice and like other worthy causes, we need to always highlight the good work we do by informing our Board, District staff, and legislators, asking the press and public to come and write about who we serve and how we do it, attend and participate in school district meetings, engage our students to work with us and stay in the limelight. BAS staff will be focusing our attention on alternative solutions for our Board to consider other than spreading our classes through the district and the value of the investment in keeping us whole. 

 

There will be a town hall style meeting in mid-February regarding the future of BAS, please stay tuned for details and plan on attending if you can.

Thank you for your support.

"We must accept finite disappointment, but never lose infinite hope." Martin Luther King, Jr.

Please see the AEM post, "All Out for Berkeley Adult School" for a full list of resources, contact info, media coverage, etc.  That post will be continuously updated.