Tag Archives: BHS science labs
The BHS science flap — the ripples are spreading
When I first wrote about principal Jim Slemp’s proposal to eliminate 0 and 7th period science labs at Berkeley High, not many people seemed to notice. We’ve tried on Berkeleyside to keep up with events on what is a key issue for BHS and Berkeley more broadly. We’re particularly grateful for the many thoughtful comments that have flowed in to our main post on the subject.
It’s good to report that many more people now have picked up … Continue reading »
BHS board meeting dominated by science issue
Five of the ten speaker slots at last night’s Berkeley High School board meeting were taken up with the ongoing debate over Principal Jim Slemp’s proposal to cut certain science classes to channel funds towards closing the school’s achievement gap.
Turnout was estimated to be around 20-30 parents and teachers. The president of the board, Karen Hemphill, said the board had not seen the proposal in question. Speaking on the topic … Continue reading »
Science and equity: BHS parents weigh in
The controversy continues over Berkeley High School principal Jim Slemp’s proposal to eliminate before- and after-school time for science labs in order to direct funding towards “equity grants” aimed at reducing the achievement gap in the school.
See Berkeleyside’s original post on this issue here and an open letter on the subject from Priscilla Myrick, a former BHS Governance Council parent representative, here.
A group of BHS parents has set up a “Science and Equity” group which is questioning the need to choose between the two.
They have drafted a letter to the community articulating their point-of-view and suggesting steps those who support them can take. We reproduce it here:
BERKELEY HIGH PARENTS FOR SCIENCE and EQUITY
Dec. 15, 2009
Subject: BHS science program under attack
Dear Berkeley Community,
Can you believe it – they are reducing science education at Berkeley High School when everyone else, led by President Obama, is going in the other direction? That’s what the SGC decided last week when they approved the principal’s new plan, written in secrecy and voted in at the same hour it was reviewed.
The plan hid the fact that BHS would get rid of 0 & 7th period science labs for all students e.g. ALL labs at Berkeley High. This money would be allocated to a new made-up term an “equity grant,” a concept invented by the principal. The SGC was asked to choose between science (real classes for real kids) and “equity” (an undefined idea that will cost half a million dollars of taxpayers’ money.) Well documented research and common sense shows that what struggling students need most are strong experienced teachers teaching solid curriculum. This is not a time to experiment with unsubstantiated untested ideas. There are strong support programs at Berkeley High right now; we should be expanding those instead.
The funds from Berkeley’s BSEP Measure A, your special parcel tax dollars, are currently the only funding given to science labs at Berkeley High. All students take science. Less science instruction will only hurt the kids already struggling with the achievement gap, contrary to what we are all trying to achieve here. The achievement gap cannot shrink with less science instruction. That’s crazy.
Science at BHS: an open letter
We wrote last week about the debate over science and the achievement gap at Berkeley High School. There’s a stream of comments on that earlier post that are well worth reading, if you’re concerned about the issue.
Priscilla Myrick, a former Berkeley High School Governance Council parent representative and mother of two BHS graduates, weighs in with an open letter, arguing for the importance of the science labs:
Science education for all Berkeley … Continue reading »
Endangered science at BHS
Berkeley High’s School Governance Council voted this week to approve principal Jim Slemp’s latest proposal for a new schedule at BHS. It now goes to the Berkeley Unified School District (although Slemp claims that the proposal doesn’t need BUSD approval).
The most contentious aspect of the new schedule is the elimination of before- and after-school time for science labs. The extra funding that goes to science will be used instead for unspecified “equity grants”, aimed at … Continue reading »
BHS schedule shift rumbles on
If you’re keeping up with the running debate about changing the schedule at Berkeley High School, you’ll want to read all 11 pages of the latest action plan, submitted by teacher team leaders and principal Jim Slemp.
The action plan allows each of the small schools and programs to determine their own schedules to some extent. It still, however, eliminates 0 and 7th periods for science labs. According to some BHS science teachers, the reduction in time for science … Continue reading »
