Berkeley Parent Concerns and Request for Dialogue

Hi fellow parents, I hope you're all doing well. As a Berkeley parent for more than 11 years, I just wanted to share a quick reminder and a bit of encouragement. Has anyone already reached out to their department heads or spoken directly with Principal Al regarding the concerns we raised in the petition? If not, I strongly encourage you to do so. Over the years, I’ve seen that the school, especially Principal Al, has always been open to hearing from parents, as long as we approach it with respect and a genuine desire to collaborate. Before classes start, they typically hold a parent dialogue or consultation, and it's a great opportunity for us to speak up and be part of the conversation. While the petition is a strong first step, I truly believe that raising our voices directly, whether individually or in small groups, can really help move things forward. Let’s make sure we stay involved and present, not just for ourselves, but for the benefit of all our children. -Supportive Parent

1. We really appreciate it if the school could consider making MSE an optional or elective subject moving forward. While we understand the value of music in a well-rounded education, not all kids are musically inclined. Rather than being a separate subject with additional costs, music appreciation could be more appropriately incorporated into MAPEH, as it is in most standard curricula. It might also be a great opportunity to offer students more choice by introducing other elective subjects. Something in line with today’s digital world, like coding, digital art, or even basic robotics, could really spark different interests and give them useful skills too. 2. We wanted to comment on the recent intramurals. We understand the school is doing its best, but with only one basketball court shared by both elementary and high school students, the event ended up stretching to two full weeks. It may be worth considering renting a private facility next time to help run the games more efficiently and minimize disruption to class time. 3. We also strongly believe that forming a Parent-Teacher Association (PTA) would be a valuable step forward for the school community. A PTA would provide a structured platform for parents and teachers to collaborate, voice concerns, and work together on meaningful improvements—whether it's planning school events, tuition fee hikes, discussing curriculum matters like electives, or addressing facility limitations. It’s something we feel is long overdue and would make a real difference in creating a more engaged and supportive environment for our children. 4. We would also like to raise a concern about gadget usage within the school premises. We understand that technology plays a role in learning, but unsupervised or excessive use of gadgets during school hours can be quite detrimental. It often leads to reduced focus, shorter attention spans, and even behavioral issues among children. It also affects their social development, as kids

For the cheering and field demo, it would also be better if there was a proper venue so the audience and students would be more comfortable.

The school needs a PTA

We can all get involved for the better

Posting my comment here again as it was deleted :) take this not as criticism but as constructive dialogue :) I do think it is ironic that this platform is used to voice out opinions, but by deleting my comment, you already prove how communication would go if you were a member of the PTA. Where is the "fostering of collaboration and communication" as mentioned? Hello, Berkeley graduate here. While I may not be able to comment directly on the MSE program as it was created after I finished, I can say that the shortening of intrams should not happen. It's an event that brings the batch together towards a common goal, allows the students to academically rest, and lets parents, students, and teachers also bond during this time. In the whole school year, it would only eat up 2 weeks, and the benefits far outweigh the time consumed, and would you really want to shorten that? Education is not just purely academic. It should also encourage intrapersonal relationships and knowing how to communicate as a team and build connections for the future. Furthermore, I do work with AI and LLMs. This post does give off the vibe of ChatGPT written content. Would you teach your children to submit homework that is mostly AI generated? Wouldn't it be better for a letter like this to be written directly from the hearts of concerned parents? I did run this through an AI detector, and voila! AI detected over 75%. For the parent involvement, I would have to semi-agree with conditions. This should be voluntary, though, as not all parents can commit the time and effort it takes to be in this association. There should be a clear set of guidelines as well, and they can even collaborate with the student council. Please don't delete my comment again :)

agree with the petition content

1 year ago Featured

We are parents who are concern of our son’s quality of education received at Berkeley. We want to join the petition so we can also voice out our concerns and thoughts to the right people who needs to hear and people who CAN actually make changes on how education are rendered during classes.

I agree to the provisions of this petition. I understand the benefits of this cause to the welfare of my child. Thank you.

1 year ago Featured

I do agree that the activities must be centered in a more holistic character, body and mind development. Kids learn less every year. Thank you!

Totally after with the MSE petition. I hope students would be given more time to read and less time on screen. Also wish they had a computer lab it’s no joke to have a gadget/student. If they have clubs, their gadgets are at risk when they are in public playing football. Not sure if going back to single subjects would be better for them to give the right focus for every subject esp. Filipino. New football coaches pls. Thanks

1 year ago Featured

I also think that the lack of space or courts contribute to the long duration of intrams