Community Letter to BUSD Board of Education

This is heartbreaking and distressing. My student at ECHS has been hearing about anti-semitic incidents occurring at BUSD in real time through student friends and families. Do better BUSD!

Grandparent of a BUSD student.

I worked for several years as a substitute clerical worker in the Berkeley Public Schools. Even in the best of times, there was often disrespect and lack of discipline among students. In this challenging time, please take steps to ensure that students and teachers treat each other with respect regardless of religion or ethnicity.

I also wrote the Superintendent and the interim Principal and heard NOTHING back.

BUSD parent - please protect our children

ofc

You have the opportunity to step up to fulfill your mission and duty to the students under your care. Please don’t fail to do what’s right!

Berkeley High has not been transparent nor active about keeping children safe, despite what is spelled out in their mission, and preached by spokespersons. This is yet another example.

Anti-semitism, discrimination, and hate speech has no place in Berkeley. Protect your students. Protect your students. Protect your students.

In the process right now of deciding whether my child will attend Berkeley high next year and boy is it sitting heavy that the district doesn’t care about my child or his well-being.

There should be zero tolerance for any kind of discrimination at school, regardless of religion or political belief. Please take care of all our children so they feel safe. It is your job as an educator to do so.

Protect our kids!

We need major action on this situation now!!!

All life is precious and sacred

2 years ago Featured

Safety for all students from all backgrounds is the most important thing a school can do. We’re not asking BUSD to take a side, just to keep our kids safe in this challenging time. BUSD has the power to stop this before there’s physical violence.

I was disappointed to see a lack of response to the Palestinian Walk-out day poster. I would have expected the progressive BUSD to issue a non-partisan peace-base statement. Now, there is a backlash of antisemitism that needs to be addressed.

I have always been proud that we raised our children in Berkeley-- a place of tolerance and diversity. Our children are Berkeley High graduates. Students are being bullied and are becoming emotionally damaged by their teachers, peers and administration. This is an educational institution, not a politically biased organization. No student should be made fearful for their physical and emotional safety while in school.

As a grandparent whose parents immigrated to the US to escape pogroms and antisemitism for their children, it is heartbreaking to see my grandchild being exposed to hate speech in a Berkeley school. Children can’t learn in fear. Hate hurts there spirits, injured their souls. Have you learned nothing about keeping ALL children safe? About teaching children to get along, to respect differences, to find peaceful means to resolve conflict? Educators, do your job, hard as it is. Have a moral backbone. Have courage to do the right thing for all children. Do it now.

I am astonished but not surprised BHS is not protecting their community! My sons who are alumni are embarrassed to say they attended BUSD schools.

Especially at this difficult time, please increase efforts to protect Jewish students and all students from hate.