Piedmont Ahead
News from Piedmont Unified School District
Welcome to Piedmont Ahead
Board Passes Resolution In Support of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Queer(LGTBQ+) Pride Month
In a resolution (15-2020-21) passed by the Piedmont Board of Education on May 26, the District proclaimed June 2021 Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Queer Pride Month and will fly a rainbow flag at each school within the Piedmont Unified School District throughout the month of June to signify support for the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer community.
In a statement read before the reading the resolution, Trustee Hilary Cooper commented, "This board is committed to acknowledging the fact that our LGBTQ+ youth still face harassment and violence in our community."
Ms. Cooper explained follow up actions to tonight's resolution may include:
- Building resources for community members to learn more about queer and trans history and contemporary issues.
- Investing in the projects of local Queer & Trans People Of Color
- Celebrating and uplifting Queer and Trans joy and art
- Showing up for Queer and Trans activists who need resources and support.
The flag in the image above is the Queer Trans People of Color Pride Flag. The triangle in the corner is the trans flag colors and the black and brown stripes represent Black and Brown queer and trans people.
You can read the full resolution, attached to the Board Agenda for the May 26 meeting, Item VIII.F.
Board Approves Expanded Learning Opportunities Grant Bringing $1.5 million in Additional Services for Students
The bold face headings below are the categories from the State under which funds can be spent; the line items under each heading are PUSD programs approved by the board for the district's plan for use of the $1.5 million.
Extending Instructional Time
Summer School ($171,000)
Please note this year's summer school will be different from the enrichment-based programs previously offered. Instead, summer school this year will provide supports for K-5 students who need extra help due to the impact of learning during Covid.
Accelerated progress to close learning gaps through the implementation, expansion, or enhancement of learning supports
Add'l counseling and social-emotional support structures ($130,000)
Secondary reading specialist and literacy intervention support ($120,000)
Instructional paras for literacy and math intervention support ($400,000)
Integrated student supports to address other barriers to learning
Educationally Related Mental Health Services (ERMHS) for Special Education ($48,000)
New/Additional Placements for SPED students ($210,343)
Training and support for school staff on strategies to engage students and families in addressing students' social-emotional health and academic needs
Teachers on Special Assignment for MTSS - Dedicated teacher-leaders to collaborate with and support classroom K-12 teachers in planning classroom academic, behavioral, and social-emotional interventions and to train para educators on small group intervention strategies ($300,000)
Supports for credit deficient students to complete graduation or grade promotion requirements and to increase or improve students' college eligibility
Summer credit recovery program grades 9-12
($10,000)
Additional academic services for students
After school tutors for grades K-12 ($100,000)
Development of progress monitoring and benchmark assessment by teachers ($20,000)
THE ELO grant will go a long way toward meeting many of the needs that parents, teachers and community members have testified to during the long period of the pandemic. We pleased to have state-provided funds to address learning gaps, social emotional and mental health needs, and other needs that have arisen as a result of the pandemic.
PUSD Teachers Invite You to a Community Solidarity Event
Dear PUSD Community,
JOIN US IN COMMUNITY SOLIDARITY
This year has been a trying time for our communities. Our intention is to create a space of solidarity for educators and the community to come together and share our pledges for social and racial justice and equity work in PUSD.
DATE & TIME & LOCATION
Please join us for an act of solidarity: a gathering at the Exedra Plaza in Piedmont Park on June 10th from 7:50-8:50am and 2:50-4:00pm to pledge your support for social and racial justice and equity work in PUSD moving forward.
Feel free to simply show up! Posters and poster making supplies will be available at Piedmont Park. PUSD staff, we highly encourage you to choose one of the following phrases to share during the act of solidarity to send a unified and clear message, build community and be future focused.
I pledge to center equity work in our schools
I pledge to center students and their experiences
Come for whatever amount of time works for you. All are welcome.
If you have questions, you please contact Amiee Peri, Michelle Mazzeo, Hannah Swernoff or Kathryn Levenson, the teachers who are organizing the event.
Post 2020: Compassion and Connection as a Foundation for Addressing Racism
PUSD would like to share this information with our families about a three part workshop series led by Havens parents in collaboration with Piedmont Racial Equity Campaign:
Thursdays, May 27, June 3, and June 10, 7:30-8:30pm
Register here:
***Special guest for the third session: Child psychologist Dr. Allison Briscoe Smith***
Tired of the Facebook divisiveness? Feel like you don't know what to say when your kids come home talking about George Floyd? Not sure why anti-racism is such a big part of the conversation in our schools? Want to learn more?
The past year has been stressful and challenging, even traumatic, for all of us. Now, with school ending and vaccines rolling out, we have a chance to consider how we want to move forward. How do we, and you, want to show up for 2021 and beyond?
One area that we clearly need to work on as a community is racism--its presence in our nation and our own community has come to the fore. But many of us aren't sure where to start to be an ally, or how to have conversations about race with each other and our kids and within our schools. We may have seen discussions on social media or elsewhere that make us wary of participating for fear of saying something wrong.
Now is the time for us to come together and consider how to move forward, with compassion and connection as vehicles, so that we can take action. This three-part workshop series will provide you with skills that are at the foundation of combating racism and that will help in all aspects of our post-pandemic lives.
What it is: a three-part workshop series focused on community building and creating a compassionate foundation for addressing racism. Please plan to attend all three if you can.
1. May 27th, 7:30 pm We will learn science-backed empathy skills as we discuss the past year with each other.
2. June 3, 7:30 pm We will learn to recognize common ways we react when under stress and to new or challenging information, and how to choose a response that matches our purpose. To help us get grounded in specific examples, we will listen to different artifacts that illuminate the voices of kids from Piedmont schools on their experience about race.
3. June 10, 7:30 pm A conversation with special guest Dr. Allison Briscoe-Smith, a child psychologist specializing in trauma and race. Everything you wanted to know about talking about race, but were afraid to ask. We will address common fears, misunderstandings, and trepidations that keep people from having the conversations we need to have.
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Who should join: anyone who shares the goal of improving connection and communication in our community as a foundation for taking on racism in our community, schools, and ourselves and moving past 2020 in a positive way. We hope that people who haven't figured out how to engage or want to do better, will join. Those who have asked themselves, “How do I talk to my kids about race?” or “I want to say something but I’m afraid I will say the wrong thing” should join. Anyone who wants to come together to deepen skills, share wisdom, and connect with others to create a culture of positive change, come join us!
Questions? contact Sara Johnson Kerrest (sarakerrest@gmail.com) or Amy Kelly (amykahnkelly@gmail.com)
State Budget Surplus Unlikely to Bring Extra Funding to PUSD
Background: School districts base their initial budget development on the Cost-of-Living Adjustment (COLA) in the January proposal. Each year in May the Governor revises the budget based on updated revenues received in the current year and projections for the budget year. The Legislature then considers the Governor's "May Revise", negotiates and votes in a final budget sometime around June 15. The Legislature can revise the budget up until August 15.
Cost of Living (COLA) expected to increase from 3.4% to 5.07%
The Governor increase COLA from 3.4% in the January budget to 5.07% in the May REvise. For PUSD, the proposed COLA increase will amount to about $266,000.
Why PUSD doesn't expect to receive more: The Governor is expected to significantly increase K-12 funding, but most of the funds are proposed to go to LCFF districts with a high percentage of English Language learners, students in poverty and homeless students, as noted in the chart below. If the Legislature passes the revised budget proposed by the Governor on May 15, PUSD will receive a total about $320,000 in increased revenue compared to what it expected after the release of the budget in January, but also faces total expenditure increases of about $485,000 due to required increases in contributions to the state's unemployment insurance, and retirement funds to STRS and PERS.
Ms. Alahydoian will keep the Board apprised of any changes in anticipated funds that occur between now and the Board's adoption of the 2021-22 budget at the June 23 board meeting.
Have a photo of a class activity or school event to share? Please send to communication@piedmont.k12.ca.us.
Do you have an idea for a story you would like to see featured? Please email communication@piedmont.k12.ca.us.
About Us
Piedmont, CA 94611
(510) 594-2600
Superintendent Randall Booker