Candidate for
For School Director; Berkeley Unified School District

Dear Voter,

I am asking for your support in my campaign for re-election to the Berkeley School Board. From the very first day I took office in 1996 I have been working hard to improve Berkeley's public schools. As a teacher I know what works in the classroom and how to get results. That's why I played a key role in the funding and implementation of the District's early literacy plan and have pushed for high standards, reliable assessments and genuine accountability.

As a School Board Director these past four years, this last one as President of the Board, I have focused on the areas of academic quality and student achievement. We are making progress in these areas and I am very proud of our accomplishments, which include: · Implementation of the District's early literacy plan · Adoption of world-class, high academic standards in English/Language Arts, Math, Science, Social Sciences and visual and performing Arts · Improvement of services for our English language learners · Expansion of after-school programs · Approval to teach Algebra to all students in the 8th grade

The early results of our work are encouraging. Test scores are coming up. Several of our schools have received California Distinguished Schools and/or Excellence in Arts Education awards. But most important, there is a new sense of optimism about our schools and a renewed sense of urgency to improve the achievement of ALL students.

Although we have accomplished a lot over the past four years, there is still work to be done. My goals for the next four years include: · Helping the District to develop and implement strategies to end the two-tiered system of academic achievement which still exists in our District. · Expanding the literacy plan with the goal of ensuring that every student with three or more years of attendance in our District performs at grade level or better in reading and writing. · Implementing an academic curriculum in the pre-school and Kindergarten programs at all sites. · Strengthening communication with homes regarding the performance of students. · Reorganizing Berkeley High to provide a more personal and safer environment so ALL students can succeed. · Continuing to improve the District's accountability system.

Thanks in advance for your support.

Sincerely yours,

Joaquín J. Rivera, President Berkeley School Board