The Need for Valid Registration

By David Baggins

Harm to the Berkeley Unified School District from cheating in registration and what might be done about it.

Who are the losers of the status quo? The very first group must be Berkeley's own at-risk population. There is no doubt, based on extensive research, that a leading factor determining whether at-risk students succeed or fail is the accomplishment rate of surrounding students. Berkeley's extensive placement program is based on this truth. As well-intentioned school leaders have increased the achievement gap through under-enforcement of residency they have jeopardized the population most in need of support. Simply, a one-third underperforming cohort generates more negative force than intervention can hope to alter. Superintendent Michele Laurence stated "almost the entire work we do is to address equity and achievement". Yet the achievement gap remains. If Berkeley insists on staying the course of non-enforcement it is only likely to reproduce current results.

The second loser group is of course taxpayers. They have generously supported the schools with the promise that education would become better for Berkeley's kids. Little did they know the real priority for funding was for out-of-district low performance students. As funding is increasingly raised from local sources, the problem of parents outside the city wanting to access city schools can only increase.

Third, given the policies that have created the achievement gap, it is difficult to advance all other priorities. As the Superintendent said, almost all energies go to dealing with the achievement gap. What then for average students? Berkeley's privileged kids, while deserving a fine education and inclusive rights in the schools, will find a way to educate themselves. Average students of Berkeley, however, are under considered in their education needs. Doesn't every child of the community deserve an education based on the best interest of the child?

Finally, the community as a whole loses as resources are drained to service the larger East Bay. Schools ought to have the resources to serve as playground, park, and cultural center. Yet as resources are diverted to serving the much larger East Bay, this function is drained.

So what is to be done?

Berkeley needs a validation office that ends false registration as a norm. Other districts think the task is perfectly achievable. Teachers must be encouraged to believe that at their own discretion they can contact that office when they know a student to be out of district. If after this the city is committed to high external access, the way to that end is increased valid transfers. But transfer policy should not be used to the disadvantage of local at-risk youths by exacerbating the achievement gap.

Here is my working plan to address BUSD's most critical issue:

1. Recognize that for ideological reasons the well meaning leaders of the schools still would rather ignore the problem. They must be helped to realize that self imposed ignorance is no longer a viable option. Flood the papers with letters. My experience is that nearly everyone in the district has personal experience with registration cheating. Let them know.

2. Recognize that many teachers desire improvement in registration security. A local student body is an improvement in teaching/learning conditions. Teachers should be issued forms that allow them to identify out-of-district students they individually conclude to be inappropriate for service. Such identification will always be investigated and acted upon if valid.

3. At risk students entering Berkeley High are a particularly important group. So long as a third the students of Berkeley High are part of the Achievement Gap real progress cannot be made. Valid registration must be conducted to reduce this group to the rates Berkeley's census demographics predict as genuinely local. That is less than half the current rate.

4. Commission exploration of the question of registration validation process at other similarly situated school districts with the intent of creating a validation system in Berkeley not less protective of our district than that deployed by other districts.

5. Lobby the state for a change in state law allowing the charging of user fees for out-of-district students to approximately match Berkeley tax payer per student contributions. A percentage of such funds should be held by the district as scholarship for deserving low income students. Such practice is common in many states.

6. Recognize that if such user fees cannot be charged then incrementally BUSD capacity should be reduced to more nearly equal in district demand. A local tax base should not run capacity only filled by transfers and false registration. Local students should not have to experience overcrowded conditions because the district fails to limit illegal access.