End the Fake Lottery at Berkeley High

By David Baggins

Berkeley High currently runs a fixed lottery based on neighborhood to place students. A city as bright as Berkeley surely can construct a more beneficial and less offensive system.

I propose that every eighth grade child in the public school be allowed his or her first choice of schools in Berkeley High if all classes are passed with a grade of "C" and all state exams are passed with a score at least of "basic".

This encourages all of the desirable behaviors. Berkeley residents are encouraged to choose public school. Middle schools kids are rewarded for effort and achievement. Rewards are linked to accomplishment rather than lottery or special privilege.

Students who are entering the system or who do not achieve these standards are sent to private conference. The first priority is to determine if the student is entitled to district service. If not, the achievement gap is reduced by referring the parent to the appropriate home district. For decades the district has tried to reduce the achievement gap without success. A valid registration system for students entering Berkeley High should achieve previously elusive results.

If the student is entitled to service and is low achieving, the conference tries to ascertain with the parent the causes of low achievement. With a councilor the student and parent then co-choose a school. The councilor represents the district in assuring than no school become over-burdened with low achieving students.