League of Women Voters of California Education Fund
Alameda County, CA November 4, 2014 Election
	Julie Sinai Answers Questions Candidate for School Director; Berkeley Unified School District

The questions were prepared by the LWV Berkeley/Albany/Emeryville and asked of all candidates for this office.
Read the answers from all candidates (who have responded).

Questions & Answers

1. The new Local Control Funding Formula moved many decisions about allocating funding from the state to the local school boards; how well has the District followed the spirit of the Formula in identifying what our children need? Would you change anything in the process of developing the Local Control (LCAP) budget for next year?

BUSD engaged a wide variety of District and community stakeholders in the development of the LCAP. As required by the State, we used District data to analyze the needs of our low-income, English Language Learners and Foster Care students, as well as our African American and Latino students who have a history of underachievement in our District. The Board worked with the new Superintendent to ensure the Parent Advisory Committee was representative of the diversity of our student community. In addition to the state mandated processes, the District held focus group discussions with the faith-based community, African American families, native Spanish speaking parents, foster care providers, and homeless families in shelters. Working with UC Berkeley, our Green Academy students implemented a student survey and engagement strategy that was presented to the Board. Using the wealth of information from the community, with the expertise and insights in the District, we developed a robust LCAP that reflects the priorities of supporting all students, students who need added support, teachers and families. For this year, I hope to strengthen the community and student engagement in evaluating our implementation and making needed adjustments as we forge ahead.

2. How well has the District done in introducing the Common Core standards and methods in classes K-12? What improvements would you recommend or do you anticipate for the coming year?

BUSD has a strong K-5 literacy program - Teachers College Reading and Writing Project (TCRWP) that aligns with the CCSS. We piloted a new math curriculum - Stories of Units and Stories of Ratios,in elementary and middle schools, respectively. The roll out was challenging, as it was new for everyone. Teachers reported that students responded well to the new curriculum, as it reaches numerous learning styles. This year should be smoother, as teachers have a year of experience with the curriculum. We are still in the pilot stage so we will be looking carefully at how the teachers feel the students are comprehending the curriculum. We also need to get the curriculum in Spanish. This year, we will also be piloting the new month in high school. Lastly, we noticed that the time it took to roll out the new math had a detrimental impact on language arts instruction. We anticipate, and will work to ensure, that balances out this year.

3. Is early childhood education being well implemented in the District? What would you recommend in this area?

BUSD has 3 early childhood education programs and a strong partnership with YMCA Headstart. Our preschools work with children on developmentally appropriate curriculum, helping them to be ready for kindergarten. The Response to Intervention and Instruction (RTI2) program is now implemented in our preschool programs, with a concerted effort to provide support for children and their families in the early years. We work together with the City of Berkeley Public Health department to support families. I would like to see the district draw down more state dollars to serve more preschool students. I would also like to ensure our preschool teachers are collaborating with our kindergarten teachers for smooth transitions. Also, I'd like to bridge our preschool parent committees with our Family Engagement office so that parents and guardians are well prepared for the transition to elementary school, and stay actively engaged.

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Responses to questions asked of each candidate are reproduced as submitted to the League.  Candidates' statements are presented as submitted. References to opponents are not permitted.

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Created from information supplied by the candidate: September 25, 2014 09:05
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