Concern for the proposal to eliminate science labs at Berkeley High
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Principal Slemp and Members of the Berkeley School Board: Beatriz Leyva-Cutler John T. Selawsky Shirly Issel Karen Hemphill Nancy Riddle
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As a parent/guardian of a student currently attending BHS, I want to express my concern about your efforts to eliminate science labs. I believe that the current level of support for science labs provided by BSEP funds should be continued.
The proposal to eliminate science labs flies in the face of the BSEP mandate and the 2020 Vision. The science labs during 0 and 7th periods provide weekly enrichment and satisfy UC and CSU requirements that college prep science classes offer 20\% of instructional time for hands-on lab activities. In addition, the extra lab periods provide additional time to support struggling students. The science program meets the goals articulated by both BSEP and the 2020 Vision providing enrichment, support for all students and UC requirements.
The extra time BSEP funding supports allows BHS to maintain an outstanding AP science program. Many of our students take and succeed in three AP level sciences courses as first year courses. Our students performance on the AP exams well exceeds the national average. These courses would have to become 2nd year offerings if the labs were eliminated. Approximately 600 students per year enroll in our AP programs. All of our students take Advanced Biology, most take chemistry, physics, or environmental science or anatomy and the extra time provides the support students need to develop a deep understanding of these topics.
The elimination of these labs would reduce instructional time by more than 21\% (30\% in AP classes). Such devastating cuts would force science teachers to eliminate many of the labs that enrich the experience for students by having them do science. These cuts would result in the reduction in coverage of the state standards and the inability to effectively use instructional strategies that support student learning. This flies in the face of the current push for equity and the 2020 Vision. To close the achievement gap, students require more instruction, not less; more time with qualified instructors, not less.
Science education and the development of scientific literacy is an essential component in todays secondary education. The issues facing our students ( global warming, the destruction of the ozone layer, urban pollution, health issues such as diabetes, cancer, etc.) , require that our students be well- grounded in the underlying science behind these issues.
For many of our students, high school will be the last time they will take a biology or physics course. We cannot afford to short change them in these subjects.
Sincerely,
The proposal to eliminate science labs flies in the face of the BSEP mandate and the 2020 Vision. The science labs during 0 and 7th periods provide weekly enrichment and satisfy UC and CSU requirements that college prep science classes offer 20\% of instructional time for hands-on lab activities. In addition, the extra lab periods provide additional time to support struggling students. The science program meets the goals articulated by both BSEP and the 2020 Vision providing enrichment, support for all students and UC requirements.
The extra time BSEP funding supports allows BHS to maintain an outstanding AP science program. Many of our students take and succeed in three AP level sciences courses as first year courses. Our students performance on the AP exams well exceeds the national average. These courses would have to become 2nd year offerings if the labs were eliminated. Approximately 600 students per year enroll in our AP programs. All of our students take Advanced Biology, most take chemistry, physics, or environmental science or anatomy and the extra time provides the support students need to develop a deep understanding of these topics.
The elimination of these labs would reduce instructional time by more than 21\% (30\% in AP classes). Such devastating cuts would force science teachers to eliminate many of the labs that enrich the experience for students by having them do science. These cuts would result in the reduction in coverage of the state standards and the inability to effectively use instructional strategies that support student learning. This flies in the face of the current push for equity and the 2020 Vision. To close the achievement gap, students require more instruction, not less; more time with qualified instructors, not less.
Science education and the development of scientific literacy is an essential component in todays secondary education. The issues facing our students ( global warming, the destruction of the ozone layer, urban pollution, health issues such as diabetes, cancer, etc.) , require that our students be well- grounded in the underlying science behind these issues.
For many of our students, high school will be the last time they will take a biology or physics course. We cannot afford to short change them in these subjects.
Sincerely,
321 Signatures
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Suzanne Popkin
- Comments
- Comments
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Achilles Speliotopoulos
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Hally Bellah-Guther
- Comments
- Please save the science labs!
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Igor Gasowski
- Comments
- В
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Milton McClaskey
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Martha Salomon
- Comments
- We believe in Science instruction and DO NOT want the time reduced!
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W. Charles Bryant
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Susan Helmrich
- Comments
- We need BOTH science labs AND equity
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Steven Sullivan
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Susan Sullivan
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Leah Kaizer
- Comments
- As a parent of two BHS students over the course of 9 years, I recall that the question of cutting science labs and science courses offered at BHS becomes the topic of budget cuts every few years. And parents ask ovewhelmingly for the school to support the full science curriculum and give girls and boys a chance to participate in top notch science education. It is unworthy of the new plans to yet again move toward reducing science classes in the ferver of embracing so called "improvements" that will address the achievement gap. Especially as BSEP and fundraising is one support to maintain this curriculum: PLEASE look elsewhere for diminishing BHS class offerings and don't erode the potential for students to learn and achieve in math and sciences. This would be a unnecessary tragedy.
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Maureen Burke
- Comments
- If BSEP funds are squandered on equity grants at the expense of science labs, I will actively oppose any future BUSD bond or parcel tax measures. It is very sad that a 32 year supporter of all BUSD funding measures has been forced into this position by the way our high school has been so arrogantly and grossly mismanaged.
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Abby Ginzberg
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mali evans
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Catharine Trowbridge
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Peter Kuhn
- Comments
- Best practices in all organizations call for maintaining funding of proven projects (like the BHS science labs) when money is tight.
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Maya MacArdle
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Jane Wise
- Comments
- To BHS Administrators and small school teachers-please do not advocate for weakening the science program. You must at some level 'get' it. Maybe instead you could think of a way to put more time back into science.
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Keith Wilson
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Donna Ruotolo
- Comments
- BHS administration is clearly disregarding the needs of all students.
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Johanna Jetton
- Comments
- When I graduated from BHS in 2006, the science department was one of the few consistent academic strengths that Berkeley High still had. Eliminating science labs would completely and utterly undermine the program. This reduction in instruction time would be an injustice for students taking everything from Integrated Science to AP Physics. I understand that money is always tight, but I urge the principal and school board to find ways to cut spending that would not so directly and immediately compromise the intellectual growth of the students they have been charged with educating.
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Soheila Bana
- Comments
- The term "science" is short for "empirical science" vs. formal science such as mathematics. How could empirical science be thought just through books and without any labs?!
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Mehran Esfandiari
- Comments
- The Labs are an absolute must.
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Esfahani Mohammad
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Stephen R. Blum
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Mansour Taeed
- Comments
- Science without lab is like school without class!
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Shanaz Sarlak
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Noah Salomon
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Jillian Jetton
- Comments
- I understand that cuts have to come from somewhere, but cutting 21\%-30\% of students' time with science is disrespectful to the student body. Please find a way to cut spending that doesn't so directly undermine the success of your students. This cut will hurt every single student that enters BHS.
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Kerry Stimpson
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Benjamin Gould
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Diana Aragon
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Alexandra Ho
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Aaron Wong
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Hana Keefe-Guerrero
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Sarah Morrison
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Zachary Koenig
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Dawn Morris
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Ayla Koenig
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Sepideh Khosrowjah
- Comments
- You can do a fundraising for this purpose before eliminating the entire lab program.
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stephen hopkins
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Lance Knobel
- Comments
- BHS should not be cutting back on science just when the world needs our students to be more proficient in science.
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Seth Frohman
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Jeanne Schuman
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Taly Rutenberg
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Claire Broome
- Comments
- I support this as an AHA parent & taxpayer
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Martin Burke
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David Dudley
- Comments
- В
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Michael Marletta
- Comments
- I have written a letter to Supt. Huyett and the BUSD BOD. I will send that separately.
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Bobbie Rose
- Comments
- Please maintain quality academics in the science department at Berkeley High School. All students deserve to be prepared to pursue careers in the sciences.
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321
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