January 8, 2018

Dear Piedmont Board of Education,

We are asking for a transparent process and comprehensive plan to address the issue of sexual harassment and intimidation in our schools. An open and thorough effort by the Board is essential to assure our entire school community — students, parents, teachers, and staff — that any shortcomings are identified and needs are fully addressed.

Many community members are concerned about how recent events unfolded related to a teacher’s inappropriate behavior at Piedmont High School. Board Members and staff are being responsive and addressing individual questions and concerns. However, the reflections, learnings, or steps being taken to prevent similar events in the future are not being shared with the community.

In order to ensure accountability to various stakeholders in the community, the Board needs to make its planning process transparent. We expect a review of the following matters to be addressed in the development of a comprehensive plan:

• Review of the District’s existing sexual harassment policies and response protocols
• Training and support for administrative staff and teachers to ensure they are resourced properly
• Assessment of the needs and concerns of students
• Review of the training and decision-making process of the Board

A complete plan would also include a thorough examination of the District’s recent experience handling sexual harassment claims to identify blind spots and gaps. A comprehensive approach will ensure that any future program and policy investments will be targeted and effective.

All stakeholders in our Piedmont schools need to have confidence that the District is organized and resourced to create a positive, safe environment for our students, teachers and staff; and to respond decisively and with strength when safety from harassment and intimidation is threatened. Transparency is a crucial step in that effort.

Sincerely,

Jennifer & Jason Alderman

Shannon Rogers & Rohan Kalbag

Elizabeth Epstein

Lisa Rosenthal

Laura Mazel & Bill Reed

Esther Rogers

Deborah Banks & Randy Porter

Sarah & Mike Handelsman

Liz Behrens

Christina & Eric Hsia

Hope Salzer

Lilly & Chris Krenn

Stella Ngai

Lauren Tate

Jodi Biskup & Carlos Blanco

Julie Caskey & Gabriel Kra

Annemarie O’Brien

Susan Miller-Davis

Ruju & Sameer Srivastava

Justine Jacob

Lauren & Douglas Hartman

Jen Ferguson

Alison Reed

Soraya Rofagha & Phiroz Tarapore

Viola Sutanto

Shirley Rexrode

Mary Prisco

Melanie Marcus

Jodi Beasley

Leslie & Doug Frankel

Douglas Chin

Kelly Klopp Richmond & David Richmond

Jef Bekes

Amy Jo Goldfarb

Kendall & Michael Connors

Eliza Sorensen & Zach Sorensen-Wald

Gina Lambright

Elizabeth Shook

Wendi Bublitz

Sachin Adarkar

Kim Hunter

Amelia Wu

Powerful Shareholders Express Concern with Smartphones Negative Affects on Children’s Mental and Physical Health

CalSTRS (California State Teachers’ Retirement System) and Jana Partners, a New York investment firm, are major shareholders of Apple stock, controlling a combined total $2 billion worth of Apple shares.  In a letter released on Monday, these groups express concern about heavy usage of smartphones and social media negatively affecting children’s mental and physical health.

Letter to the Board of Directors of Apple from Calstrs and Jana Partners:

January 6, 2018

“As shareholders, we recognize your unique role in the history of innovation and the fact that Apple is one of the most valuable brand names in the world. In partnership with experts including Dr. Michael Rich, founding director of the Center on Media and Child Health at Boston Children’s Hospital/Harvard Medical School Teaching Hospital and Associate Professor of Pediatrics at Harvard Medical School, and Professor Jean M. Twenge, psychologist at San Diego State University and author of the book iGen, we have reviewed the evidence and we believe there is a clear need for Apple to offer parents more choices and tools to help them ensure that young consumers are using your products in an optimal manner,” the letter said.

“By doing so, we believe Apple would once again be playing a pioneering role, this time by setting an example about the obligations of technology companies to their youngest customers. As a company that prides itself on values like inclusiveness, quality education, environmental protection, and supplier responsibility, Apple would also once again be showcasing the innovative spirit that made you the most valuable public company in the world. In fact, we believe that addressing this issue now will enhance long-term value for all shareholders, by creating more choices and options for your customers today and helping to protect the next generation of leaders, innovators, and customers tomorrow.”   ………

In a 2015 survey Pew Research Center found that 73 percent of teens have access to a smartphone, and 92 percent of them say that they go online every day. The percentage has probably increased in the intervening years, especially in Piedmont.

Read it here.