Connie Herrick – City Council Candidate

Walk for Wellness: Connie Herrick Signs Up Today,

The sun was out and the smoke was better, so I opened my front door. On the porch was a cheerful little white bag with a red bow. My Walk for Wellness goodie bag had arrived! What an unexpected, lovely surprise.

The visor is really good looking and well-made with a cheerful embroidered design. There are Mulberry’s coupons good through 10/31/20 for a Harmless Harvest yogurt cup, Crystal Geyser bottle water and my choice of an apple, banana or orange.

I feel my wellness increasing already and the walk hasn’t started yet. I remember when Brooke Zimmerman started the Wellness Center. To this day, my 29 year old son Matt remembers her for her kindness and caring manner. She will always be one of his favorite high school people. Creating a center dedicated to supporting student mental health back then was such a new and almost radical idea. How wonderful to see it survive and thrive all these years.

Our family, including Kapo our retired search and rescue dog, is looking forward to the walks starting up next week. We hope to see lots of residents out walking with their visors (and masks) on. Fingers crossed the air quality clears in time so we can all get some exercise and support the Wellness Center. If you haven’t signed up, do it today: PiedmontWalkforWellness.org

Connie Herrick, City Council Candidate

www.voteherrick.com

We have known Cory since our kids began kindergarten at Wildwood over a dozen years ago. From the start it was obvious that she would do great things for our schools and our community.  Since then, she has done nearly every volunteer job in town: President of the Wildwood Parents Club, Chair of the Giving Campaign, softball coach, Scout leader, just to name a few.

Watching her serve as School Board vice-president, it is clear that Cory’s continued leadership is of great value to our town. She has been a consistent advocate for improved communication, for the mental health and well being of our students, and for the financial health of our public schools.

Cory has worked hard to improve communications in her role as the Board liaison.  She responded promptly and thoughtfully to hundreds of emails that were sent to the Board during this difficult time.  She answered numerous and emotional emails from us with understanding, grace, honesty and integrity. On Zoom and KCOM, we have watched Cory stand out as a critical thinker and clear communicator. She does her research, and she asks direct and transparent questions that are informed by science and best practices.

Cory has been steadfast in her efforts to help our students. She has advocated to bring students back to the classroom as soon as safely possible. She has also been working with students to create ways for them to make meaningful connections, even in a COVID-restricted world.

Cory has an MBA and her financial literacy is essential in times of increased budget challenges.  After four years of Board leadership, she also has a deep understanding of the District’s financials. Cory helped organize the Red for Ed Campaign and led efforts to lobby for increased education funding from the State so that our School District could give raises to our employees.

We are incredibly fortunate that Cory is running for a second term. Quite honestly, it’s hard to imagine the School Board without her!  Please join us in voting to re-elect Cory to the Piedmont School Board.

– Pam Schwartz & Eric Wolfers

City Council Seeks Volunteers for New Pedestrian and Bicycle Advisory Committee

Deadline: Friday, September 25, 2020

Have ideas for pedestrian or bicycle safety, sidewalks, access, streets, parked vehicles, stop signs, etc.?

The City Council of Piedmont is looking for a few talented volunteers to serve on the Pedestrian and Bicycle Advisory Committee which will assist in the preparation of the City’s updated Pedestrian and Bicycle Master Plan (PBMP). This process is expected to begin in October 2020 and go through May 2021.

The efforts of the Pedestrian and Bicycle Advisory Committee will focus on assisting staff and City consultants with the development of the PBMP Update, specifically in reviewing and providing feedback on the following materials:

1. Community needs assessment.

2. Draft action plan of recommendations.

3. Opportunities for public participation and input regarding the draft action plan of recommendations.

4. Public draft of the PBMP Update document.

5. Opportunities for public participation and input regarding the public draft of the PBMP Update document.

In establishing this committee, the City Council called out two specific groups it is looking to see represented on the Committee, in addition to residents:

• Piedmont High School and Millennium High School Students Residing in Piedmont

• Current or Former Members of the Planning Commission, Public Safety Committee, and/or CIP Review Committee

Interested residents may view the City Council resolution establishing the Pedestrian and Bicycle Advisory Committee, download the Application for Appointive Vacancy, and/or apply online on the City’s web site at https://piedmont.ca.gov Applications are due to City Hall on or before the deadline of Friday, September 25th at 5:00 p.m.  See links below.

Interviews with the City Council for these positions will be scheduled for the evening of Wednesday, September 30, 2020. No appointments will be made without a Council interview.

Residents with questions are invited to contact the City Clerk’s office at (510) 420-3040.

Notice of Appointive Vacancies 2020 – PBAC

Commission Application 2020 PBAC

2020-09-04 PBAC Recruitment

September 8, 2020

Dear Friends and Neighbors,

Over the last decade, I have had the privilege of working with Hilary Cooper on Parent Club Boards, the Giving Campaign, and Citywide parcel tax initiatives. Her impact has been significant and she is exceptionally well qualified to serve as a PUSD Board of Education Member. Today, I would like to look beyond her resume and share the leadership qualities that make her an ideal candidate.

Hilary’s Leadership

Hilary’s Vision for our schools is innovative and practical. As an educator, she sees opportunities for student engagement, fundraising, curriculum, and professional development. She is financially savvy and knows how to allocate resources where it makes a difference.

Hilary communicates by listening first then speaking. She asks great questions to collaborate with diverse perspectives and facilitate inclusive action. As a result, her curiosity gives constituents the opportunity to be involved in the decision-making process and support outcomes.

Hilary is passionate about her commitment to our schools and her enthusiasm is contagious. She is the first to “roll up her sleeves” to get things done and when she reaches out to engage others…. I always say YES!

Please join me and say YES to Hilary’s campaign. Engage in the conversation about PUSD efforts for school safety, innovative teaching and learning modalities, state funding/budget allocations, co-curricular programs, and academic excellence. Check out her website to see how you can get involved at hilaryforschoolboard.com.

In closing, I am a PHS alum and our children have benefited from Piedmont schools. We need to ensure the future of our schools for many generations to come and Hilary Cooper has the vision, communication skills, and passion to make it happen.

Go Highlanders!

Mary Alice McNeil

For the past four years, I have served on the Piedmont Board of Education and am currently Vice-President.  I am running for a second term because I believe that experience is important, and I care deeply about the schools and the well-being of our students and staff.   Recognizing that California continues to underfund public education, I led PUSD advocacy efforts in Sacramento for additional state funding.  Locally, I fought for Measures G&H to guarantee Piedmont’s continued fiscal solvency. I am proud of my role in bringing a new STEAM building and theater to PHS. I also convinced the district to refinance a PUSD facilities bond which will save Piedmont taxpayers $25M over the life of the bond. As board correspondent for the past two years, I have been committed to enhancing communication and increasing community outreach.  I am proud of the board’s efforts to prioritize student mental health and to promote equity and anti-racism. But there is still more to be done.  

The COVID-related challenges the school district is facing are unprecedented. The needs of our students, families, faculty, and staff have never been greater.  At this time, we must all come together to support our schools.  We must do everything we can to prioritize the needs of our students.  If re-elected, I will continue to advocate for fiscal solvency, mental and physical health, clear communication, and excellence in education.  

Personally, I have an MBA from the Haas School of Business at UC Berkeley.  My husband grew up in Piedmont (PHS ‘85).  We moved to town 16 years ago with our daughter, Anna (PHS ‘19), our son, Tommy (PHS ‘21). I am active in the Piedmont Parents Network, Scouts and Boosters, and in my free time I enjoy playing golf and meeting up with friends at a distance in the dog park.

If you’d like to know more about my candidacy or to endorse me, please visit my website, www.voteforcorysmegal.com

Cory Smegal

The Piedmont Unified School District will close the Witter Athletic Complex at 6:00 am on Monday, August 3rd until further notice. The Complex includes Witter Field, the baseball and softball fields, the batting cages, and the Witter Field House restrooms.

This closure is due to persistent lack of compliance with the Alameda County Public Health Department’s Shelter in Place orders. Despite repeated warnings from District staff, users of the Witter Complex have continued to play group sports in violation of COVID-19 health orders.

Similar issues led the City of Piedmont to close the Linda Beach Playfield last week. The District regrets having to take this action and the inconvenience this may cause the community. Nonetheless, continued lack of compliance on both City and District fields poses a serious public health risk, necessitating these closures. The District will work with the City and County to determine when it is safe and appropriate to reopen the Witter Complex.

Questions or comments? Please contact Director of Facilities Pete Palmer at ppalmer@piedmont.k12.ca.us

The Bell Schedule Committee convened, developed, and found consensus on
the following daily bell schedules in response to the COVID-19 learning
landscape (both distance learning and in-person learning models) and ultimately,
the Board’s adopted parameters.
● Students will attend classes (either in a distance learning or in-person
learning model) 4-5 days per week under a specific schedule that
incorporates both daily synchronous and asynchronous learning
opportunities.
● Minimum Instructional Minutes:

■ 180 minutes of daily instruction for transitional kindergarten
and kindergarten students (as required by Ed. Code
43501(a)).
■ 230 minutes of daily instruction for 1st – 3rd grade students
(as required by Ed. Code 43501(b)).
■ 240 minutes of daily instruction for 4th – 12th grade
students (as required by AB 77: 43501(c)).
■ Daily attendance recorded for distance learning sessions
(as required by Ed. Code 43504 (d) (1))
● 30 minute duty-free lunch for teachers and staff.

REVISED JULY 29, 2020

● Grades K-5, a teachers’ direct instruction (any combination of in-person
and synchronous teaching) cannot exceed 1200 min per week.
● Grades 6-12, a teachers’ direct instruction (in-person, or synchronous)
cannot exceed 20 hours per week.
● Elementary teachers will be provided with a minimum of 1 hour of
preparation time per day.
● Secondary teachers (1.0FTE) will be provided with no less than 475
minutes of prep per week.
● At the secondary level, schedules will include a 10 minute passing period.

The survey is here:  bit.ly/2020ReopenSurvey

Thank you for your participation.

Hari Titan

Candidate for the Piedmont Unified School District Board of Trustees

Editors Note:  This is an independent survey apart from the Piedmont Civic Association. PCA does not support or oppose candidates for public office.  Participation in the survey is completely at the discretion of participants.  PCA has not screened the questions and takes no responsibility for the future use of any information provided on the survey, including names or email addresses.