Below is a letter sent to all Piedmont Unified School District Families:

March 6, 2020

Dear PUSD Families,

Everyday we continue to learn more about the novel coronavirus (COVID-19), and I am writing to share our efforts to address student/staff and visitors’ hygiene and respiratory etiquette on our campuses, as well as planning for possible school closures.  This past week, I’ve been in informational and planning meetings with county, city, and district leadership, including the Director of Alameda County Public Health, the county superintendent, superintendents from across Alameda County, Piedmont school board members, and Piedmont’s mayor, vice-mayor, city administrator, and fire chief.

Guidance from the Center of Disease Control (CDC)
According to the Center for Disease Control (CDC)’s most recent  Interim Guidance for Administrators of US Childcare Programs and K-12 Schools to Plan, Prepare, and Respond to Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19), “schools should continue to collaborate, share information, and review plans with local health officials to help protect the whole school community, including those with special health needs.”

In our case, we have been coordinating with the Alameda County Public Health Department (ACDPH) and the Alameda County Office of Education.

Additionally, the CDC recommends that “school plans should be designed to minimize disruption to teaching and learning and protect students and staff from social stigma and discrimination. Plans can build on everyday practices (e.g., encouraging hand hygiene, monitoring absenteeism, communicating routinely) that include strategies for before, during, and after a possible outbreak.”

Health Etiquette

I want to continue to provide and emphasize common-sense preventive actions for students and staff. For example, all staff and students should stay home when sick; appropriately cover coughs and sneezes; clean frequently touched surfaces; and wash your hands often.

• CDC has workplace resources such as posters with messages for staff about staying home when sick and how to avoid spreading germs at work.
• The American Academy of Pediatrics provides information on germ prevention strategies and reducing the spread of illness in childcare settings.
• Handwashing strategies are vital and include washing with soap and water for at least 20 seconds or using a hand sanitizer that contains at least 60% alcohol if soap and water are not available.
  • CDC offers several free handwashing resources that include  health promotion materials, information on proper handwashing technique, and tips for families to help children develop good hand washing habits.
• Staff and students should remain at home if they show signs of fever or respiratory illness.  The Alameda County Public Health Department has developed an extremely informative flyer that provides families with guidance on when to keep children home from school.  Some of the highlights are the following:
  • A fever of 100.4 degrees (38 Celsius) or above. Keep your child home for 24 hours after a fever is below 100.4 without the aid of medication (such as Tylenol or Advil)
    • Nausea or vomiting (if your child has vomited within 24 hours of the start of school, DO NOT send your child to school)
    • Signs or symptoms of a new cough or cold and does not feel well enough to fully participate in school activities.
• PUSD staff members do not screen students or other staff to identify cases of COVID-19. The majority of respiratory illnesses are not COVID-19. If we have cases of COVID-19, Alameda County Public Health Department (ACDPH) officials will help identify those individuals and will follow up on next steps.

School(s) Closure Planning
The CDC and the California Department of Education (CDE) are recommending that all Districts across the state of California consider educational planning for students if a mandatory 14-day quarantine is instituted (either partially for only those students who become infected) or more drastically if CDE, CA Department of Public Health, Alameda County Office of Education, or the Superintendent decides to close schools for an extended period of time.

The CDC has indicated that local health officials may recommend temporary school closures if a student or staff member attended school prior to being confirmed as a COVID-19 case. We would coordinate with the Alameda County Public Health Department (ACDPH) and the Alameda County Office of Education for the scope (e.g., a single school, a full district) and duration of school dismissals will be made on a case-by-case basis based on the most up-to-date information about COVID-19 and the specific cases in the impacted community.

Large event cancellations or school closures may be recommended for 14 days, or possibly longer if advised by the Alameda County Public Health Department (ACDPH). The nature of these actions (e.g., geographic scope, duration) may change as the local outbreak situation evolves.

The rationale for a school(s) closure is to limit the possibility of transmission among staff, students, and families, and to provide time for cleaning and the likelihood that the virus expires over several days throughout the site.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), “it is not certain how long the virus that causes COVID-19 survives on surfaces, but it seems to behave like other coronaviruses. Studies suggest that coronaviruses (including preliminary information on the COVID-19 virus) may persist on surfaces for a few hours or up to several days. This may vary under different conditions (e.g. type of surface, temperature or humidity of the environment).”

The CDC has also recommended that if schools are closed due to a student or staff member diagnosed with COVID-19, schools should consider the following steps:

• Temporarily cancel extracurricular group activities and large events.
• Cancel or postpone events such as after-school assemblies and pep rallies, field trips, and sporting events.
• Discourage students and staff from gathering or socializing anywhere.
• Discourage gatherings at places like a friend’s house, a favorite restaurant, or the local shopping mall.
• Ensure continuity of education.
  • Review continuity plans, including plans for the continuity of teaching and learning. Implement e-learning plans, including digital and distance learning options as feasible and appropriate.

I’ve recently met with the administrative team and both Gabe Kessler, APT President and Terra Salazar, CSEA President regarding the development of continuity plans.  We have outlined draft protocols and structures to provide a continuity of education in the event of a school(s) closure. Principals will share these draft protocols and structures at upcoming staff/site leadership team meetings for input and discussion.

We are currently investigating options for distance-teaching/learning with the use of Independent Study models (e.g. lessons/activities delivered electronically via email and/or Schoology).

New developments (and guidance) arrive daily.  I will continue to provide staff, families, and students with regular updates as we learn more.

Please let me know if you have any questions.

Sincerely,

Randall Booker, Superintendent

The City of Piedmont is monitoring the Public Health risk related to the Covid-19 virus.

Alameda County has declared a public health emergency and Piedmont is sharing in their messaging, planning and monitoring.

The City is also engaged with the Piedmont Unified School District in preparing safety messaging and contingency plans as needed.

For more information on Covid-19, please see: https://www.cdc.gov/covid19

and http://www.acphd.org/2019-ncov.aspx

Please take precautions as directed by Alameda County Public Health Department.

“The City is monitoring the Coronavirus situation closely. We are working with the Alameda County Department of Public Health and the Piedmont Unified School District to ensure the safety of Piedmonters. We suggest that all community members take the precautions recommended by the CDC to stop the spread of germs. Below is a PDF from the CDC with precautions to stop the spread of germs.  When the situation warrants, we will put additional information out via all channels.”  John O. Tulloch, Assistant City Administrator/City Clerk  3/2/2020

Stop the spread of Covid-19 > CDC-stop-the-spread-of-germs

City / School Liaison Committee Agenda
Wednesday, March 4, 2020,  5:30 p.m.

The meeting will be held in the Piedmont Unified School District Administration Office, 760 Magnolia Avenue, Piedmont, CA

The public is welcome to attend and participate.  The meeting will not be broadcast. 

Agenda:

Call to Order

Public Forum: This is an opportunity for members of the audience to speak on an item not on the agenda. The 10 minute period will be divided evenly between those wishing to address the Committee.

Regular Agenda
1. Update on Covid-19 Communications
2. Update on H1 Construction

State laws ending single-family zoning have a great impact on Piedmont’s parcel tax system and method of supporting city services.

Piedmont, one of California’s most heavily taxed cities, proposes and taxes three housing units on single-family parcels as though there was just one household  – with no commensurate parcel tax to cover the public service needs (parks, recreation, library services, police, fire) of the additional families.

On March 3, 2020, Piedmonters have a renewal of the City parcel tax on their ballot, Measure T,  found at the end of Piedmont ballots.  As written, Measure T does not distinguish between a one family dwelling unit on a single-family parcel and a parcel that has two or three dwelling units on a single-family parcel. 

New State laws impacting “Single-family” residential parcels are intended by the State of California to result in many new dwelling units in former single-family zoned housing by adding one or two units – up to three residential units – on a single parcel.  The March 3rd parcel tax, Measure T, does not reflect this new reality as parcels will be taxed on the basis of one residence on a parcel in the “Single-family” category.

Piedmont is financially impacted by the new housing requirements made at the state level increasing densification. Piedmont’s system of supporting itself has for decades been based on taxing single-family properties in Piedmont containing one single-family residence/household on a parcel.  

Many California cities have increased their sales taxes to gain needed revenue.  Piedmont, zoned primarily for “single-family” residences, has relatively little commercial property and thus very little opportunity for increased sales tax revenue. Voter approved parcel taxes in Piedmont, property transfer taxes, and increased property valuations have allowed Piedmont to prosper.  

Those parcels with the newly allowable 3 housing units on their property will pay no more for the densification of their properties despite windfall income without additional  taxes for the service needs of additional families.

READ the Measure T Tax Tables for Piedmont Basic Municipal Service>HERE.

Increasing the number of households in Piedmont will require additional services – street safety, parking, fire protection, public schools, city administration, public open spaces, police services, etc. – without commensurate increases in revenue. 

Push for more affordable housing in California.

In 2019, the population outflow from the State of California was more than 200,000 citizens relocating to other states.  The figure reported by the US Census Bureau is 203,414.  While California is expected to lose a Congressional Representative after 2020, Texas may gain three Congress persons due to dramatic population increase.

“In the 1970’s citizen activists [in CA] created urban growth boundaries and land trusts to preserve open space and delicate coastal habitats.” Following Prop 13, “Cash hungry cities opted to zone for commercial uses, which would generate sales taxes, instead of affordable housing.” (New York Times 12/1/19)

With the press of political demands for more housing, the State of California has taken a dramatic step to remove restrictions on Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs).  When ADUs are added to single-family zoned parcels, many requirements have been eliminated: setbacks, floor area ratios, view protections, parking, owner occupancy, public participation, notification, and other factors.

School taxes.

In November 2019, Piedmonters voted overwhelmingly by over 82% to tax individual parcels.  Every parcel has the same tax basis of approximately $2,700. An additional tax based on square footage of living space is also added to individual parcel taxes.  The taxation needs for the school parcel tax were based on expected student populations.

READ the approved 2019 Piedmont School Parcel Tax Measure HERE.

Unlike San Mateo, the Piedmont City Council accepted the new State laws and has shown no effort to enforce the City Charter which gives Piedmont voters the right to have a say in what happens to Piedmont’s zoning.  Further, the Piedmont City Council took no action or policy position on the various housing initiatives put forth in Sacramento that take away local laws even though the legislation was contrary to Piedmont’s City Charter.

Piedmont’s Charter was written to guarantee Piedmont voters the right to control many aspects of the City including elections, finances, budgets, police and fire departments, public schools, public borrowing, zoning, etc.  

 Charter cities in California have lost significant local authority over land use and public participation in decisions. 

The recent court decision in a San Mateo County Court to uphold and acknowledge San Mateo’s City Charter regarding a housing project could eventually impact Piedmont.  The San Mateo Court decision does indicate a judicial act protecting Charter City rights.  

The Piedmont City Council per the City Charter has the responsibility of enforcing the City Charter and putting before Piedmont voters recommended changes to zoning – single-family, multi-family, commercial, and public zones, yet nothing has been placed before the voters.  Other City Charter changes and amendments were on a recent ballot and approved by Piedmont voters.

Piedmonters for over a century held control over land use decisions, police and fire services,  public schools, parks, etc. through the City Charter.

Affordable housing in Piedmont

In Piedmont, the abandoned PG&E property on Linda Avenue next to the Oakland Avenue Bridge, was noted in Piedmont’s General Plan, as an optimal location for affordable housing – close to schools, transportation, stores and parks.  Disregarding Piedmont’s General Plan and Piedmont’s City Charter, the City Council permitted a number of market-rate townhouses to be built on the former PG&E site without including any affordable housing and illegally rezoning the property from public usage to the multi-family zone without a citizen vote on the rezoning, as required by Piedmont’s City Charter. 

As members of the East Bay Coalition for Public Education, we have joined forces with administrators, teachers, staff, school board members, parents, and students from school districts across the East Bay to advocate for adequate funding for all public schools in California. We ask each of you to add your voice in support of public education, in conjunction with neighboring districts, during Fund Education Now! Week February 3 through 7.

Facts: California has the 5th largest economy in the world, yet the state is ranked 40th in the nation for education spending. Districts are unable to provide teachers with a livable wage creating a teacher shortage across the state. The lack of adequate state school funding has helped perpetuate gross inequities in the quality of education for students. In districts like ours, the burden for funding has shifted to local residents leading to ongoing budget concerns and a need for local parcel taxes.

During the week, we will flood our state representatives with messages from all stakeholders in our communities, gather signatures for the Schools & Communities First initiative, and continue to raise awareness about this issue.

Monday, February 3rd: K-5 students & teachers will create testimonials about what they love about school through artwork, and postcards.

Tuesday, February 4th: PMS students will create art and write letters to shine a light on the need for adequate state funding. High school students will post their support on social media. After school, we will be out front of Mulberry’s to share information about the Schools & Communities First ballot initiative.

Wednesday, February 5th: Parents and community members can post on social media and email our state representatives about why schools need more funding.

Thursday, February 6th: Wear Red for Ed!

COME TO THE RALLY at the Piedmont Community Center from 3:30 – 4:30 pm. Show your support for our teachers and staff, and California Public Schools. We will have music, snacks, speakers, a short video, and more!

Friday: We will wrap up the week by delivering our artwork and letters to Buffy Wicks, Nancy Skinner, Tony Thurmond, Governor Newsom, and any others at the state level who affect school funding.

Please join us in advocating for ALL students in California. Our future depends upon the quality of their education.

Regards, Randy Booker, Superintendent

Gabe Kessler, President, Association of Piedmont Teachers

Terra Salazar, President, California School Employees Association

Cory Smegal, School Board Vice President

Megan Pillsbury, School Board Member

Link to additional information > Fund Public Education Now Flyer (1)

Nominations Open Now Until  March 16, 2020

This award is presented annually to individuals who have volunteered their efforts over a period of time and made a difference because of their involvement and commitment to Piedmont’s youth

Following are the previous recipients:

Hunter McCreary (1998); Ann Chandler (1999); Ruth Cuming (2000); Lisa Lomenzo (2001); jointly by Cathie Geddeis and Marion Souyoultzis (2002); jointly by Fritz and Mary Wooster (2003); Elizabeth (Betsy) Gentry (2004); Cynthia Gorman (2005); Grier Graff (2006); Julia Burke (2007); Maude Pervere (2008); jointly to Anne-Marie Lamarche and Mark Menke (2009); Janiele Maffei Tovani (2010); Andrea Swenson (2011), June Monach (2012), Bill Drum (posthumously) and Mary Ireland (2013), Ray Perman (2014), Jennifer Fox (2015), Katie Korotzer (2016), Hilary Cooper (2017) Holly Hanke (2018), and Cathy Glazier (2019).

Art Hecht was a tireless community volunteer, and was dedicated to students in both Piedmont and Oakland. He served on Piedmont’s Board of Education from 1970 to 1982. Art also was very active with the Piedmont Continuation High School (now called Millennium High School).

In 1998, the Art Hecht Volunteer of the Year Award was established in his memory.

Nominations for this award are now being sought and will be kept strictly confidential. The deadline for nominations is 4:30 p.m. on March 16, 2020. A selection committee will vote on the award recipient, who will be recognized at the May 13, 2020 Board of Education meeting, where the honoree’s good works will be acknowledged. They also will receive the gift of a work of student art. The student will receive a monetary award and commendation from the Board.

Nomination Forms are available on the PUSD website, in the District Office or by calling Sylvia Eggert, Administrative Assistant to the Superintendent, at (510) 594-2614.

No Digital Gadget Exposure for Kids of Tech Elite

Many Silicon Valley leaders prohibit exposure of their children to digital gadgets, including iPads, smartphones and even banning use by their nannies while at work.  Several current reports suggest why these parents are making this choice.

The National Education Policy Center at University of Colorado, Boulder, found “self-interested advocacy by the technology industry” as a factor in investing in installing and using digital devices in classrooms.

Personalized Learning and the Digital Privatization of Curriculum and Teaching   Faith Boninger, Alex Molnar, and Christopher Saldaña    April 30, 2019   Read more here.

Researchers have now produced actual evidence questioning the use of digital gadgets in schools.  Quotes from the report in the January/February 2020 Massachusetts Institute of Technology Technology Review:

“Teachers don’t know much about how well digital tools work, but they support using them.”

“Most students in the US are using ed tech tools every day.”

“College students who used laptops or digital devices did worse on exams.”

“Eighth graders who took Algebra I online did much worse than those who took the course in person.”

To read the whole article  (online by subscription only) and see the data and charts begin on page 18 of the paper January/February 2020 Massachusetts Institute of Technology Technology Review.

Special Piedmont Unified School District Board Workshop 

on Student Stress (AP and Honors Courses, Homework, Grades, College Admissions):

Monday, December 9, 2019

3:30 pm – 6:30 pm

760 Magnolia Avenue, Piedmont School District Conference Room

OPEN TO THE PUBLIC

For more information, contact 510/594-2607

On Wednesday, November 18th, I went to my first Recreation Commission meeting. I am a student at Piedmont High School and I had to do something that contributed to government in some way for my Civics Class. I honestly thought it was going be pretty boring, but I was happily surprised.

The Recreation Commission meets once a month. They deal with all matters pertaining to public recreation, including parks, playgrounds,etc.  More specifically, they deal with maintaining and creating areas in Piedmont. In the meeting I attended, they talked about Pickleball and maintenance of Coaches Field. 

Two of my Friends, my brother and I left for the meeting and arrived at 8:00 PM. We took the seats in the back and waited for the members of the commission to get started. There were 7 commissioners and 5 other people who attended the meeting. The commission was led by Steve Roland.  He directed the meeting.

It started off with Jackson Sterns talking about sports programs struggling to get kids involved. Dick Carter, a commissioner, mentioned the poor conditions of Witter Field, specifically the turf, which is poorly maintained.

The main meeting topic was a discussion of Pickleball. One of the people attending the meeting complained about there not being enough time to play because of the lights turning off too quickly. He also talked about how Pickleball and tennis players were getting along pretty well. Pickleball has exploded and become very popular.

During this time, we decided to go up and speak. My friend, Holden, spoke about water polo. My brother, Pierce St.Claire, Georgie Brayer, and I talked about the conditions of Witter Field. All of us have played sports and used Witter Field extensively during our time in the Piedmont School system. The field is clearly overdue for serious maintenance.

It was super fun talking and attending the meeting. I enjoyed the various subjects and learning about the growth of PickleBall.

While we were able to communicate our concerns about Witter Field, We didn’t realize that it was actually a School Board issue, not under the jurisdiction of the Recreation Commission. Even though we didn’t go about it conventionally, the commission was happy that we attended and they were really respectful to our blunder.

I found the experience to be very educational.  I learned a lot about public meetings and forums and I am very glad to have attended!

Robert St.Claire, Piedmont High School Senior