Statement provided by City Council Candidate N. “Sunny”Bostrom-Fleming:

Piedmont is the 3rd richest town in America.  (Google 10 richest towns in America – Wall Street 24/7 USA Today, May 23, 2015).  We have enough wealth to be a small nation, and there are actually nine countries with populations less than ours.  There are probably 50 Piedmont citizens who have the telephone numbers of the U.S. President on speed dial.  As a rich, connected, educated entity we can do amazing things as long as they are ethical and legal.  Few cities in the world can.  We have no excuses for short sightedness or selfishness. Our schools and civic center for the arts, and religious organizations, and scouting programs, are inspiring.  The evidence of our labors is the character of our children.  Last year, over two hundred people of different faiths , age 15 – 18, traveled to Mexico and built 17 houses for needy families.  Last Sunday, a group of 5th graders raised $850.00 by selling lemonade to help end world slavery.

I am an idea person, and my ideas have already led to the enhanced safety of Piedmont.  I have lived in Piedmont most of my life, except while away traveling or at boarding school.  I am the only candidate that attended Piedmont Schools, and I a grateful graduate of Piedmont High School.  My own house was ransacked by a burglar, who stole among other thing, a velum of the gutenberg bible.  I thought about what could have been done to have prevented that.  The crime had increased approximately 40%, and I decided to run for city council to try to have cameras and license plate readers installed.  Although I fell short of the number of votes required to win, my ideas were promptly adopted and implemented by our excellent police force, under the direction of our superb chief of police and crime went down by 30%.  I hope that you will vote for me, so that I can continue to improve the safety of our city.  For example, our sidewalks are extremely hazardous.  All citizens have the right to the expectation of horizontal sidewalks.  Many of our walkways are severely buckled, largely because of the tree roots, some of which are ten inches thick.  These conditions are particularly evident on Seaview Avenue and Highland Avenue.  We all love trees. They add greatly to the beauty of our city, in addition to polishing the air.  But we can no longer risk the health and safety of our citizens.  It is also possible, that by not attending to this problem, the city can have legal repercussions.

The time has come for us to join the 900 other American cities and several nations, including England, that have banned Pitbulls (Google Pitbull attacks), and you will clearly see why.  Last week a Montclair woman was hospitalized after an attack, while gardening on her own property.  A Seaview Avenue woman that was walking a small dog, was terrorized by two large pit bulls, and rescued at the last moment.  These dogs have been shown on Youtube, climbing an eleven foot cyclone fence.  They are escape artist.  30% of the people that they kill and attack are their own owners.  Every two weeks, another person is mauled to death, and thousands others are disfigured with wounds.  A woman’s entire left arm was chewed off at the shoulder last week, and her right arm at the elbow.  A two year old girl was killed on September 24th.  There are two ways to handle this.  Before someone in our Piedmont family is tortured in this way or to grievously handle it afterwards.  The pit bulls have a short life expectancy of 7 to 8 years.  Existing dogs are neutered, microchipped, and tattooed with their name, and DNA swabbed, and must be insured by the owners, and must wear muzzles while outside of their homes.

Crime preventing measures can be divided into two main types.  Things that an individual household can do.  1.  Smart phone enabled recording cameras that will allow homeowners to view their home, with additional cameras facing the street, to assist the police in tracing perpetrators.  2.  Alarm systems connected directly to the police department, instead of to 3rd party commercial monitoring systems.  3.  Police departments themselves – we need to enable our police department to be able to retain license plate reading data, to assist with future cold case investigations.

Last month, a young woman was smashed in the head and face by a brick that was thrown through the wind screen of her police patrol vehicle.  Her injuries are grave.  Last month a 60 year old police officer was shot to death through the front wind screen of his patrol car.  Police cars have no more protection than that of a civilian car.  Recent occurrences would suggest to prudent and sympathetic hearts and minds that the time has come to change this.  I Googled used armored cars.  I was interested in finding out how much mint condition civilian styled armored cars would cost.  They are protected by light weight alloys, which add very little weight to the vehicles, and offer tremendous protection.  They cost between $20,000.00 and $50,000.00 each.  Piedmont has five police cars.  If ours cost $30,000.00, and sold them for $15,000, we would only have to pay a small amount for them to be protected.  The men and women of the Piedmont Police Department are willing to take a bullet for us during the day and while we sleep.  There was a day when body armor was thought of as an extreme degree of protection.  Everyone now sees the value of body armor.  Within 20 years, police cars will have bullet proof glass and armor as the norm.  It’s better to lead and err on the side of caution, as our department has been the leader on adopting city cameras and license plate readers.  We are dealing with city matters which involve $30 Million here, $100 Million there, converting 100% of our police vehicles is something that could possibly be done for $75,000.00, and save the life of one of our valued professionals.

I think that it would be a gracious and seemly act to change the name of the portion of Oakland Ave. that is within Piedmont to Ambassador Stevens Drive, to honor the son of a Piedmont family who represented America, and who lived and died to represent the best of American value, and “truly achieved the honorable.”  As a graduate of Piedmont High School, whose life fulfilled the motto “Achieved the Honorable.”  This would require the replacement of 24 street signs.  It would be wonderful if this could be done .  This would just require the installation or replacement of 24 street names signs.  It would be nice if this could be done, so that both of his parents could see this token of esteem that we have for their son.

One of the greatest things about attending Piedmont High School was experiencing the art on the walls of the high school. The walls were filled with framed reproductions of art from fine museums throughout the world.  There were hundreds of pictures and paintings.  I don’t know what happened to them.  When I was 14, I wrote a small book describing the location of each work of art, the history of the painting, and the history of the artist.  I had the privilege of attending very expensive schools, and I would never say that anything was as superb as the atmosphere of the art filled Piedmont High School.  I would be very anxious to do anything that I could as a member of the city council to promote the arts in the Piedmont School system, starting with grade school.

If you help to place me on the city council, I promise that I will devote all of my energies to funnel your ideas to building an even better Piedmont.

N. “Sunny” Bostrom-Fleming, Candidate for Piedmont City Council

Editors Note:  Opinions expressed are those of the candidate.  The Piedmont Civic Association does not support or oppose candidates for public office. 

PUSD is #1 in Northern California and #3 in the state –

   The Piedmont School Board met on September 14th, 2016 to discuss the district’s success with the California Assessment of Student Performance and Progress test, approve the 2015-2016 unaudited budget actuals, and discuss possible budget changes for the coming school year. The School Board is in charge of employing the District Superintendent (R. Booker), adopting and changing curriculum and budget, and overseeing school facilities.

    The meeting started with a statement by one of the student representatives, Max Miller. He is the new Vice President of Millennium and he alternates with the Vice President of Piedmont High School in order to inform the School Board of what is going on at the high schools. He reported that there were new teachers at Millennium, including PHS teachers Katie Terhar and Kim Taylor. There are two student body Presidents at Millennium this year, Cerina Smit and Sarah Baldwin. The high school has adopted a new advisory period in the place of tutorial, in which students, split by grade, bond with their classmates and discuss academics with each other and their advisor. The schools-wide musical this year is “Legally Blonde.” Miller reported that club day will be on September 23rd and that the Fall Fest 5k will be the next day.

    During the public questions segment, I asked if the School Board has been considering or would consider a cap on hours of homework per night or per week. At Monte Vista High School, a similar high school in Danville, teachers are not allowed to give students more than 30 minutes of homework a night or no more than two hours per week (excepting AP and Honors courses) to cut down on student stress. The Board replied with a suggestion that I bring the issue up at the next Psych Council meeting or at the new PHS Challenge Success club, which was specifically designed to take student input on reducing stress. They also explained that a similar cut on homework might be implemented at the Piedmont Middle School, which is generally used as a pilot for changes that are requested at the high school.

    PHS Senior Cole Bloomfield brought up the issue of students losing too much summer because they are “too focused on summer homework.” Andrea Swenson, President, thanked him for his input. Addie Perkins, PHS senior, asked about keeping the gates at Wildwood open later so that she would not have to walk around them to get home after school. Swenson thanked her for her input.

   After the public section, Superintendent R. Booker made announcements about the following events and meetings. There will be LCAP advisory board meetings once a month from 3:45-5:15 p.m. in the PHS Student Center. There will be Budget Advisory Committee meetings once a month in the District Office Board Room from 3:30-5:00 p.m. There will be Site Facilities Tours at Piedmont High School throughout September and October, the next one is October 3rd. The next Speaker Series event will also be October 3rd.

   Tech and Instructions Director S. Griffin presented a PowerPoint outlining the district results for the California Assessment of Student Performance and Progress test (CAASPP). The test replaced the STAR test and is designed for the new Common Core curriculum. There were two parts to the test: adaptive multiple choice and performance tasks. Each student placed on one of the four levels: standard exceeded, standard met, standard nearly met, and standard not met. In the state of California, 49% of students passed– meaning they met or exceeded the standard– the English portion (made up of reading, writing, listening, and research skills) and 37% passed the math portion (made up of concepts, data analysis, and communicating reasoning.) The PUSD had 87% of students pass for both sections. Based on these results, PUSD is #1 in Northern California and #3 in the state. PUSD also did 3% better than it did in 2015. The reason for this increase is because the 2015 LCAP goals to focus on Common Core, teacher qualification, and English Learners support were met through professional development. The LCAP goals for 2016 will be informed by the results of the CAASPP.

   Though PUSD did very well overall, there was still a large discrepancy between the average score and the lower scores of African American students, English language learners, and Special Education students. Board Member R. Raushenbush asked if there were processes in place to help the kids that scored low on the CAASPP, and the answer was yes, that teachers have access to a student’s individual scores and are aware of the kids that need more help in one or both areas so that they can assist in giving that child’s education more due attention.

   PUSD also scored low on the subsections of listening and communicating reasoning. R. Raushenbush also asked why listening was hard for kids, and S. Griffin’s response was that it was the first year ever that a standardized test evaluated listening skills so the kids have had less practice with those kinds of questions. She also asked what a sample question looked like so that the teachers could better prepare their students.

   President A. Swenson opened the question to the public as there were a few PHS seniors that had taken the test in the room. Elijah Levy volunteered and said that the audio questions were short samples that you could pause and rewind if necessary. He also suggested that the district should reschedule classes around the CAASPP because juniors had to miss school to complete it. It was “hard to prioritize” scores that didn’t affect GPA or grades over missing class that did. PHS senior Sam Nguyen also weighed in on the topic, stating that in the future the district should emphasize that CAASPP scores are important because they affect how colleges see our school.

PHS Senior Charlotte Puscasiu noted that there might have been a drop in scores for LC kids, or kids that needed extra help due to learning disabilities, due to the fact that the LC kids, herself included, feel like they’re all “thrown in the same basket.” She stated that if help were more individualized, they would probably score better. The public session was closed and the CAASPP discussion was closed with A. Smith stating that the CAASPP is but a measure of student’s ability and not the be-all-end-all of it.

    I agree that the reason why students aren’t doing as well on listening is because we haven’t had the practice, but I want to give my opinion on why they aren’t doing as well on communicating reasoning, too. I think teachers are more testing students on whether or not they can memorize and solve equations and aren’t focusing on teaching the “why” part. I’m a senior and I’ve seen that in PHS math classes, the tests rarely ask for the reason why an equation works or why the answer is the answer. I only really started practicing this skill in AP Calculus because the AP test specifically asks for reasoning. I know that most students don’t go on to Calculus because it’s an advanced class, so if the School Board wants to see students doing better in that category, there has to be a push to teach and not only the what, but the why in math.

   Board Member S. Chin-Bendib brought up the next issue, which was approving the 2015-2016 budget’s unaudited actuals. The budget was called the General Fund, which is supported by local property taxes, state and federal funds as well as donations from the Piedmont Education Foundation. What was new this year was that the district had to shoulder 3% of pensions for teachers because of a new state law that requires that they report this pension money as expenditures but the state money never goes into the account, which affects reserves. Board Member D. Ireland said that this was but a “drop in the bucket” compared to the two million more the district will have to spend on pensions in 2020.

   S. Chin-Bendib went on to say that the state revenues increased by 136K due to lottery receipts and the Clean Energy Jobs Act. Total expenditures were 39 million. The Adult Ed program generated $120,000. The cafeteria fund had an ending balance of $200,000. Deferred Maintenance had an ending balance of $110,000.

   The Building Fund was completely spent, and R. Raushenbush asked if they should consider adding more to the budget. R. Booker was for it, saying that the facilities were so old that in one of the buildings there was a boiler from the 60’s.

   S. Chin-Bendib recommended approving the actuals and authorizing budget transfers. A. Swenson approved both the unaudited report and the 2016-2017 interim budget, but not before there was more discussion on the pensions. R. Booker said that the Board “can’t look to the state” for help with generating the $2 million, and that the Board has to bring in new revenues. He also noted that there wasn’t anybody else lobbying for change. Swenson concurred, saying that she and the Vice President, S. Pearson, “got nowhere” with the state representatives and that they would both try to “increase dialogue.”

   Booker reported that every teacher holds credentials. He spent 28 hours on evaluation and made sure each was certified. So concluded the September 14th PUSD School Board meeting.

   I asked Joaquin Langarica why he attended the School Board meeting. He said that he was there with his son, a Boy Scout, because Boy Scouts must attend a government meeting “to pass a requirement for the citizenship badge.” Scouts are “supposed to see how government works” if they want to be considered citizens. Good on ‘em.

Amelia Henry, Piedmont High School Senior

Editors Note:  Opinions expressed are those of the author.

Stop signs spawned civil unrest, plus free mosquito inspection –

The sixteen additional stop signs placed this past summer around Piedmont have spawned civil unrest throughout the city. While many are advocating for the increased safety that they bring, others are questioning the reasoning behind these additions. This subject matter dominated the Public Forum that marked the opening of the Piedmont City Council’s bi-monthly meeting on Monday, September 21st at Piedmont’s City Hall located at 120 Vista Avenue.

Enraged citizens took the stand, sharing their personal stances on the matter. Piedmonters Jon Elvekrog and Reid Settlemier spoke out against the installation of these additional stop signs, insisting that more data analysis be performed to evaluate whether they are actually necessary.

While both Elvekrog and Settlemier are in favor of increasing safety, they are also concerned about the added expense of this project and are suspicious as to whether they are the best option for the entire community. They also hoped to develop a policy in which these additions could be discussed in a way so that the entire community is involved in the process. While these two men spoke against this current project, another woman who took the stand was incredibly thankful for their installment. She found the email sent by Elvekrog to be upsetting, because it told people to come to City Hall and protest even though these additions have benefitted her life immensely, stating that she is “sick of anti-government” feelings in the community.

Personally, I believe the addition of these stop signs is crucial to the safety of Piedmont. As a teenager, I am usually in a rush and tempted to speed, especially down Hampton Road. My route to school in the morning may be slightly longer with the two new stop signs on my way, but it is far safer. The men at the meeting argued that more data analysis needs to be performed to evaluate the necessity of these stop signs; however, in my opinion, I do not think this needs to be done because even if data concludes that there have not been many accidents at a certain intersection in the past, it cannot be decided that none will occur in the future.

Following the public forum, the Council meeting commended the work of University of Wisconsin alum Matthew Anderson in his efforts to make energy more sustainable at a municipal level. Acting Mayor Jeff Wieler announced that September 19th will forever now be known as “Matthew Anderson Day.” Following Wieler’s announcements, members of the community responded to Anderson’s work as well. Garrett Keating gifted him a $2 trinket while another woman commended him for his “strong presence” in Piedmont CONNECT, an environmental organization. Anderson’s contributions in working with greenhouse gas, inventory, and making residents be more energy efficient proved beneficial to the entire community.

Following the proclamation was a presentation from the Alameda County Mosquito Abatement District. This presentation included information about the life cycle of mosquitoes as well as the company’s efforts to prevent a Zika or West Nile virus from spreading in the Bay Area. In Piedmont, the presenter specifically said that areas in need of testing are swimming pools, cemeteries, gutters, creeks and catch basins. Citizens of Piedmont can contact the public agency for a free mosquito inspection.

Among the other issues discussed were the planning and zoning provisions of the municipal code. A resident living at 1250 Grand Avenue shared his feelings towards the changes to Zone D in the last two years. He stated that he was “optimistic that good can come out of it.” Other members of the community shared that they are content with the analysis that has gone into this planning. Vice Mayor Robert McBain expressed his joy in hearing that the public is interested in having there be something other than the Shell gas station on the small parcel of land located on Grand Avenue near ACE Hardware. Council member Teddy King expressed the Council’s efforts to make this “an open and transparent process,” while instructing the public to “be patient and wait for an outcome.”

Community member Rick Schiller expressed his disdain for the planning and zoning revisions which would change the City Property Zone B to to allow a community-serving business – like a newspaper or beverage stand – to have its headquarters in a government building. His concerns rested in his criticism of the Piedmont Post for its biased views on civic issues. Addressing the “serious conflict of interest issues,” Schiller shared his concern for public property being used by the Post, since it is not a non-political business.

The sixth item on the agenda addressed a potential agreement with the Local Government Commission for $5,000 regarding the Civic Spark Internship Program. This amount was awarded to the program in hopes of achieving climate action goals.

 The next item regarded the appropriations for CIP Projects including work at Beach Elementary School and Coach’s Field. In the words of Council Member Teddy King, this was an issue “bandied around for over a decade.” Jen Cavenaugh, candidate for City Council in the election November 8, shared her opinions on multiple matters throughout the meeting. For the proposal of CIP projects, she came to the meeting to share her belief in the necessity of “moving forward” with its plans because it would “overlap the city and the school district [in order to] maximize space.” Cavenaugh also shared that she sees new opportunities for programming in these buildings should they be remodeled. Thirty-five thousand dollars was granted to the Linda project and $25,000 was granted to the Coach’s Field project. At a future meeting, a clear approach to both projects is supposed to be presented.

The Council then discussed money for the renovation of Veterans Hall, the Recreation Center, and the Community Hall. The proposed changes for these buildings allow for their reconfiguration to allow better access. Specifically the Veterans’ Hall, which is very expansive with no divisions can only be used by one party at a time and would benefit from a renovation. Additionally, for the Recreation Center, due to its old feel, it is unable to meet modern day recreation needs, and is also inaccessible to the public. Fifty-five thousand, one hundred and twenty five dollars was given to the Coastland Engineers for Property Condition Assessments of these buildings to make them more functional to the public.

At 9:30 p.m., the two-hour meeting drew to a close. In good spirits, the Council was adjourned and members dwindled out of the doors of City Hall into the warm summer night.

Rebecca Glick, Piedmont High School Senior

Editors’ Note: Opinions expressed are those of the author.

“Council discussion of zoning was difficult to understand” –

On the evening of September 19 at 7:30, after the Pledge of Allegiance and a brief introduction, the Council approved meeting minutes, approved a contract with Miracle Playsystems Inc. to replace the protective surfacing at Dracena Park, and approved a replacement license plate reader unit for the Police Department.

Next, the Council opened the floor for public comments and opinion. The hot topic of the night was stop signs; specifically the 16 newly added stop signs across town. Some were in favor and spoke for the “pros” of stop signs because they reinforce safety as a priority. However, there were others who were bittersweet on the new traffic signs. “Is 16 too many?” One community member asked, “I think a study is necessary.”

One community member enlightened the crowd on the effect stop signs have on the environment. Brake dust and emission is emitted with every break and go. Therefore, the more stop signs means the more brake-and-gos which ultimately mean more pollution. The man suggested a traffic engineer come and inspect.

I personally believe the stop signs are a great addition to the community. I live on Mountain Avenue and have found the new stop signs located at Hampton and Seaview avenues to be highly effective and impactful.

Next was a ceremony to honor departing planning staff member Matt Anderson for the work he has done with Piedmont on environmental studies to enhance environmental awareness and conservation. Anderson has encouraged Piedmont to install more solar panels, make street lights more efficient, and reduce greenhouse gases.

Then there was a personally unexpected presentation on mosquitoes by the Alameda County Mosquito Abatement District. The audience was taught the biology of mosquitoes, mosquito management in Piedmont, and effect of disease carrying mosquitoes. Prior to this meeting, I had no previous knowledge on what helps regulate the number of mosquitoes in Piedmont.

The Council then went into discussing zoning provisions. In addition, they talked about an agreement with the local government commission for the Civic Spark Internship Program; costing a total of $5,000. It was at this point in the meeting where I wish I had done some homework. I can honestly say I do not know anything about “Zoning” or the “Civic Spark Internship Program” and the Council members were throwing around numbers and unfamiliar words making it very difficult to understand the issue and conclusion. The council also spoke about working with Coastland Engineers for property assessments of City Hall, the Veterans Hall, the Recreation Center, and the Community Hall.

I think the major properties in Piedmont such as the venues listed above should be a priority for the city because they are so popular and so widely used.

 Next on the agenda were announcements, old business and proposals for future agenda items. There were several speakers, however, the focus of this cluster seemed to revolve around the Shell Gas Station located in the center of town. With hopes of new development and maintaining Piedmont’s residential character, alternatives such as a cafe were discussed. Yet, the Council reminded the public that no plan has been proposed and right now this idea is simply nothing more than an idea.

Then the council transitioned into the topic of Beach and Coaches Field. Two men came and proposed a plan that costing $35,000 for Beach and $25,000 for Coaches Field. The goal is to improve the venue and use it for more events and functions. Jen Cavanaugh, a woman running for City Council, spoke out and said “I think this is a great opportunity to partner with the school.” Similarly, Council Member Teddy King said “I think it is time to move this project forward.”

Although I was pleased to see the city trying to improve local fields and playgrounds, I was amazed by the large sum of money that was being spent in less than 10 minutes!

Unfortunately there were times when the meeting was a bit hard to hear. If possible, I would love to see more effective microphones or speakers so that the public can clearly hear everything that is being said.

The meeting wrapped up with a cheerful “this is a big weekend for Piedmont.” Festivities such as the movie in the park, the Fall Fest 5k, and the Harvest festival will all take place in the center of town.

Afterwards, I had the privilege of speaking with Acting Mayor Jeff Wieler. I began by telling him my opinion on the new stop signs. He graciously thanked me for attending the meeting and for relaying my reaction to the stop signs. Then I asked him “What’s your favorite part about being Mayor?” He responded, “I get to set the agenda and have paper instead of iPads.” We then talked about how he got involved in politics, specifically the City Council. He said that before he ran for a seat on City Council, he was part of many committees and saw the council as a place to apply what he knew. He admitted “things are running pretty well here in Piedmont,” but one particular concern Acting Mayor Wieler would like to see addressed is the Piedmont swimming pool. He believes the pool is undersized for its use and that we need to have a pool that “better serves the people of Piedmont.”

   Overall, it was a great experience to get a closer look into Piedmont government. I encourage the public to sit in or participate; even if it is just one time! City Council is a great medium to see how government is run in Piedmont and speak for or against certain issues in the community.

Every 1st and 3rd Monday of each month, the Piedmont City Council congregates in the Chamber of City Hall.

Hanna Marcus, Piedmont High School Senior

Editors’ Note: Opinions expressed are those of the author.

Student Report of  September 14 School Board Meeting  –

  Walking into the School Board meeting at City Hall on September 14, I was met with flashbacks. Recognizing the u-shaped table with chairs followed with a movie theatre array of chairs, I went back to when I went to a Planning Commission years ago. With a flashback regarding my family’s plan to renovate our home where a derogatory comment emerged, claiming that our house would become Piedmont’s own “Drive-through McDonalds”, I was worried that this meeting would be the same. However, instead of being met with blunt comments, I entered 120 Vista Avenue and was met with amusing, sarcastic, yet supportive, atmosphere. With Millennium Vice President and Junior Max Miller describing recent school events and plans and with meetings every two weeks, I realized that our School Board isn’t one that stereotypically deals with just parents, it has students who help provide for our schools futures and it invests valuable time to improve our school and our students.

  After each member introduced themselves, President of the School Board Andrea Swenson asked observers if they had any topics that they would like to bring up that weren’t on the agenda. Fellow seniors Amelia Henry and Cole Bloomfield brought up issues like 30 minutes maximum homework per night and the amount of summer homework that is given and whether it is beneficial. I brought up the issue of the gates and locks surrounding Wildwood school.

  As a lifelong Piedmont resident who crosses Witter Field to walk home from school, free periods pose an issue to myself and others who live in similar areas. With activities and appointments scheduled after school, walking down Wildwood Avenue or Magnolia Avenue can pose a threat to being on time. Knowing that student safety obviously surpasses the need to be on time, I wanted the board just to think about my topic and if something could be done about the gates. With smiles and nods of the heads, I saw and realized that our students desires and needs are met openly and with enthusiasm.

  After a recap of past events and an introduction to upcoming ones, Superintendent Randall Booker passed the microphone to Cheryl Wozniak of Curriculum and Instruction and Stephanie Griffin of Instructional Technology to discuss the recent scores of the CAASPP test. The second year used, the test yielded positive results. With Piedmont exceeding well over the average in California for ELA and Mathematics tests (87% to 49% and 87% to 37%), our city ranks as one of the top successors in both Northern California and the state. However, when one dives deeper and checks the success rates on individual sections, results aren’t so astounding. While Piedmont passed most sections with flying colors, the Listening area was of the weakest performance. With joking comments on how it isn’t teenagers best area of expertise anyhow, board members like Rick Raushenbush and Amal Smith were quick to question why this was the case and asked questions about what could be done to elevate our performance levels. These questions were quickly answered and suggestions were offered by the seniors sitting alongside me.

  Elijah Levy brought up the emphasis of studying a week beforehand, as AP testing and other tests were taking up studying time and that the CAASPP didn’t have the same weight as the ACT and the SAT, thus students weren’t concerned about the outcome. Following this, Sam Wen thought that educating students about the importance of the test and how it helps colleges learn about our high school and acknowledged our scores would be extremely beneficial. Elisa Glauber believed emphasizing the effects on the community and how if the community knows more, then the weight of the scores would be better projected and that since listening isn’t commonly used in the classroom, that incorporating it at home would yield better results in the coming years.

  Charlotte Puscasiu said that the test wasn’t being supported and students weren’t being helped by the Learning Center program. She also said that all LC students are grouped together despite different learning disabilities and that the board should talk to LC teachers and specialist to help students individually and with strategies that conform to their needs.

  While I didn’t speak, I believe that the CAASPP test was a waste of time and while it may yield better results to help students individually, the STAR test was a much better match for me and I didn’t feel like falling asleep during the review periods for the next test following the finished one. Like beforehand, all these suggestions and issues were met with nods of the head and an aura of eagerness to reform our schools to better help our students.

  Following the discussion of the CAASPP, the budget for the recent 2015-2016 school year and the future budget for the 2016-2017 school year was discussed. While most of this conversation flew over my head, the main issues that arose were the 3-4% of our budget that is set aside for the state and the low budget in deferred maintenance. As the state of California has messed up to some degree, 3-4% of Piedmont’s educational budget must be frozen and kept for state collection.

  While Board Member Doug Ireland said that $33,000 isn’t that big of an issue when one is looking at the whole picture, other members weren’t so sure. The $33,000 was brought up again when the board talked about the money used for deferred maintenance. While $190,000 may not seem like too small of a budget for maintenance issues for all of our schools, when a single roof can cost up to $70,000 and that the high school has a boiler from the 1960’s in the 30’s building, issues can arise. This section of the meeting went by relatively smoothly; the budget for the 2016-2017 school year seemed to receive a bit of worry.

  After the meeting ended and issues and agreements were approved unanimously, I went up to President of the board Andrea Swenson. As the President of the School Board, Andrea helps keep the sessions in order and make sure that all issues on the agenda are addressed. Asking her why she does what she does despite that all of her kids have graduated from Piedmont schools, Andrea simply states that she wants to improve the lives of students and make the schools a happy and safe environment, as they were for her own kids. Although she often has to bit her tongue when dealing with opposing arguments, Andrea says that she welcomes those with opinions as they often tend to create ideas that might have been overlooked. Regarding a specific meeting where outspoken opinions were common, Andrea fondly remembers how one woman thanked her for her duty and for listening to everyone, knowing that her opinion was distinctly different. Like many other members of the school board, Andrea wishes to continue making progress in education in Piedmont schools and providing a safe environment, and if this takes the next 20 years, then so be it.

    As I left the meeting, I was completely exhausted. Sitting in a chair for two hours winded me, yet I had a newfound appreciation for our school board members who do this every week. While citizens of Piedmont may not be concerned with actions of the School Board or are feeling out of the loop, there is only one thing that they need to know: they are in good hands.

by Addie Perkins, Piedmont High School Senior

Editors Note: Opinions expressed are those of the author.

Starting the meeting, Max Miller of Millennium High School, introduced himself and the recent events that have or will occur during the school year. After describing Back to School Night and showing gratitude for new teachers at Millennium, Miller praised the recent support of the student body at school events, encouraging them to continue doing so.

Subsequently, the President of the Board, Andrea Swenson, asked the audience if anyone had any topics they would like to bring to the table, outside of the listed agenda. One by one, three students rose and walked to the podium. Amelia Henry, a senior at Piedmont High School, started by vocalizing her thoughts about academic stress levels and inquiring about the possible ways to decrease them and ease the student body. Following her was Cole Bloomfield, who questioned the merit of summer homework. He noted that he had lost all of his summer working on AP class homework that was quickly tested and put aside for the school year. At a time where college applications were already raising stress levels, he felt that “[his] summer had been wasted” on summer assignments.

And finally, Addilynn Perkins talked about the fences around Wildwood School and the obstruction they caused as she had to walk all the way around them to reach her home, once the gates were locked. She realized that they were a safety precaution but wanted to let the Board know that they create an inconvenience to those living beyond the fence.

After a quick listing of ways for the community to get more involved by Superintendent Randall Booker, President Andrea Swenson, welcomed  Dr. Cheryl Wozniak and Stephanie Griffin to reveal the results of the 2016 CAASPP.

The CAASPP stands for the California Assessment of Student Performance and Progress, and recently replaced the STAR test that was administered in the PUSD. Being the second year in use, Griffin claimed that this computer based assessment was more precise and accurate about where a student was in their education level. Another benefit, mentioned by Dr. Wozniak, was that the CAASPP has a standardized measurement unlike the STAR test, allowing them to see how students are faring throughout the years and compare and contrast the relative scores.

After addressing the benefits of switching tests, Mrs. Griffin and Dr. Wozniak showed the Board the results of 2016 test on a powerpoint presentation. In all of California, 49% met or exceeded the standard needed to be prepared for college. Of this, only 37% of students in California met this mark in the mathematics section. Comparing this to the PUSD, 87% of students met or exceeded the standard for college with 87% of them meeting that standard in the mathematics testing. This contrast showed the success of the PUSD education department and thus they congratulated Superintendent Randall Booker, High School Principal Brent Daniels and their faculty. However, they noticed that 3% of students did not meet the mark in math and stated that Piedmont must do their best to remedy this small discrepancy.

96% of students took the test from Piedmont High School, Millennium and the Piedmont Middle School. Although only 10-13% did not meet the standard, and the PUSD scored a 97 on the ELA, Griffin stated that they needed to do better. Unfortunately, one must exceed the standard in order to be prepared for college level courses. She called attention to the Learning Center students and African American students in the district and how they could help them in their education.

Amid the applause, Rick Raushenbush, a Board member, expressed surprise and shock that the PUSD did not have 100% of their students meeting college criterias. He wondered what the problem was and how they could solve it. Superintendent Booker proposed that perhaps it was because it was the tests first year, and then turned towards the students in the audience asking if they had any input.

I, Sam Wen, a senior at Piedmont High School raised my hand and after being called on, walked to the podium to address the culture around the CAASPP. I expressed that the consequences of the CAASPP test was relatively unknown, being seen as merely something one should plow through and check off the graduation requirement list. I recalled how Mr. Daniels had told the class of 2017 that not enough of the seniors before us had taken the test, and that if we did likewise, Piedmont High School could be audited and this could drastically affect our college prospects. This was a surprise and unknown to me, as I did not know that the CAASPP test determined how colleges viewed our scores and thus our application to their colleges. I suggested that perhaps the school could educate future students on the consequences and importance of this test in order to create a culture around the CAASPP test and show them how it directly influenced their lives.

Two more students, Elisa Glauber and Elijah Levy, commented on how the CAASPP test seemed to be tacked onto the school schedule and that because the weight of the test was unknown and it was  the same week as normal school, tests and AP tests, they prioritized other things above the standardized test. They agreed that setting aside a special week for it, or clearing students schedules could help the results of the test. Mr. Booker nodded in agreement and thanked us for our input.

After this, the meeting was addressed the financial reports and half of the room quietly left, leaving the audience void of anyone except high school students. The Board talked about contracts and agreements on business services, curriculum and instruction and special education. They graciously accepted a $1,000 donation to the school’s Wellness Center, and hoped that they would receive more to help the program grow and relieve stress.

As the topic turned to school renovations, the Board seemed hesitant to improve the facilities because it pulled away from the General Fund. Although their budget allowed $190,000, they found that they were out of it, having spent $28,000 on the PHS Binks Gym and more on the PMS wall. Board Member Doug Ireland asked Mr. Booker whether this year had been merely expensive or if they needed to make the school budget bigger. Mr Booker replied that it was a combination of the two. He ended the discussion by encouraging members of Piedmont to get more involved and educate others about certain bills that would help their cause.

As the meeting concluded, I asked the president of the Board, Andrea Swenson, what sort of difficulties she wanted to remedy. She stated that although she was the president, she had equal power to other board members, Rick Raushenbush or Doug Ireland, and merely helped facilitate the meetings. She joined the Board in order to keep and maintain the close knit community in Piedmont. She wanted to “support kids and especially emotionally support them”, while “adequately preparing them” for college and life beyond. She tries to do this by hearing what students have to say and implementing their input. She sometimes has to deal with opposing opinions in public, however, although she may disagree, she respects the system and likes how it allows people to speak. Overall, she was very grateful to the students for coming and their input and encouraged us to continue to support the community she so dearly loved.

There is a School Board meeting once every two weeks, held in the Council Chambers of the City Hall, 120 Vista Avenue, Piedmont, beginning at 7:00 p.m.

By Samuel Wen, Piedmont High School Senior

Editors Note: Opinions expressed are those of the author.

       “The Beat (down) goes on”

I recently attended a beautiful memorial service for a 93-year old aunt, a much-beloved and longtime elementary school teacher. Her son, a senior member of the US State Department and ambassador to an eastern European country spoke eloquently about his mother’s influence on his life. In their last conversation, he thanked her for making him the man he is. In her infirmity but ever the teacher, she corrected him by saying she did not make him the man but rather allowed him to become the man he is.

I bring this up because the school district recently reported stellar results from last year’s CAASPP tests which replaced the previously administered STAR tests. Like our aunt, we can’t claim credit for the success of our great students. They do the work and put in the effort to excel in school and on these tests. It is the role of the district and the school board, like the mother cited above, to allow the students to become the individuals they are.

Our schools continue to shine and thus, attract families moving to the area. As they do, the demand bolsters local housing values. Good for the kids, good for parents, good for taxpayers with and without children in school. A win, win, win scenario. In other words, something to celebrate.

I’d like to thank The Piedmonter for recognizing this extraordinary success with their September 2 front page headline: “PUSD Student Test Scores Tops in Nor Cal.” In contrast, I continue to be baffled at the hostility leveled at the district administration and board by the Piedmont Post. Their latest page one featured a full color, detailed street sweeping schedule change and an assault on our superintendent. The CAASPP results, buried on page seven, paragraph four portrays a twisted sense of priorities for the paper.

Previously, the Post suggested the school administration is top heavy and the board is not scrutinizing district decisions. To the contrary, in anticipation of sweeping curricular and technological change, the board approved and the district created two director-level positions, Curriculum and Instruction (C&I) and Technology to prepare for those pending challenges. The tests, which our students just nailed, are in a new format covering new material. To achieve this result, common core standards were introduced as mandated by the state. Our fantastic, hardworking teachers incorporated those changes in their classrooms. And the tests were administered in a new format requiring computer competency. We took these measures by relying on the experts in the district office to educate us about emerging trends, articulate the needs for the district and identify the talent to insure continued excellence in our schools. And we now have results to support those moves.

Over the past year, the drumbeat of ongoing attacks from Post editorial staff with misleading or fabricated data, false allegations and sloppy reporting has endeavored to undermine Piedmont’s faith in the school board’s stewardship. Meanwhile, our schools continue to produce fabulous outcomes in graduation rates, college acceptances, student wellness, state testing and national rankings. This is tremendous success for which we all should be proud. And like our recently deceased aunt, we don’t claim to have made these students who they are but we believe we are providing a platform from which they can soar. I hope you’ll agree.

Doug Ireland, PUSD School Board Member

Editors Note:  Opinions expressed are those of the author.  

The Piedmont Civic Association on August 31, 2016 published an article on the CAASPP scores which can be read here< “Piedmont Schools Show Excellent Results on Statewide Tests.”

Piedmont Police Department is currently investigating four robberies that have occurred in the City of Piedmont during the last three months.  

The first case occurred on the 200 block of Greenbank Avenue.  Two suspects robbed three construction workers in the backyard of a home under construction.  The two suspects were described as Black males, in their late teens, 5’8’’ – 5’10’’.  The suspects fled the scene on foot.

The second case occurred on the 200 block of Hampton Road.  Two suspects robbed two landscape workers along the sidewalk area.  One of the suspects struck one of the victims in the head with a blunt object during the robbery.  The two suspects were described as Black males, in their teens, average height.  The suspects fled on foot to an unknown vehicle which was possibly waiting around the corner.

The third case occurred on the 200 block of Sea View Avenue.  Three suspects robbed three construction workers in the backyard of a home under construction.  One of the suspects struck one of the victims in the head with a blunt object during the robbery.  Two of the suspects were described as Black males, in their teens, average height.  The third suspect was described as possibly mixed race (Black/Hispanic) in his late teens or early twenties, average height.  The suspects fled on foot and are believed to have fled the scene in an older white or cream-colored Mercedes Benz which possibly fled down Sea View Avenue, toward Mandana Boulevard.

The fourth case occurred last night, August 30, 2016, at approximately 8:00 pm.  Three armed suspects entered a residence located in the 200 block of Estates Drive in the City of Piedmont while the residents were home.  The suspects isolated the residents in an area of the home and ransacked the house stealing cash and jewelry.  The suspects fled the scene on foot and possibly got into an unknown vehicle.  None of the residents were injured during the incident.  The three suspects were described as Black males, in their late teens to early twenties, average height and build.

The Piedmont Police Department has communicated these incidents through local media as well as targeted outreach to the contractors and workers who commonly work in the community. Similar robberies have occurred in neighboring jurisdictions, and the Department is communicating and working closely with those agencies.  We are also using all of our technological tools, including the Automated License Plate Readers, to assist in our efforts. Additionally, we have increased our staffing to follow up on existing leads and engage in proactive enforcement activity.

We ask all residents to be cognizant of individuals who appear to be engaged in suspicious activities and immediately report it to the Piedmont Police Department.   Although we are working hard to prevent any more robberies in our City, the reality is that it could happen again.  With that in mind please remember to practice basic crime prevention by:

• Securing the access points to your residence
• Utilize lighting 
• Minimize visual barriers to your property such as overgrown landscaping, as these areas provide cover and concealment for criminals.

You may choose to have a neighborhood watch meeting to discuss these issues. Please feel free to reach out to Mr. Lyman Shaffer, Chair of the City of Piedmont Public Safety Committee, to schedule a meeting.

If you have any additional questions or concerns, feel free to contact Chief Rikki Goede at (510) 420-3010 or Captain Jeremy Bowers at jbowers@piedmontpd.org or at (510) 420-3012.  

Are Piedmonters going to be surprised by the new building requirements and zoning changes?  Few residents have participated in the meetings as the Planning Commission has deliberated changes.  Read the staff report  < here for details of  proposed changes.

The Planning Commission will discuss on August 30 revisions to Piedmont’s Building requirements in Chapter 17 of the Municipal Code,  the Zoning Code. The Zone D parcels are occupied by commercial or single family residential uses at present.

The new proposals include increasing the height limitation for the Civic Center commercial parcels at Highland Avenue and Vista Avenue next to Havens School across from the Emergency Fire Department Services adjoining City Hall to 40 feet, and for the Grand Avenue parcels to 35 feet, plus eliminating setback requirements for both areas. This would appear to allow further densification. (See the chart of proposed Zone D requirements on page 5 of the staff report.)

Special Session

1. DISCUSSION OF CITY CODE CHAPTER 17 MODIFICATIONS

The Planning Commission will continue its discussion of potential amendments to provisions of Chapter 17 (the City’s Zoning Code). This session’s discussion topics include, but are not limited to: the regulations for Zone D regarding building height, setbacks for upper levels, and parking for commercial uses; the regulations of signs; the regulations of wireless communications facilities; projects eligible for expedited design review; various changes to the administrative regulations; definitions and measurements; and the composition of an interim design guidelines. The purpose of the discussion is to take public testimony on the subject, and to provide an opportunity for the Commission to consider the subject matter, make comments and give direction. The Planning Commission may give direction to staff, but no formal action will occur.

Also under discussion are reduced parking requirements, signing regulations, wireless communications facilities, expedited design review, as well as numerous definitions and measurements.

Read the August 30 staff report here.

The August 20, 2016 Planning Commission meeting in the Council Chambers, City Hall is open to the public. The meeting begins at 5:30 p.m. and will be broadcast on Channel 27 and from the City website.