Berekely School Guidance On Federal Changes

BERKELEY, CA — The Superintendent of Berkeley Unified School District has written an open letter to the Berkeley community, to address the changing political landscape and its impact on local children, schools and staff.

Here is the letter, printed in its entirety.

Dear Berkeley Unified Community:

“Kasserian Ingera,” a traditional greeting from the Masai people of Africa, means “And how are the children?” This is an important question that I’ve been asking in this moment as so many of our children have come to me, upset and confused by conversations about politics and policies taking place in our nation’s capital that don’t reflect our Berkeley values.

How do we stay steady and ready to support our children when students and staff are receiving a barrage of misleading and disrupting information that can distract us from our core mission? How do we acknowledge with heartbreak and outrage that some in our community, especially those who are most vulnerable, are feeling much more than off balance – they are afraid and feel our government is crossing the line? We hold the line.

We hold the line here in BUSD when we continue to stay the course, despite what is going on, which is why I’m proud of our Board of Education, who at their February 5 meeting voted to approve Resolution 25-022, affirming our commitment to make BUSD campuses a safe zone for students and families threatened by immigration enforcement and committing to alignment and continual collaboration with the City of Berkeley as a city of refuge and sanctuary city.

We hold the line when we continue to uplift and celebrate our transgender and gender nonconforming students at every single school and provide these students with rights and accommodations that make our schools welcoming and safe for them. I am also proud that at their March 19 meeting, our Board of Education, reflecting our ongoing commitment to inclusivity and to celebrating our beautiful diversity, voted unanimously to approve Resolution 25-036 in Support of Transgender Students, Families, and Staff. We put up the new Progress flag in BUSD’s boardroom and will continue to acknowledge March 31 as Transgender Day of Visibility.

The BUSD boardroom now displays the Progress flag.

We also hold the line as we continue to stand up against all forms of hate and when we reject all discrimination based on race, ethnicity, religion, gender, gender identity and expression, immigration status, disability, and sexual orientation.

I understand that community members have questions about our plans for responding to actions coming out of Washington. I write today, the fourth message in a series of communications that began in November, to reiterate how BUSD will stay committed to educating and protecting all of our students.

What to Expect

Visit the links below to learn more about the work the district is doing to ensure our schools are safe and welcoming for all students, as well as what you can expect in certain scenarios.

I believe that an important part of “holding the line” at BUSD in the days ahead will be to keep our focus on teaching and learning and ensuring that Berkeley continues to be an inclusive, welcoming community that celebrates all of our diversity. As such, in most instances the district does not expect to issue statements regarding executive orders or federal government memorandums.

While a lot of changes are underway in our country, our Berkeley values will remain constant. We will continue to protect the right of every student to attend our public schools. Together we will honor and uplift our diverse community, stand against all forms of hate, and work to enable and inspire our diverse student body to achieve academic excellence and make positive contributions to our world.

In Community,

Enikia Ford Morthel
Superintendent