PUSD School Board Meeting of October 14, 2015

by Piedmont High School student Bianna Massullo

“I advise you not to direct the BAFPC to provide a recommendation on the duration of the Municipal Services Special Tax as part of its periodic examination of the tax. The tax has always been used to take the pulse of Piedmont on its level of support for municipal services through additional tax dollars and, as the table in the staff report shows, that support can be variable. A survey of the residents every 4 years in the form of a vote is perfectly acceptable and appropriate to both assess public support and provide sufficient long-term planning, given the high level of support for the tax.  A longer period between such endorsements could direct staff and future Council in directions not supported by residents. And with what appears to be the dissolution of the Municipal Tax Committee and the oversight that committee provided, voters may perceive a longer duration of the tax as a reduction in voter oversight.”

“If you do direct the BAFPC to provide a recommendation on this matter,  also direct the Committee to balance the need for that tax with the annual Real Property Transfer Tax receipts which are at historic levels.  It was the recommendation of the Municipal Tax Committee that transfer tax receipts over $3M be considered “one time” windfalls and not be incorporated into annual budgeting analysis for the City.  The reason is so that the City does not get ahead of itself with spending and benefits that it cannot sustain.  Indeed, one year when I was on City Council, we did not levy the parcel tax because the transfer tax receipts were $3M.  If the Committee is to consider lengthening the duration of the Municipal Parcel Tax, then also have it consider self-correcting measures to maintain City spending at sustainable levels.”

Garrett Keating, Former City Council Member

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

Report on Saturday, October 3rd an informal “brain storming” session in Upper Dracena Park

by Piedmont High School student Elizabeth Docter

Landscape 1:  Ramona/Ronada Traffic Triangle.  A traffic island built to improve pedestrian safety that uses drought-tolerant landscaping.  Supported by the neighborhood, the project cost was $185,000 with $30,000 in private contributions ($25,000 from the Piedmont Beautification Foundation and $5000 from the neighborhood).  At this, the peak of the drought, the triangle is in full bloom.

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Landscape 2: the Highland Garden Walk.  A drought-tolerant landscape with pathways, pedestrian seating and themed gardens proposed to replace the Sheridan Avenue “crescent”, the swath of lawn where Sheridan runs into Highland Avenue. Supported by a majority of the neighborhood, the project is estimated to cost $90,000 and is in line for $30,000 in grant funding ($20,000 StopWaste, and $10,000 from EBMUD).  At this the peak of the drought, the project would replace an ornamental lawn that uses 600,000 gallons of water per year.

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The difference between the two projects?  The Traffic Triangle is completed and is an asset to the community. The Garden Walk is at a standstill and at risk of losing it’s funding.

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If you are interested in more details, watch the Park Commission meeting at minute 58 to see staff’s assessment of the project (http://www.ci.piedmont.ca.us/video/,  Park Commission, September 2 meeting).  The main reasons for the delay seem to be preference for the lush lawn and “50/50” support for the project by the Piedmont Beautification Foundation.  Additional meetings will be held to tweak the project but unless the design is resolved soon, funding for the project will be lost as well as the planting window for a new garden.

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The lawn at Sheridan and Highland Avenues is the most water-inefficient public landscape in Piedmont.  This small lawn uses 600,000 gallons of water per year, 4% of municipal water usage, yet goes virtually untrodden on by the public.  Commenters at the Park Commission suggested that the lawn provides a pleasant visual “drive by” landscape for Piedmonters.   I suggest they drive by the Sheridan lawn and the Ramona/Ronada Triangle today and see which provides a better visual drive by.

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Drought-tolerant landscaping is the future for California and Piedmont should take advantage of any available funding. Is the city’s legacy for the worst drought in California history going to be that it rejected funds to replace water-wasteful landscaping?   And how can the city honestly ask for neighborhood contributions when it won’t avail itself of these funds?

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Garrett Keating, Former Piedmont Council Member

Editors’ Note:  The opinions expressed are those of the author and not necessarily those of the Piedmont Civic Association. Comments on the opinions are welcomed.

It is outrageous that the California Public Utilities Commission released its plan for changing electricity rates on Wednesday before the July 4th weekend, and approved it on Friday, giving no time for public comment, or even for public awareness of its action.  Current rates which reward energy conservation will be reversed, so low-usage customers will be paying higher rates while high-usage energy wasters will pay lower rates.  This would mean higher bills for about 75% of electricity customers in the coming years, while rate reductions would go to the top 5% of users.  That just ain’t right.

In addition, customers who have installed solar power will pay an additional surcharge “to keep the electric grid running.”  What about California’s goals for clean and sustainable energy?  These rate changes shove in the wrong direction.

Can Governor Brown reverse the CPUC’s bad decision?  Can the Democratic-majority legislature save us from this blunder?  Perhaps yes, if enough angry citizens let them know we aren’t gonna take this any more.

Bruce Joffe, Piedmont Resident

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

Average speed on Oakland Avenue is 35 MPH despite Police issuing twice as many speeding tickets in 2014 as in 2011 and 2012 combined.

– Public Safety Committee Continues Work on Disaster Preparedness Checklist –

May 28th Public Safety Committee Report by Piedmont High School Student Remy Afong, the only public person attending the meeting –

On Thursday, May 28, the Public Safety Committee met at 5:30 p.m. in the City Council Chambers for a regularly scheduled meeting. Established three years ago by a City Council charge, the committee meets every two months to discuss ways to increase public participation in crime reduction strategies and disaster preparedness. It also serves to provide a forum for community members to share concerns regarding public safety issues.

Before addressing items on the agenda, Chairman Lyman Shaffer asked if there was anyone who would like to speak about an item not listed on the agenda. As the only audience member, I was allotted the full 10 minutes of public forum to myself, though I only spoke for one or two. To increase pedestrian safety, I suggested installing a lighted crosswalk at the intersection of Highland Avenue and Sierra Avenue, and at other intersections near schools. I described how on numerous occasions, I have had to run across the street to avoid being hit by a car; each time the car failed to show any signs of slowing down.

School District President Andrea Swenson, a member of the committee, said that she has had similar experiences and agreed that many intersections in Piedmont are unsafe.

After the meeting, Shaffer suggested that I restate my proposal at a City Council meeting.

The most hotly discussed issue at the meeting was the Disaster Preparedness Checklist, an item yet to be released to the community. Shaffer briefed the committee on the origins of the document. It is the project of a task group led by committee member Garrett Keating that

stems from the Tiburon/Belvedere Disaster Preparedness Program. Committee members took a moment to review the 4-page document before discussing improvements.

Shaffer praised the checklist as a nice basic resource to have in everyone’s homes and noted the importance of perfecting the document because it cannot be re-edited after mass distribution. He suggested placing all emergency numbers on the front page, a proposal that was well-received by the rest of the committee. Swenson added that school phone numbers should be removed to prevent them from being overwhelmed with frantic phone calls.

Committee member Ryan Gilbert commented that overall, the document has too much text and suggested narrowing the focus to imperative statements.

Chief of Police Rikki Goede added that the document should be in a more succinct, action plan style. She did not think that the “Map Your Neighborhood” portion, which includes a checklist of necessary resources and instructions on how to organize a neighborhood disaster team, had a place on the document. Rather, there should be a link to a website with neighborhood preparedness information instead.

Committee member Sue Lin, however, strongly advocated for Map Your Neighborhood. She argued that if it is just listed as an additional resource and not elaborated upon, people would not be encouraged to think on a broader spectrum outside their individual lives.

Keating agreed that having an entire page dedicated to Map Your Neighborhood would boost resident participation. His subcommittee will continue to revise the document and the whole committee will discuss the item again at the next meeting.

Personally, I agree with Gilbert and Goede that the Disaster Preparedness Checklist should be as concise as possible to avoid people becoming overwhelmed and disregarding the document altogether. Though I support the idea of Map Your Neighborhood, I think that it

should be separate. This document will be most useful if it is designed in an easy-to-read format that focuses on individual household preparedness.

Editors’ Note:  Opinions expressed are those of the author. The meetings of the Public Safety Committee are not broadcast but are open to the public. 

-May 27th School Board Meeting Report by Piedmont High School Student Tatum Burnett-

On May 27, 2015, I went to the Board of Education meeting from 7:00 to 9:00 p.m. The Board, which meets twice a month uses these meetings to discuss the School District’s budget, expenditures, events, visions, and goals. During the meeting on the 27th, three main topics were discussed.

First, Stephanie Griffon gave a presentation on the Connected Learning Initiative, which included all the technological advances the School District has made in the last 5 years. She described the progress the schools have made since 2010 when the teachers were all given Gmail accounts, to 2015 when 5th, 6th,9th and 11th graders were all given Chromebooks.

After her presentation, which also described how the technology has helped both teachers and students with efficiency and engagement, the Board discussed and questioned some aspects of the program. They wondered if the students would take the computers home over the summer, which the answer was, no. The question of when and how much would it cost to replace the Chromebooks, which last about two years, was brought up, however the Board agreed that with the low cost of the computers and the technological advances they brought, they were worth it.

I also questioned if Chromebooks were the most logical of devices to use, because they don’t last very long, however I agree that because of their price, and the amount of good they have done this year, they seem like a better option than buying expensive laptops for students.

Secondly, Beach Elementary School Principal Michael Corritone presented on behalf of the other two elementary school principals, the Tri-School Instructional Program Design, a program they had been working on all year. He described the purpose of the program was to prepare the students to be 21st century learners, and to make sure that the school was using it’s time most efficiently. The program includes committees of staff and parents, and conducts interviews and research to find out how they can make collaboration easier for the teachers and the students. According to Corritone, the program is only in its first stage, and will continue to gain speed in the years to come. The Board had little to say about the program except that they were pleased with the work, and look forward to the future of it.

Finally, the board discussed the Goals and Action Items that were mandated by the State of California in the LCAP (Local Control and Accountability Plan). The goals included making sure that teachers were qualified, students had access to a broad study and to common core classes, facilities were repaired or improved, students were provided with courses that provided emotional and social support, and finally to increase parent involvement and support. They also discussed their budget, which they all agreed that the community had a wrong idea about. They thought it was important that the community understood that even though the budget seems large now, there are many different areas that money goes into that people don’t realize.

“The issue with what is coming is that people think that there is a lot of money coming through.” said Board Member Amal Smith, “However, there is a lot of money to balance. The LCAP comes with a budget that we have to plan on.”

I additionally shared my admiration for allowing Piedmont Hight School to take a day for the Service Learning projects, sharing my experiences at St. Vincent DePaul, when the board was speaking about recent events. I shared how I thought that the service day was a huge success, and that I hope in the future, classes could participate in service with their chosen programs throughout the year rather than just one day towards the end. The Board agreed, and stated that they were too looking forward to the future of the Service Learning Program.

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

May 18th City Council Meeting Report by High School Student Sophia Lautt-

The City Council Meeting of May 18, 2015 started out slowly, like the light rain that often precedes a thunderstorm. After chanting the Pledge of Allegiance, the Council spent about fifteen minutes discussing the wording of a resolution to be presented to volunteers at the annual Volunteer Reception. The only small dispute arose when one council member thought the word “intelligent” should be removed since the volunteers ought to already know they are intelligent, and one council member disagreed. Meanwhile the audience, a group of Piedmont residents mostly appearing to be in their 30’s and 40’s, shifted in their seats.

The Public Forum followed the calendar discussions, during which a pair of Piedmont High School students spoke up about grievances concerning stop signs and streetlights. The Council, which is not allowed to respond to non-agenda items during the meeting, humored the students, knowing they were only there for a class assignment.

It was after the Public Forum, when the council began its regular agenda items, that the meeting entered into a new realm of passion and debate. The first item discussed was a request for the Council to support CALPers divestment from fossil fuel related stocks, the reason most of the audience members were there that night. The proposal would have meant that the Council would write a letter encouraging CALPers to divest its stocks in companies that promote the use of fossil fuels.

Five residents in total stood up, one at a time, to speak at the podium, where the large white camera in the corner of the room was now training all its attention. They spoke of how concerned they were that the environment would be destroyed during the lives of their children and grandchildren and how important it was that Piedmont take a stand to protect it. The proposal itself would not directly affect the use of fossil fuels in the near future, but as one woman put it, it would be a moral stand that would help stigmatize the fossil fuel companies.

Then the council began its discussion, and it was clear that they had come with their opinions already firm on the subject. Vice Mayor Jeffrey Wieler already knew he would not be voting for the proposal, though that did not stop him from responding to some of the things the residents said.

“I don’t like being told what my morals are,” Wieler said. He distrusted the source for some data the residents had used, saying it was too liberal to be taken seriously. He refused to believe Councilmember Teddy King, who said she had spoken with many Piedmont residents in favor of the proposal.  She mentioned her 10 years of community service. Wieler argued that since he had been involved in the community for twenty years, and she had only been active in the community for ten, he also knew what many Piedmonters wanted, which did not include divestment.

Councilmember Robert McBain was also against the proposal. He argued that Piedmont had never taken a stand on issues outside Piedmont’s control before, and it would set a problematic precedent.

“After this, who’s to say we won’t hear proposals about foreign policy and abortion?” McBain said. Such issues, he maintained, are divisive and will have neighbors fighting with neighbors.

Councilmembers Tim Rood and Teddy King were in favor of divestment. Rood came prepared with a printed presentation with data showing the detrimental effects of fossil fuels. King was of a similar mind, saying she wholeheartedly agreed with the residents’ idea that it be a moral stand against the fossil fuel companies. “I don’t have a problem making a statement, even if the action may not be directly effective,” she said.

In the end, Mayor Margaret Fujioka made the final decision, saying that tonight she would vote against the request. She said she would like to see it come up again so they may be able to have more discussion about it before it was either passed or rejected.

The rest of the meeting went by rather like the first half hour had gone. The Councilmembers voted in favor of an agreement to work with a carpenter for renovation of the City Hall entry hallway, while the rest of the audience slowly trickled out of the room. Reports from Councilmembers followed, though it was clear that everyone was ready to wrap the meeting up. Finally, at 9:10 p.m., the meeting adjourned.

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

May 18, 2015 – Piedmont City Council meeting reported by Piedmont High School student Liam Schindler –

    On Monday, May 18th at 7:30 p.m, I had the fascinating experience of attending the Piedmont City Council meeting at City Hall to observe the inner workings of our government.  Present were Mayor Margaret Fujioka, Vice Mayor Jeff Wieler, and Councilmembers Teddy Gray King, Robert McBain, and Tim Rood.  The Council meets biweekly to discuss and decide on issues that have risen in the community and to hear community members give their opinions on certain issues, or present issues of their own.

   An issue presented during the Public Forum concerned traffic safety issues at certain intersections.

There also was  a request for the City to write a letter encouraging CALPers divestment from stocks in fossil fuels by a group of citizens concerned with global warming and the future, and a reaffirmation of the City’s decision to have the lobby of City Hall redone.

The only issue that resulted in any debate was the fossil fuel issue, and it resulted in a long, heated debate.  The community members expressed their concern with global warming, its effect on the world, and how it will hurt their children or grandchildren.  They then asked that the City encourage CALPers to divest from such stocks so as not to contribute to this problem that faces the world.  Vice Mayor Jeff Wieler responded first, somewhat outraged at the idea of these citizens “telling [him] what [his] morals should be”.  He then declared that the City of Piedmont does not take stances on moral issues such as this.  However, Council Members King and Rood argued using extensive scientific data showing the adverse effects of global warming on the world.

Mayor Fujioka suggested that perhaps a more general proposal was in order regarding the City’s stance on such issues but at a later date and put forth a movement that the City take no action on this proposition.  The movement passed with three ayes from from Fujioka, Wieler, and McBain, and two noes from Rood and King.

I found this issue to be very tricky, since I do recognize the danger of global warming and believe that Piedmont should do its part to at least not support such an issue. However, I also understand that taking a moral stance like this would be unprecedented for the City Council. They should not change how they function just by accepting this proposal but rather through a lot of discussion and debate.  I support Mayor Fujioka’s idea to postpone the proposal until the City Council has made a decision about how they will handle proposals of that type.

    I spoke during the Public Forum regarding the danger of an intersection near my house.  The intersection of Moraga Avenue and Mesa Avenue has a crosswalk, but minimal visibility for drivers to see pedestrians before they are already in the street.  Regarding that, combined with the already reckless driving that is typical on Moraga Avenue, I suggested that a stoplight be put in.  None of the Council members commented on my proposal, so I do not believe they will take it into any further consideration.  However, I understand their disinterest since I forgot to make some points that I intended to.  It was intimidating to speak at a podium in a government building, to a council seated dauntingly in a semicircle around you, and I could understand anyone forgetting to make points or making other mistakes.

Editors’ Note:  The opinions expressed are those of the author.

A Report by Piedmont High School Student Josephine Ireland –

On Wednesday, May 13^th, 2015, the Piedmont Unified School District’s Board of Education met at City Hall in one of their monthly meetings.  The Board of Education recognized Jennifer Fox as the winner of the 2015 Arthur Hecht Volunteer of the Year award, discussed the Learnscape project that is dedicated to Eileen Rohmer, and discussed the new math curriculums at both the elementary schools and the high schools.

The 2015 Arthur Hecht Volunteer of the Year award this year was awarded to Jennifer Fox, who was regarded as a kind, bright photographer.  The Superintendent of Education, Constance Hubbard, allowed Fox to say a few words regarding her appreciation and the gift painting that she chose from the PHS art show.  Fox stated that as a photographer she feels gifted to be able to take photos for the Piedmont community.  As her reward, she chose a painting by high school student Ying Zou, which portrayed famous architecture around the world.  Zhou said its purpose was to illustrate how people get lost in their busy lives and should notice the beauty the world has created.

Not posted on the agenda was an appearance made by a few Youth Educators (YEds), who also have learned a lot about giving back to the community.  Tom Jara, Nate Peden and Chloe Lee Rowlands all spoke of how when they were eighth graders the impact that Youth Educators had on them was tremendous.  They shared that the transition from middle school to high school, but because of YEds this was made easier. The program creates a great support for not only the eighth graders, but also for the YEds themselves because of the community they build with each other.

After the YEds spoke, Randall Booker, the assistant superintendent, introduced the Learnscape project that was being built to honor Eileen Rohmer, a science teacher that passed away a few years ago. History teacher, Courtney Goen discussed the purpose and plans for the project. She said because Ms. Rohmer had always worked for the greater good, she deserved this honor. Student Dominic Frost painted a picture of Ms. Rohmer that would be made into a mural in the Learnscape area. Goen says it would be used as a beautiful lunch area for students to sit, do homework and eat lunch on campus; it could also be used as an outdoor classroom.  Goen also stated that many people have been donating very generously to the cause.  After details of the Learnscape project had been announced, the Board approved the name of the Learnscape Project.

After Learnscape was approved, Booker introduced problems with the elementary math curriculum and how the principles of it were jaded.  The new curriculum came from common core and had been reviewed by the community.  Elementary teachers and administrators recommend the Bridges in Mathematics and Number Corner as the new curriculum.  Because it has to follow a certain criteria and be engaging, accessible, and work for small groups and target specific learning needs, this new curriculum is perfect as stated by five elementary school teachers.  Ann Dolid discussed how both teachers and parents gave positive feedback and she suggested the School Board adopt Bridges and Number Corners.

In addition to the elementary math, Booker introduced an issue of the integrated math at the high schools. The reason for taking the more advanced course is because of a larger interest in math. Doug Ireland, Board of Education member, said “C-” is a “low bar for sending students into a compression course.” He noted that students with a low grade should not be taking the more advanced course.  He worries that parents may force their child into a class even with this grade when they are not ready. Booker did state, however, there will be a rubric sent home, but Ireland continued to be astonished that there is such a low standard for the compressed course.

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