On July 1, AC Transit will increase the cost of fares and passes, ending its six year fare freeze.

Fares paid with Clipper cards will increase for local rides from $2 to $2.15 for adults and from $1 to $1.05 for youth, seniors and the disabled.  Youth (5 – 18) 31 day passes as well as senior and disabled calendar month passes will increase from $20 to $26.50. Local day passes will continue to be $2.50 for youth, seniors and the disabled. The Adult Local 31-Day Pass will increase from $75 to $81.

See the complete list of new fares and passes here.

Piedmont’s Climate Action Plan Task Force (CAPTF) will meet at 6:30 pm on June 27, 2017 in the Piedmont Police Department Emergency Operations Center (403 Highland Avenue.) The CAPTF is a temporary advisory task force to assist staff in the development of a 2030 Climate Action Plan. The meeting will not be broadcast or recorded.

Agenda:

1.  Review of Previous Task Force Discussions (5 minutes)
2.  Review of Draft Climate Action Plan Outline (15 minutes).
3.  Discussion of Proposed Transportation Sector Measures for the 2030 Climate Action Plan (60minutes).
4.  Discussion of Outreach and Community Engagement Strategies (20 minutes).
5.  Consideration of Future Agenda Items (10 minutes).

All Task Force materials are posted here: http://www.ci.piedmont.ca.us/committees/captf.shtml

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

Piedmont Post Claim about Measure H1 Plan is Inaccurate –

The May 31, 2017 Piedmont Post headline asserts: “School Board to spend $57 million on one building; Balance of $9 million from H1 bond not enough to pay for theater.”  Apparently, the Post reporter or editor failed to read the memo to the Board setting forth what was included in “Option 2B,” which the Board approved.

The memo is available online as the supporting material for the May 24, 2017 Meeting Agenda, Item VIII.A,> https://agendaonline.net/public/Meeting.aspx?AgencyID=1241&MeetingID=44038&AgencyTypeID=1&IsArchived=False”

Among other things, it clearly states: “OPTION 2B 3-Story Main High School Building on Magnolia + New Theater.”  And it includes: “Modernize the vacated 20s building, converting antiquated science labs to general classrooms.”  And further: “($526,500 in FFE for 27 new or modernized classrooms),” which are the classrooms in the new STEAM building, new AHT [Allan Harvey Theater] and modernized 20s building.

At this point, these are all estimated costs.  However, Piedmont residents should understand what is actually included in Option 2B.

Richard Raushenbush, Former Member, Piedmont Board of Education

Editors Note: Opinions expressed are those of the author.

City Council  revisions of City Code Chapter 17, Planning and Land Use on Council agenda.

Brown Act Compliance Question:

Compliance with the Brown Act is in question for proper noticing of zoning change considerations at the Monday, June 5, 2017 meeting.  The official agenda indicates changes are only to Zone D, yet changes to land use regulations in other zones are proposed.  Only Zone D is mentioned in the agenda listing.

The agenda states:    ” 06/05/17 – Introduction and 1st Reading of Ordinance 733 N.S. Amending Chapter 17 of the City Code Related to the Grand Avenue Sub Area of Zone D“

Only those who previously requested personal announcements received a different wording of the announcement of the agenda item stating: “Introduction and 1st Reading of Ord. 733 N.S., Adopting Revisions to City Code Chapter 17, including: updates to the regulations for zone D related to: …….” (See the rest of the wording below to compare the two versions.)*

Zoning Controversy – 

There is a controversial and perhaps unlawful statement within the proposed ordinance stating the change to land use in Zone D complies with the City Charter. However, contrary, official information on the intent and language of the City Charter has been presented to the City Council, indicating a Piedmont vote is required for changing Zone D (Commercial) to Mixed Use.  Reclassification wording within the Charter has been shown to mean a change of use within a zone; thus changing Commercial to Mixed Use, indicates the need for voter approval.  The City has offered the language below in an apparent attempt to avoid voter approval per City Charter language.

The newly proposed language states:

 CITY CHARTER and REVIEW BY CITY ATTORNEY: The proposed modifications to the City Code are in conformance with the City Charter, including section 9.02. No zones have been reduced or enlarged, and no zones have been reclassified. The proposed modifications to the City Code, the ordinance and the CEQA determination have been reviewed and approved by the City Attorney.

Staff report <

*City letter sent to those requesting information:  ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

*An item on the agenda for the City Council’s regular meeting scheduled for Monday, June 5, 2017 is the Introduction and 1st Reading of Ord. 733 N.S., Adopting Revisions to City Code Chapter 17, including: updates to the regulations for zone D related to:

• residential density,
• lot coverage,
• structure height,
• setbacks and
• parking; and
• various technical corrections to a recent comprehensive update to the chapter.
•  proposed amendments to the regulations for Zone D are the same as those presented at the community workshop held on May 3, 2017.

You can find more information on the proposed revisions to the regulations for properties in Zone D – and the technical corrections* – by visiting the City’s webpage on the topic. It is there that you can also find links to the staff report for the June 5, 2017 City Council meeting and the slideshow presentation for the May 3, 2017 community workshop on Zone D Grand Avenue.

Provide your comments by attending the meeting and addressing the City Council, and/or by submitting written comments via email to the City Council or on paper to 120 Vista Avenue, Piedmont, CA 94611

by Kevin Jackson, AICP, Planning Director, City of Piedmont, 120 Vista Avenue, Piedmont, CA 94611     Tel: (510) 420-3039 Fax: (510) 658-3167

The staff reports for the meeting are:

06/05/17 – Approval of a Modification to a Conditional Use Permit for Sarah Baldwin, DMD at 1375 Grand Avenue, Suite 101

06/05/17 – Introduction and 1st Reading of Ord. 732 N.S. Making a Technical Correction to Section 8.1 of the City Code to Clarify that the 2016 California Fire Code is in Effect

06/05/17 – Authorize the City Administrator to Sign a Letter of Support Authorizing Participation in the 2017 East Bay SunShares Program

06/05/17 – PUBLIC HEARING Regarding the Proposed Budget and Fee Proposals for FY 17-18 and the Levy of the Municipal Services Tax and Sewer Tax

a. Presentation of Report from the Budget Advisory & Financial Planning Committee

b. Report on the FY 17-18 Budget Proposal

06/05/17 – Introduction and 1st Reading of Ordinance 733 N.S. Amending Chapter 17 of the City Code Related to the Grand Avenue Sub Area of Zone D

06/05/17 – Report from the Chief of Police Regarding Diversity Education and Outreach as well as Collaboration with PUSD and Other Stakeholders (Oral Report)

06/05/17 – Consideration of the Award of Contract for the Linda Avenue Crosswalk Improvement Project to Bay Construction in the Amount of $328,672.80 and approval of an Overall Construction Budget of $406,515

06/05/17 – Consideration of the Operational Analysis for the Aquatics Center Master Plan Conceptual Design

The agenda for the City Council – Monday, June 5, 2017   < meeting.

May 24, 2017  – 5 reports  including opinions –

By Anna Schacker, Piedmont High School Senior –

On the evening of May 24, I attended a Piedmont Unified School District School Board meeting. The School Board meets every two weeks, with representatives from the Piedmont and Millennium High Schools’ ASB. The meeting begins with the representatives updating the School Board on recent events that have taken place at the high schools, such as sports games and ASB organized events. Then there is time for anyone who has submitted their name on a speaker card to speak in front of the Board on topics they want to draw attention to. In this specific meeting, the principal of Piedmont Middle School addressed all the teachers who were retiring at the end of this year. From Piedmont High School, both Ms. Simmons and Mr. Mahoney spoke about their retirement and were given gifts and a large round of applause.

Next, a middle school girl scout approached the stand to give her pitch on having shade over the bleachers at Witter Field. She felt that the bleachers get too hot during the day and cause fatigue and dehydration in athletes and their audiences. The Board happily heard her proposal, but also acknowledged that it may be unlikely due to the cost and time of the project.

Randall Booker, Superintendent of PUSD, spoke next on the school climate at Piedmont High School and Middle School. He brought up the concept of a ‘red line’, or a personal boundary, that some students fail to see or are passing without realizing it. Mr. Booker suggested that students need to both talk about their red lines and know how to protect them. He thought that starting a conversation in the classroom would encourage students to think more about theirs and others’ boundaries. In addition to students not always knowing how to discuss these topics, he noticed that teachers also feel uncomfortable discussing topics such as race in the classroom. So, over the summer, some of the teachers will take part in a training program that instructs them how to teach difficult topics in age-appropriate ways.

Once the floor was opened up to the speaker cards, a man named Samuel Daffner walked up to the stand. He had written a short speech addressing the recent acts of anti-semitism at Piedmont High School, where he has a daughter, who is a junior. Mr. Daffner was concerned about the degree of security at PHS, and people only treating the symptoms of the problem instead of looking for the root. Upon being interviewed by me, Daffner articulated that he was “concerned about how the School Board will handle the current situation of anti-semitism at PHS” and felt so strongly about it that he wanted to personally voice his concerns. He additionally stated that “there are certain decisions that the school has made over time which [he believes] have enabled an environment where anti-semitism is more likely.” While he felt that there are many “caring” and “concerned” people involved, and the School Board seemed “invested,” he also noted that he was surprised that “some of [the School Board] did not speak on the record at all.” Daffner is a big believer in having a community where he feels free to share his opinion alongside many others. However, to get his word out further, he plans to meet directly with School Board members, talk to his contact at ADL (Anti-Defamation League), and continue planning his move to Israel.

I personally feel that while the school has certainly taken huge steps in addressing the anti-semitism issue, there is still a lot more to be done. As a Jewish student at PHS, I have often felt like my experience is overlooked. I, along with several other Jewish students, have discussed an adjustment to the curriculum in regards to The Holocaust and other Jewish historical events. In my time in PHS history classes, I have felt like the curriculum was designed to make students feel distant from the events of The Holocaust, instead of feeling like America played an important role in harsh anti-semitism. It has become clear to me over the years that the history of Jewish Americans has not been taught sufficiently. Anti-semitism may seem to be less taboo because students are not aware of the horrid past of anti-semitism in America. With these slight alterations, we would hopefully be able to foster a more empathetic environment at PHS.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 By Sally Abel, Piedmont High School Senior – 

     On Wednesday, May 24th, the Board of Education gathered at the City Hall to discuss recent events and topics relating to the Piedmont Unified School District (PUSD). The meeting is open to the community and is held in order to keep the public informed on what is going on around the different schools. The School Board holds these meetings one to two times a month and the meetings seem to be well attended with many different parents and members of the community flowing in and out throughout the meeting.

    The major topics that were addressed during the meeting on Wednesday, May 24, 2017,  were surrounding the recent issues that Piedmont High School has encountered regarding the topic of hate speech, discrimination, and general misconduct among students. Additionally, as a celebratory measure, teachers within the PUSD who were embarking on their final days of teaching within the School District were honored by the School Board. Both Alisha Lewis and Max Miller, who are high school students involved in ASB at Piedmont High School and Millennium High School, talked about what had been recently going on at each of the schools, what the student body was up to, as well as things that the schools were looking forward to as the end of the school year approached.

    The major topic of hate speech and discrimination at the high schools was addressed from a multitude of perspectives. Many government officials spoke regarding the topic, and it was touched upon by a significant amount of the audience who chose to take the floor and share their thoughts regarding the recent events that have taken place at the high school.

     Superintendent Booker started off the conversation by telling a story that really opened his eyes to one of the major underlying issues contributing to the hate speech and insensitive language that has been going on throughout the School District. When driving his son to school one day, his son spontaneously asked him who Michael J. Fox was. Mr. Booker answered the question, seemingly satisfying his son’s curiosity, and his son continued to scroll through his phone. When Mr. Booker inquired as to why his son was wondering, his son answered, saying that he saw someone comment on social media “you type like Michael J. Fox.”  Mr. Booker asked his son if he understood why that was an insult, and his son answered no. In order to clear up the situation, Mr. Booker translated the insult to something more personal to his son, asking him how he would feel if that same person was making fun of a family member’s’ disability. This made his son mad.  Ultimately, what Mr. Booker took away from this conversation was the fact that within our society today, kids, teens, young adults, and even adults struggle to establish a “red line” within their social atmosphere. He believes that if we somehow as a district can work to help children create a “red line” and learn how to stand up and defend that “red line,” we would solve a lot of issues within the community. Ultimately, student education regarding topics like the ones that have recently surfaced at the high school level would largely be beneficial to avoiding any sort of discrimination or hate speech within the community.

    Kirby, co-president of the Piedmont Appreciating Diversity Club (PADC) brought forward the fact and idea that this hate speech that has recently been encountered is not just a problem that the school has to deal with, it is a community wide problem that everyone needs to be aware of and needs to address. Looking at the issue from the perspective of the diversity club, Kirby also believed that diversity education would help to solve many issues. Ideally, diversity education would: 1. Support the development of the whole child, 2. Provide students with the language and tools to discuss topics of diversity, and 3. Develop a K-12 curriculum focusing on race/ethnicity, religion, gender, and sexual orientation/identity.

    Many voices of the community were heard throughout the duration of the meeting, including Mr. Daffner as well as Mrs. Griffith. Mr. Daffner strongly believed that it was important to acknowledge the historic problems that Piedmont has encountered regarding race and religious issues, as well as how these issues are perpetuated within the community. Mrs. Griffith said she hoped to raise her kids with values that emphasized the importance of treating everyone equally, and fostering the idea that everyone within the community is worth fighting for and understanding.

    Personally, I agree with all four of the perspectives listed above. Kirby, co-president of the PADC and his thoughts on diversity education really made a lot of sense to me. In my personal opinion, I believe that if people are given the tools to discuss sensitive and unknown topics, such as those of race, religion, and gender related topics, then individuals will have the ability to speak about them with a sufficient knowledge base. This could ultimately avoid language that can be deemed hateful or discriminatory because hopefully, people will have the proper education to talk about things in an adult manner. Additionally, through education, I think that we could address Mr. Booker’s point of the importance of kids establishing a “red line” and learning how to stand up for that “red line.”

    Following the meeting, I talked to Hillary Cooper about her incentive for being at the meeting. Hillary is a representative of the Piedmont High School Parents Club.  She recently “attended to show support for the District and what they are doing to address the recent hate speech incidents at the high school.” Though Ms. Cooper did not talk during the meeting, she came and “listened so that [she] could be aware of their needs and their issues.” Additionally, Mrs. Cooper plans to continue attending School Board meetings in order to support “plans to improve the facilities at the high school.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

by Nick Price, Piedmont High School Senior –

On Wednesday May 24, 2017, I attended a Board of Education meeting in the City Hall Council Chambers. This panel of elected officials and Superintendent, Randy Booker, meets every other week to discuss all facets of the Piedmont Unified School District.

During this particular meeting, a number of important topics were discussed. To start the evening, Max Miller, the Vice President of ASB at Millennium highlighted a few of the activities going on at his school. A few notables: the annual Fun in the Sun service learning day, ASB elections, and upcoming graduation in the Veteran’s Hall. Alisha Lewis, a representative of Piedmont High School’s ASB, talked about the recent senior service learning trip to the Oakland Zoo, Day on the Green, and a successful prom.

Following the school reports, the School Board and fellow teachers honored the retiring staff members with words of praise before Superintendent Booker began speaking on the current climate at the High School. With the recent surfacing of discriminatory behavior, Mr. Booker stressed the importance of establishing a “redline”. He continued by saying that we not only need to establish a line that cannot be crossed, but also have to have the courage to stand up for it. He added that the school district needs to work to support students and equip them with tools to protect their redline. Before inviting up Dr. Wozniak, he ended by acknowledging that a transition to a more positive school climate will be a long term change and reiterated the importance of finding the District’s redline along with that of the students.

Dr. Cheryl Wozniak, Title IX Coordinator and Director of Curriculum, then outlined the actions the District is taking in order to combat the recent racism. The projects include: professional development to support the teachers, student engagement and education, and a more efficient online form to report issues. Wozniak then invited the Director of the Wellness Center, Michael Brady to speak.  He spoke about the Wellness Center’s role of providing emotional support for students. He said that the Wellness Center is devoted to revamping the Youth Educators program, as there have been reports of discrimination at the middle school.

The School Board then opened up the conversation to a well-attended audience of parents, students, community leaders, and officials. Three students involved with the club Voco at Piedmont High School reported on the success of a forum that they held. In addition, the co-president of Piedmont Appreciating Diversity Club focused on the importance of celebrating diversity. He added that an appreciation of diversity supports the development of the “whole” child and that the school district has an obligation to implement curriculum focusing on race, religion, gender, and sexual orientation. The School Board received praise for their handling of the situation by numerous attendees, including those of whom gave the most criticism. Both the Police Chief and PRD Director offered their joint support for the school and the community.

I found the conversation to be very constructive, offering people more insight into different perspectives around the community. I think it is essential that children are taught elements of diversity at a young age. In 4th grade around MLK Jr. Day, my teacher had our class make a wreath of hands. All of the hands resembled a different skin tone. The fact that I still remember this activity today is a great indication that teaching diversity early is, in fact, effective.

Overall, I found it very impactful to see so many different people attend the meeting and offer their point of view. It was a great experience to be part of.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

by Nicholas Lee, Piedmont High School Senior –

The beginning of the May 24, 2017 School Board Meeting was used for congratulating retiring teachers such as Ms. Simonds and Mr. Mahoney (38 years at Piedmont Schools). Many people gave speeches about these retiring teachers to honor them for their service and dedication.

Next, a Girl Scout wanted support for her project to provide shade at the Witter baseball and softball bleachers. However, the cost would be an estimated $50,000 and take 5 years. How can building shade for the bleachers take 5 years? I believe I could round up some friends and do it in 1/10th of that time and cost.

A former Piedmont Post employee said he received emails that a Piedmont Post manager made inappropriate actions and only hires female interns. This speaker stopped his comments as School Board President Sarah Pearson said the time limit was up.

Superintendent Randy Booker wants students to not be bystanders when they witness acts of discrimination. He wants students to find their red line or moral line and clearly define it. Booker suggested three steps to help combat discrimination: 1. Conversation about redline 2. Community engagement, not just the students 3. Student Education.

A security consultant is reviewing each Piedmont school to install more safety measures in case of an emergency.

KTVU [Channel 2] interviewees on discrimination at Piedmont High School have received backlash and threats. The police are investigating whether this is a hate crime.

Richard Raushenbush, former Member of the School Board, was there because he serves on a facilitating committee to upgrade the security of our schools. They are continuing to work on ways to provide a more secure learning environment.

The School Board meetings are for community members to stay informed about the schools and also participate and give suggestions.

~~~~~~~~~

Nine proposed antenna wireless communication facilities to be located generally around Piedmont Park and Piedmont High School will be considered by Piedmont’s Park Commission on June 7, 2017. and Piedmont’s Planning Commission on June 12, 2017.

Reports on May 10, 2017 School Board meeting –

by Joseph Chu, Piedmont High School Senior –

The Piedmont Board of Education convened on the evening of May 10, 2017. The meeting commenced at 7:00 p.m. The general purpose of board meetings is to make decisions regarding the School District and include public input as a part of their decisions such as: the budget, education policies, setting District goals, and forming a local education vision. Participating members of the Board for this meeting were Andrea Swenson, Cory Smegal, Amal Smith, and Doug Ireland along with Superintendent Randall Booker and Finance Manager Song-Chin Bendib.

This meeting’s agenda included presenting the 2017 Arthur Hecht Volunteer of the Year Award to Hillary Cooper, hearing about the recent reports of anti-semitic, racist and other forms of hateful speech and conduct at Piedmont High School, and the assembly that was held at the high school to initiate student discussion and awareness about these issues. Other items included on the agenda included conducting a second hearing for approving the proposed levy of current School Support Tax Measure A, conducting a second hearing for approving 2017-18 Contract Openers between the District and Classified School Employees Association, a presentation for new math courses that are being proposed to meet the Secondary Math Pathways’ requirements: Integrated Math 3 and Honors Math Analysis, and finally reviewing and discussing the recommended concept designs for Piedmont High School’s new STEAM facilities, auditorium changes, and its projected costs and other concerns regarding its construction.

Announcements of the graduation dates for Millennium High School, Piedmont High School, and 8th Grade Graduation. The Millennium High School Graduation will take place on May 31st at 1:00 p.m. in the Veteran’s Hall. The Piedmont High School Graduation will be held on June 1st at 5:00 p.m. in Witter Field. The 8th Grade Celebration Ceremony will be held on May 31st at 5:30 p.m. at Witter Field.

The most heated items of discussion during this meeting surrounded topics that were not on the agenda of the meeting.  These topics were the recent events of anti-semitic, racist and other forms of hateful speech and actions, the newly appointed Athletic Director, Vic Acuna, and the firing of the former coach of the PHS Men’s Basketball Team, coach Lavdiotis.

Dr. Kalamas, a Piedmont resident, expressed concern for incidents of racism and anti-semitism at Piedmont High School and discontent at what she said was a “delayed and anemic response” on the part of the school board regarding these issues. Kalamas also addressed her own concerns about nepotism and cronyism in the school administration. Board Member Swenson responded with a statement that she was “horrified by the systematic assassination of [the current] Athletic Director, Vic Acuna”.

Among the other members of the Piedmont community who offered their own concerns and questions regarding the incidents of hateful speech and actions at Piedmont High School, Piedmont Police Chief Jeremy Bowers said that the Piedmont Police Department is committed to working closely with the community to address this problem and to continue investigating these incidents.

Several coaches and athletic professionals voiced their support for reinstating coach Lavdiotis and some expressed their disapproval of Athletic Director Vic Acuna.

Piedmont High School students Victoria Hou and Shannon Yan gave their opinions on non-agenda topics, as well.

Hou addressed the high school assembly that was held to initiate discussion and awareness for high school students regarding the incidents of hate speech and actions. Hou said that she hoped that the School Board would provide more clear and specific information regarding those incidents because she felt there was a general sense of confusion in the student body regarding this topic.

As a senior at Piedmont High School this year, I agree with Victoria Hou in terms of the feeling that the information that was given to students about those serious incidents was not clear and I have heard various stories about what actually happened. I would appreciate it if the school gave out an official statement about what exactly happened so that students and other members of the community can be on the same page about their understanding of these issues.

Yan proposed that the School Board allow high school students to be able to take more classes in  economics and government, since there is currently only one class offered for each of these subjects, both being only a semester long and strictly offered to seniors. Yan said that there are other students who hope to be able to pursue these subjects more fully through additional classes.

After the session for addressing non-agenda topics had closed, the Board moved to its agenda topics.

Hilary Cooper gave her acceptance speech for the 2017 Arthur Hecht Volunteer of the Year Award. Piedmont High School AP Art student Tong Zhou presented a ceramic tree that she made to Mrs. Cooper for her service.

Next, the Board approved the tax level increase of 2% for the School Support Tax Measure A, and 2017-18 Contract Openers between the District and Classified School Employees Association.

Following these actions, a presentation was given to the Board about new math classes that would fulfill the Secondary Math Pathways’ requirements: Integrated Math 3 and Honors Math Analysis. Integrated Math 3 would replace the Algebra II class of the traditional math pathway. Honors Math Analysis would cover the topics of Math Analysis as well as AP Calculus, AB’s first semester’s worth of coursework. This class would be part of the accelerated math pathway. A second reading for these new classes will be held on May 24, 2017.

Following this presentation, the board held a discussion about the cost and other logistic details for Option 2B of the series of concept designs for new Piedmont High School STEAM facilities. Cost estimates were based on compiled data from other local related school construction projects that have been happening within the past three years. The Board also discussed potential uses for any surplus from the budget they have for the STEAM facilities construction and the need to demolish and rebuild the current Alan Harvey Theatre, due to it’s multiple safety hazards, structural degradation and need for more seating and restrooms. The Board’s general consensus was that while estimates of cost must be carefully and accurately calculated to avoid overstepping the budget, construction must begin as soon as possible to reduce costs of the project, which are expected to increase as more time passes.

Mrs. Conn was at the Board meeting this evening to congratulate Hillary Cooper for receiving the Hecht Volunteer of the Year Award for 2017. She nominated Mrs. Cooper for this award. Mrs. Conn was also attending the meeting because she heard someone would come to the meeting to complain about the new PHS Men’s Soccer Coach. She had written a letter in support of the new coach and came to this Board meeting to express her support for the new coach. But it turned out that this person with complaints about the new soccer coach never showed up so she didn’t have to say much. She was impressed by how intense the beginning of the Board meeting was, especially around the topics of the new Athletic Director Vic Acuna and also the anti-semitic, racist and hateful speech/actions that happened recently at PHS. Mrs. Conn said that she will continue to write letters and do what she can to support the new soccer coach if more complaints are brought against him.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

          by Trang Le, Piedmont High School Senior

    The School Board meeting held on the night of May 10th was incredibly crowded. Small groups of concerned parents, coaches, and PHS staff spoke in hurried, hushed voices over plastic cups of wine and complimentary cheese outside the City Hall. The small chamber in which the meeting was held only could accommodate a mere 48 people. The small room adjacent to it provided a livestream of the events unfolding, and all the seats in both chambers were taken. Even so, crowds of Piedmont residents stood outside the chamber or sat on the carpet within, looking for answers from the Board of Education concerning the recent occurrences of anti-semitism within PHS and PMS.

    The Board opened with a statement acknowledging the hate speech, informing the audience of the assembly held at PHS that Monday. The Superintendent stressed to the critical audience that the School board prioritized students emotional state above everything else, and that these recent incidents do not define Piedmont. However, this and the complimentary cheese did little to sate the critical audience.

   Quickly moving on, the Board addressed the recently dismissed Basketball Coach and emails about annual coaching positions. With this, the atmosphere of the room changed to a restless one and it was obvious that their actions roused resentment among the residents. The speaker cards were then gathered, read aloud, and the podium opened to whoever wanted to speak out on the topic of hate-speech and fired coaches.

   The first and most controversial speaker, Alicia Kalamas, addressed both of these and more. She accused the School Board of their “anemic and delayed reaction” to the anti-semitism and racism on the school campuses as well as her emails. She also accused the Board of being racist themselves, briefly bringing up last years’ Bird Calling Contest and claiming it was rigged to knock an African American student from their rightful third place. Her speech was very briefly interrupted to tell her that she was rapidly approaching her five minute speaking limit. Kalamas then finished her speech by addressing a potential firing of the Athletic Director, claiming that she had sent an email some time ago questioning his credentials and employment in the Piedmont Unified School District.  Quickly wrapping up, she finished with a thinly veiled threat of legal action against the School Board if they did not properly address her concerns.

Editors Note: Opinions expressed are those of the authors.