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The city is trying to find funds to assist a popular proposal from a group of parents who are determined to help failing high school freshman get back on track. 

The parents and grandparents got together in November to discuss problems with their high-school-aged children. The group, Parents of Children of African Descent, soon found that nearly 250 freshman were on their way to failing either algebra or English or both.  

Shocked at the large number of children in danger of failing, the parents took immediate action to develop the Berkeley High School Achievement Program that would intervene to get failing students back on track. The backbone of the program is a partnership between parents, teachers, administrators and the city. 

Last week PCAD received a commitment from the School Board for $100,000. Berkeley High School has promised six classrooms and three teachers. Immediately after the school board approval Tuesday, the City Council voted unanimously to direct the City Manager‘s Office to determine what funds the city could pitch in. Tonight the council is expected to approve any funding the city manager was able to find. 

The primary cost of the program is to hire teachers specifically to work with the failing students. The program’s student-teacher ratio is planned to be as low as 10 to one. According to Irma Parker, a member of PCAD and grandmother of a Berkeley High School student, the program has already received dozens of applications and the school has been interviewing potential teachers for the spring semester, which starts today.  

“What we’re proposing is that the city match the $100,000 that the School Board is putting in,” Councilmember Kriss Worthington said. “It’s central to a good city to have well-educated kids and getting them to be successful in school is really fundamental.” 

City Manager Weldon Rucker warned the council last Tuesday that it might be difficult to come up with that kind of money on short notice. “We’ll provide every effort, but it may be unrealistic to expect a quick turnaround,” Rocker said. “We will certainly try to identify where we have resources to assist with this partnership.” 

As of Monday Arietta Chakos, chief of staff to the city manager, said it was still uncertain how much funding would be available. “We have a number of programs that are targeted for at-risk kids and we have to look at what will be the best way to coordinate the investment,” she said. 

The program is now geared to enroll 48 students with the possibility of increasing to 96 students depending on what the city can offer in funding and the number of qualified teachers that can be hired, according to Parker. 

“We’ve already had 75 kids sign up for the program,” Parker said. “But we still have to check their eligibility.” 

The proposal was warmly received by the City Council last Tuesday. Councilmembers who usually don’t agree with each other joined to enthusiastically approve the program. 

Councilmember Polly Armstrong said there was something special about the proposal. “I think the difference we’re seeing is the parental involvement,” she said. “What we all want to do is jump on this pony while it’s moving and try and capture its energy.”