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In light of the resignation of our new high school principal, Ms. Patty Christa, we the undersigned community representatives are sending this open letter to our school community to identify what we believe to be an opportunity for us all. We continue to believe that the success or failure of our schools to educate children cannot rest at the feet of any one individual in this district. We are in support of establishing a community approach to education and utilizing the candid assessment made by Ms. Christa as our catalyst for change. 

We are stepping forward to be actively engaged in doing this work. This commitment must be based on integrity, open and honest dialogue and the willingness to grapple with the difficult questions that have plagued this district. With these guiding principles in mind, we urge our superintendent and School Board to do the following. 

• Call Ms. Christa immediately to ask under what terms would she be willing to reconsider. 

• Convene a broad-based community group, facilitated by a professional, to lay Ms. Christa’s assessment on the table and have that be the beginning of an in-depth dialogue regarding the challenges at the high school and in the district. 

• If Ms. Christa is unwilling to return, we must convene a national principal search process, created, established and guided by a broad representation of administrators, teachers, parents and students. 

• Recognize, articulate and develop an immediate plan for resolving current challenges as identified in Ms. Christa’s assessment, the 2001 WASC report and those in the Diversity Project 2000 report. 

• Be prepared to implement solutions to resolve the most pressing challenges prior to the beginning of the 2003-2004 school year. 

In essence, we are asking that a community of individuals come together and do similar work as did the Small Schools Advisory Committee (SSAC). We must create and establish guiding principles for our high school and district. Highlighting the SSAC’s work was the School Board’s unanimous vote to adopt the proposal to move forward with school reform at Berkeley High School. It is more important now than ever that we come together as a community. 

Our students and school system cannot continue without strong leadership. An interim principal has not had the authority to create stability at the high school, so therefore we believe that the solution our superintendent offered in her letters is not suitable, i.e., “I have had conversations with the other finalists and discussions with retired administrators about possible short-term or long-term assignments.” We’ve waited too long to go back to an interim situation and our students have stated their desire very clearly in the Jacket: “Berkeley High needs someone who is committed to the job.” 

We are asking that the superintendent and School Board contact us ASAP so that we can establish this group and get our work accomplished.  

Sincerely: 

Parents of Children of African Descent: Michael D. Miller, Marissa Saunders, Gina Wolley, Irma Parker, Kathryn A. Burroughs, Barbara Coleman, Simone Young, Raychelle Lee, Vicki Davis, Valerie Yerger, Gwynn Easter, Sam Frankle. Berkeley Organizing Congregations for Action: Father George Crespin, Liz Fuentes, Emma Fuentes, Michiko Murillo. Latinos Unidos: Santiago Casal, Beatriz Leyva-Cutler. Concerned Citizens for Equitable and Excellent Schools: Felicia Woytak. The Multicultural Institute: Rigoberto Caloca-Rivas, executive director. Communications Arts and Sciences (BHS): Rick Ayers, Lori Berlin, Deni Blustein, Stuart Lord, T.T. Nhu, Tom Miller, Elna Brunckhorst, Lyn Berry, Les Millett, Kathy Ruiz, Susana Witte, Ralph Nelson, Ankhasanamen Stone, Kimberly Nutting, Mercedes Ruiz, Kalima Rose. EBAYC-RISE: Adriana Betti. UC Berkeley Graduate School of Education: Jean Yonemura Wing. Community Members: Iris Starr, Hugo Lucero.