I’m responding to Sally Reyes’ commentary “Many Failings in BUSD Report Card,” Daily Planet, Sept. 12-15), regarding the Fiscal Crisis Management Assistance Team (FCMAT) report issued in July 2003 to the Berkeley Unified School District (BUSD). Of course, the Planet’s headline for the commentary was inaccurate to begin with. However, I believe it will do more good to offer information regarding the FCMAT report, rather than to argue over Ms. Reyes’ opinions in her commentary or the Planet’s biases. There has been a general misunderstanding and misreading, as well as a misuse, of the FCMAT report since it was released to BUSD in July. The report chronicles about 500 legal, professional, and educational standards for the BUSD as part of FCMAT’s advisory role with Berkeley. One section of the FCMAT report deals with Facilities Management, and this is the section that Sally Reyes’ commentary refers to. In this one section there are 111 standards addressed, with recommendations in several areas for improvement and progress.
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