Berkeley PTA Council Meeting - December 2020
AGENDA:
- 6:30: Introductory comments by Rob Collier, president
- 6:35: Schools planning - what does the City’s recent COVID-19 order mean for BUSD, and what’s the status of reopening plans? Comments by Superintendent Brent Stephens, followed by discussion and Q&A.
- 7:30: Discussion of election for PTA Council Vice President for Equity and Inclusion. Voting will take place at our January 11 meeting. At the Dec. 7 meeting, the three candidates will present themselves (in alphabetical order): Mike Chang, Martin de Mucha Flores, and Sandra Loving. Each will introduce him/herself, then there will be general discussion. We have asked all three for short descriptive blurbs. See below in this email.
- 8:00: Adjourn.
MIKE CHANG
I have three kids, one of whom just graduated from BHS, a BHS sophomore and a King eighth grader. My wife Liz and I have been active participants for ten years in BUSD from kindergarten through highschool. I am a former V.P. of Asian American Affairs on the PTA executive board of BAM elementary. I am running for the VP of Equity and Inclusion because I believe that equity is a fundamental value to a world class public education, which is what Berkeley deserves. I am an attorney with the U.S. Department of Education's Office for Civil Rights and a Commissioner on Berkeley's Police Review Commission and also a lecturer in Ethnic Studies and Legal Studies at Cal where I teach on race, law, civil liberties and civil rights. In my role as a civil rights attorney I resolve discrimination on the basis of race, sex, disability and age in school districts and universities. I was recently co-chair of the national Diversity and Inclusion Council of my federal agency for several years. In that position I coordinated committee work on culture and climate, recruitment and retention and morale at my agency. My parent experience in BUSD, combined with my legal, teaching and committee work know how will be instrumental to providing a very strong foundation and basis for the PTA Council to move its Equity and Inclusion Committee forward as we navigate complex equity disparities associated with Shelter-in-Place as we return to a state of normal.
MARTIN DE MUCHA FLORES
(not yet received)
SANDRA LOVING
I have served for many years in PTA leadership positions and on BUSD committees, I’ve been deeply committed to equity issues as a parent and professionally, and I would be honored to serve as the PTA Council’s VP of Equity and Inclusion. I am the mother of three students in BUSD, an 8th grader at King Middle School, and 10th and 12th graders at Berkeley High. I’m currently in my first year as President of the Berkeley High PTSA, where I’m working to strengthen the PTSA and make it an important voice for all sectors of our diverse community at Berkeley High. At BAM I was the PTA Enrichment Coordinator for eight years, often attended PTA Council meetings as BAM’s representative, and I was the BAM representative on the BUSD Parent Advisory Committee (PAC) for over three years. Also at BAM, I was the parent rep for Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports (PBIS) for four years, and was a member of the BUSD Extended Learning Task Force. I now serve as as King Middle School's member on the PAC. Professionally, I have a B.A. in Child Development and an M.S. in Human Services, and I currently work for Berkeley Youth Alternatives (BYA) as the Extended Care Coordinator serving high-risk youth. I work closely with the BUSD Office of Family Engagement and Equity, BUSD's Counseling Department, and the City of Berkeley. I am a stakeholder for the Community Coordinated Early Intervening Services (CCEIS) Plan, and a Board member for In Dulce Jubilo.