Letter to the Tattler: Navigating Emery School District's Disconnected Laberintine Enrollment

Kafkaesque Nightmare For Parents 

at School District

Enrollment Torture Serves as Stand-In For 

District's Problems

The following letter was received from a parent attempting to enroll her daughter at Emery Unified School District.  The parent tells us this letter was ignored, having received no response from either the School Board individually or as a group or the Superintendent of the schools.

April 23, 2013 

Dear Emery Unified School Board,

My name is Amy (Ames) Simpson. I am a parent of a child who will attend Anna Yates Kindergarten in Fall 2013. I am also an Emeryville resident and serve as the Vice Chair of the Emeryville Child Development Center (ECDC) Advisory Committee. This is a letter to the Emery Unified School District (EUSD) and to the School Board.

Yesterday, I carved out time to drop off a student enrollment application and all the other required documents. First, I went to the EUSD website for information as to where I should submit my application.

The website states (under the section entitled “How to Enroll”): “Bring the following documents with your application to the Enrollment & Outreach Office inside Emery Secondary School at 1100 47^thStreet (at San Pablo Ave.)”

Though I am aware that the Secondary School has been closed to students for some time, I figured the EUSD website would have the most up-to-date information given that this is the time parents will be seeking information on how to enroll their children for Fall 2013. I thought maybe the administrative offices would be open, even if this campus is closed, because the website referred me there. So I went to 1100 47^th Street only to discover locked doors and a sign referring those seeking the new City/School Meeting location, but nothing referring me to a District or Administrative office.

Next, I called the number listed on the website 510-601-4000 (yes, in my haste, I missed the address in fine print in the footer of the webpage). I pressed 3 to reach the District office, and then 1 to get information on the location to the District office. I figured (per the website) this is where I would need to go to submit my application. I was greeted by a recording that referred me to 4727 San Pablo Ave. with office hours of 8:30 to 4pm (a different administrative address from the one listed under the online section “How to Enroll”). So, I went around the corner to discover that this address was also outdated. There was a sign on the door that referred me to 61^st Street. Eventually, when I made it to the 61^st Street location, a woman directed me to Anna Yates reception on 43^rd Street. Once I made it to Anna Yates, the process was simple and seamless. My daughter is now enrolled.

However, as you can imagine, I was flustered and incredulous that information this basic was difficult for me to find, that I found myself on a wild goose chase to simply drop off an application. I cannot emphasize enough my dismay. I’m a resident who knows a thing or two about what’s going on in this town, but trusted the School District to provide the public with up-to-date information, as I would think this would be their first priority – to keep the public informed about where they are, and how to enroll one’s child (where to submit applications).

But I must admit that I am not surprised that the School District has failed to update this information. I can only imagine how frustrating this would be for residents or parents of inter-district transfer students who don’t know the history of EUSD’s transitions (by the time I made it to the 61^st street location, I knew that I should have done what my intuition told me made the most sense – go directly to Anna Yates), or who are not familiar with the various addresses, or for whom English is not their first language.

Several years ago, the Emeryville School Board, as well as some of Emeryville’s City Council members, asked me for my support for Measure J. I was one of the few who didn’t believe the rhetoric about what this measure could do for families in Emeryville, and I was also adamantly opposed to the concept of co-locating grades K-12 on a site that’s too small for our kids. Additionally, given my first hand experience with how poorly City Staff and the Emery Unified School District have traditionally coordinated with the public or with their own school feeder, ECDC, I was certain the District would fail at running a K-12/community partnership. Even with my skepticism, I have held out hope that somehow, miraculously, the Emeryville Center of Community Life will solve the District’s woes. Sadly, no matter how often I try to give the District the benefit of the doubt (because after all, Anna Yates is currently the only option for my daughter), they continue to show me evidence that they lack what it takes administratively to keep the public informed and that basic operational, administrative tasks (such as making sure the correct and consistent address is on their website, voicemail and buildings for parents looking to enroll their children) are currently too much to manage. Please tell me how the School District and Board plan on managing a co-located school that doubles as a community center when no one is able to update the website or make adequate signage at the existing/closed locations, or update the voice recording - all the District’s first points of contact with the public?

Yesterday, the only point at which I did not encounter friction was at the actual campus of Anna Yates. Given what I know about this school, along with yesterday’s experience with the Anna Yates admin, it makes me sick inside to think the one thing that is working for this District will be closed within a couple of years. I have a ton more to say about how disingenuous I think both the District and Board have been when promising at the time Measure J was on the ballot that closing Anna Yates was not a foregone conclusion. And I have a ton more to say about how absolutely ridiculous some of the plans have been for the K-12 site (like CAB financing, the poorly thought out pick-up/drop off, a non-regulation track - what’s the point, and reneging on building to environmental standards, to name a few).

I am one of nearly a dozen parents from ECDC who will be sending their kids to Anna Yates next year. Nearly all of us believe that in several years, no matter how architecturally impressive the new site, we will be scrambling (because the District is disorganized and no one has informed us how they intend to find the funds to pay for much needed programming) to figure out alternatives for our children, or live with the bitter taste of resignation. Some may move out of the district, others may apply for inter district transfers, some may apply for financial aid at independent schools, while others look to local charters, but few of us have faith that EUSD or the School Board will help us keep our families invested in this District. And if, in the end, this tight knit community breaks apart, with families dispersing, daily connections lost, I will hold you partially accountable. I will blame you for failing to listen, for being in denial about the District’s limitations, for wasting an opportunity, for being out of touch with the needs of the many families that live here, and for changing the character of what currently makes Emeryville special. So, for the sake of my child and the children of Emeryville, will you all please, PLEASE, PLEASE help the District get its act together?

I recognize that my tone is angry, but you have to realize that what I experienced yesterday represents a larger, ongoing systemic problem that no one seems to be addressing; a problem that undermines my ability to believe in your vision.

Sincerely,

Ames Simpson

High Winds in Emeryville Wreak Havoc on Child Development Center

High winds overnight upended three canopies from the infant and toddler playgrounds at the Emeryville Child Development Center (ECDC) tossing one of the canopies into the Center's parking lot and destroying the covers on at least two of the canopies. No injuries have been reported.

The canopies were placed on the playgrounds over a year ago after an incident in which an infant suffered burns from the artificial play surface installed on the playgrounds during the latest playground remodel.

Parents expressed concerns about the artificial play surfaces during the playground remodel but were assured by City staff that they were safe and cost-effective. Once those assurances were proven wrong, City staff chose these canopies as a solution to prevent the artificial surfaces from over-heating.

Parents then asked that the canopies be replaced by a more permanent solution and for months were assured by now-retired Director of Community Services, Melinda Chinn, that the canopies were safe and secure.

Reached for comment, a parent that did not wish to be identified remarked, "This entire playground remodel was botched by City staff. They did not adequately involve either the teachers or the parents in the process and just gave us what they thought was best. I was one of those that thought the artificial surfaces were inappropriate for infants and toddlers. When these play surfaces were first installed they smelled horribly and it was obvious to me that they would get too hot in the sun. I have a novel idea: it's a play surface that's been used by kids for centuries and has proven extremely safe and effective. It's called GRASS and no canopies are required to make it suitable for kids to crawl around on. Maybe now they will finally rip these surfaces out, but we'll probably just get the canopies removed and then another child will get burned."

At the time of this article City staff could not be reached for comment on their future plans for ECDC's playgrounds.

Council Vote Unanimous On Outsourcing

Public Education To Remain At Child Center

After a five month roller coaster of a fight to protect public education at the pre-K level, pitting parents against the City Manager, the Emeryville City Council handed down their unanimous verdict Thursday night; the Child Development Center is to remain a public institution.

The council acknowledged the persistent work of the parents in letter writing, meeting attendance and contributions to the specially designated 'ECDC Task Force'. Supporters of the Child Center Friday were praising the efforts of one parent in particular, Jacqueline "Jac" Asher. Ms Asher, and her husband Brian Carver led the fight by organizing the parents into a united front of opposition to the outsourcing scheme.

One council watcher noted the unexpected unanimous vote, "I'm surprised Nora Davis voted for this" he said, adding his desire to remain anonymous. In fact several council votes have been made to weaken or degrade the Child Center over the years and Thursday was the first vote cast by Ms Davis in favor of supporting the Center.

It was a stunning loss for City Manager Pat O'Keeffe who threw the entire weight of his office behind the proposal to outsource the Center to the Berkeley/Albany YMCA. Many parents complained about Mr O'Keeffe's insolence and rudeness directed at them. "His comments about us being 'too emotional' were really offensive", one parent who asked for unanimity said.

Ms Asher tempered her victory letter to parents with descriptions of "hard cuts" to come at the Center including staffing reductions. She indicated it was time for her to take a break for a little while, after the five month ordeal, "I'm tired" she exclaimed.

History of YMCA Complaints Raise Questions About Child Safety Should it Take Over ECDC

City Looks At Turning Over School To Berkeley YMCA

By Brian Donahue

Facing a budget deficit, city officials hope to farm out the care of local toddlers to an outfit with a solid reputation that doesn't match reality.
According to critics, the Berkeley/Albany YMCA is an irresponsible, corner cutting daycare operator that has amassed a litany of complaints. The city has fast tracked "outsourcing" as a way to make the Child Development Center pay for itself. Parents and residents have been chagrined by a refusal to consider other options. Many have noted that the city doesn't seem to want to entertain any idea other than immediate outsourcing. The Berkeley/Albany YMCA has stepped into the breach and has been championed as the best operator to take over running the Center, which the City has run since 1979.

In the rush to outsource, the city takes as a given that the YMCA would be just as qualified to run our Child Center as the City itself despite that outsourcing removes accountability to the parents and taxpayers who are footing the bill.

Emeryville resident Brian Carver, a parent of a child at ECDC and a professor at the School of Information at U.C. Berkeley, has noted the city's failure to quantify how outsourcing will affect child welfare. Mr. Carver, after researching the Berkeley/Albany YMCA's record, released a letter showing Emeryville parents and residents the litany of problems at the existing Berkeley/Albany YMCA. Here are some highlights from the letter:

April 6, 2010

Members of the City Council,

As you know, parents of children at the Emeryville Child Development Center (ECDC) have been in discussions with the City Council and City staff to oppose the idea of turning over operations of ECDC to a private provider since parents were informed of this possibility in late December 2009.

ECDC parents were told at a March 25, 2010 meeting that the City Manager currently intends to recommend that the City move ahead with a plan to turn over the ECDC facility to the Berkeley- Albany YMCA.

Until now we have largely opposed this move due to the harm that would come from firing all the excellent teachers at ECDC, many of whom we believe would be unwilling or unable to accept a position with the YMCA—if offered—due either to the lower pay and benefits or to the speed with which certain educational requirements would be mandated. However, we now write to inform you of some facts—surprising to us—that suggest that the very safety and well-being of Emeryville's children may be seriously jeopardized by such a change.

Accompanying this letter are copies of public documents retrieved from the California Department of Social Services, Community Care Licensing Division (CCL). The documents detail a pattern of substantiated complaints and other cited deficiencies at the Berkeley-Albany YMCA's local facilities. The deficiencies cited range from minor lapses to the truly horrifying. To summarize a few that give us the greatest concern:

● An incident in which a 3-year-old walked out of the Ocean View facility unnoticed by staff and was discovered by a stranger down the street and later returned to the facility by Berkeley Police. (pp 75-76).

● An incident in which a teacher at the Berkeley YMCA 10th St. facility used a threatening voice and caused a child to urinate in their pants. (pp. 46-51).

● A report of a director withholding her attention from a child as a form of punishment and proceeding to ignore the child for an extended period of time. (pp. 39-40).

● An incident in which a teacher at the South YMCA location hit a child in the back of the head during circle time to get the child's attention. (pp. 27-28).

It boggles the mind to entertain the thought that a parent might go to pick up their child and find that the center's staff has lost their child. However, what we believe the accompanying documents reveal is not an unfortunate string of individually horrifying incidents, but rather a systemic unwillingness or inability to operate child care centers within the licensing framework established by California law.

To view Mr. Carver's research and analysis on the subject in its entirety, visit
http://bit.ly/baymca (94 pages of public documents from CCL).
and
http://bit.ly/ecdctr (15 pages of public documents from CCL).