Your Name: Priscilla Myrick Address: Solano Ave. Email:
Website: www.Myrick4BerkeleySchools.com
1. Motivation -- Why did you choose to run for this office? What is the compelling reason to run against the incumbent, or if you are the incumbent, why should you be re-elected? How are you different from the other candidates?
I bring two major strengths to the Berkeley school board: (1) my financial experience and expertise and (2) my years of volunteer experience face to face with children supporting the work of teachers. As an education activist, I helped found a literacy program called WriterCoach Connection in Berkeley that supports students and teachers in the classroom. As a community board leader for Building Opportunities for Self-Sufficiency (BOSS), I became familiar with issues of equity and homelessness in Alameda County and the effect of those issues on families and education.
I believe that my experience in the classroom and with school governance coupled with my professional experience in finance will provide additional strength to the BUSD board and needed oversight to the school district.
2. Priorities -- What do you believe are the main priorities for the School Board? What are some specific tasks (e.g. specific legislation, policies, etc.) you intend to accomplish while in office?
As School Board Director, I will:
• Achievement: make significant gains in closing the achievement gap by supporting and strengthening programs that work in raising literacy and math proficiency levels for all students.
• Facilities: make construction of adequate classrooms (especially at Berkeley High) and school facilities throughout the District a top priority to enable a quality educational experience.
• Teachers: ensure that teachers have the tools and support to fulfill their educational mission.
• Community: encourage and use input from the community to better target educational solutions, and increase board responsiveness to community concerns.
• Fiscal transparency: improve school board accountability for spending decisions and fiscal management. Ensure that scarce resources are allocated effectively and efficiently. Click here for more information on the Measure AA school bond and Berkeley High classrooms.
3. Qualifications -- Please give a brief summary of your background and qualifications for the office of School Board. What is your background in managing, monitoring, and controlling organizational budgets?
I have an MBA in Finance and Accounting and am a former CPA. I am an experienced chief financial officer and have worked in the Bay Area bioscience industry for years. I have applied my financial management skills to the nonprofit and education worlds. See my bio for more detail.
4. How do you see your role as an individual board member in the governance of the district?
My role as a board member is to make sure that the district is responsive to the priorities of their communities. Board members participate in setting direction for the district, making sure there is an effective structure. Board members also ensure accountability and work for the school system’s success.
5. Define what equity means for the Berkeley public schools and the children who attend our schools.
Equity means that there are adequate systems in place to make sure that all students receive the resources that they are entitled to. All students deserve adequate facilities, instructional materials and qualified teachers.
6. Land-Use Issues -- How do you see your role as a trustee of BUSD vis. a vis. district and city land-use issues? Do you have any experience in land-use issues and the community and neighborhood involvement process? What is your knowledge of local and state land-use regulations, for example CEQA? In Berkeley various agreements have been negotiated between the City and the District. I believe that both parties should abide by written agreements unless new agreements are negotiated allowing full disclosure to the public of the agreements that are made.
7. How would you balance the needs of the school district with the needs of neighborhoods and community? Please comment on the warm water pool controversy, the Derby Street playing field/farmers market controversy and any others that you are familiar with. These are very complex and complicated issues that have become more complicated with time rather than clearer. Any negotiation needs to start with a clear and thorough analysis of the needs of the community and the school.
8. Have you supported the past BUSD bond and parcel tax measures? What are your opinions about these measures? Have you voted in every Berkeley election in which you were qualified to do so? If not, why not?
I have supported all BUSD bond and parcel tax measures. With respect to bond measure AA, I have been disappointed with the school district’s oversight and management of those funds. (For more detail, a full report is available on my Home page, click on the link under Fiscal Transparency). I have voted in most all elections. I vote absentee so that travel commitments don’t interfere with voting.
9. How committed are to BUSD’s nutritious, fresh, and organic food program, given the current food service budget deficit? I am not sufficiently familiar with the issues to comment.
10. “Achievement Gap” – The “achievement gap” has been an issue in Berkeley for a number of years. Please give us your thoughts on why this issue exists, and how it could be addressed. I have been dedicated to working with Berkeley high school and middle school students on writing and literacy issues for the past 8 years. Far too many students enter high school more than two grade levels behind in literacy (English language arts).
This past summer I was a writing coach helping 6,7, and 8th graders who had failed English. Four weeks simply is not enough time. It is extremely difficult to “close” the achievement gap at the high school level. For this reason, I believe more resources and attention should be turned to a high quality summer school program for all grades with the explicit goals of bringing all students up to grade level before they advance to the next year. I also think that for all grades a strong curriculum focused on reading and writing across the curriculum should be instituted.
11. Endorsements – Who has endorsed you so far? Who do you expect to endorse you?
Elizabeth Shaughnessy, Former School Board President Pamela M. Doolan, Former School Board Director Ted Schultz, Former School Board Director Isaiah B. Roter, BUSD Audit Committee Shirley Dean, Former Mayor, City of Berkeley Betty Olds, City Councilmember Gordon Wozniak, City Councilmember boona cheema, Executive Director, Building Opportunities for Self-Sufficiency (BOSS) Lynn Mueller, Associate Director, Community Alliance for Learning Trina Ostrander, Former Executive Director, Berkeley Public Education Foundation Susan P. Helmrich, Co-President, Berkeley High School Development Group See attached list.
12. Campaign Funding – How much money do you currently have for this race? How much money do you plan to raise? Where will the money come from? I have started with $2K seed money; I have launched my website that will allow for easy contributions and endorsements; I intend to raise between $5K to $10K in additional funding through both local and broader based connections and sources.
13. Anything Else? -- Is there anything else you would like us to know about you? Please visit my website at www.Myrick4BerkeleySchools.com.
