BUSD layoffs: Families fear after-school cuts will further cripple understaffed program

Berkeley Unified employees, students and families are rallying behind the district’s after-school program LEARNS after all nine coordinators received notices last week that their positions might be reduced or eliminated for the next school year. There are three currently vacant coordinator positions, which union members said were previously eliminated.

The potential cuts are among more than 180 support staff and teacher positions at the Berkeley Unified School District (BUSD) recommended for possible layoffs or reductions as part of officials’ efforts to balance a nearly $8 million budget deficit. 

Parents say the LEARNS layoffs would be another blow to the district’s afterschool programs, which are already struggling to enroll all of the working families who’ve applied for slots.

“I understand the financial hardships that not only BUSD is in, but multiple school districts are in. They’re having to make hard decisions, but I still keep my fingers crossed,” Kimberly Wright-Smith, an after-school coordinator at Willard Middle School who received a potential layoff notice, told Berkeleyside. 

Having grown up in Berkeley, Wright-Smith said she enjoys being able to give back to her community through her role at BUSD. She said as school principals begin winding down after the dismissal bell, LEARNS after-school coordinators step up.

LEARNS is one of two after-school programs offered through BUSD and is open to all students, unlike its counterpart BEARS, which serves low-income families. Wright-Smith said after-school program coordinators monitor staff, help to ensure standards are met, and work directly with families. They also organize events and activities to enrich students’ experiences in the program, she said.  

“The middle school age is such an impressionable age that you can actually help them shape their lives and they don’t even realize it,” she said. “I most enjoy seeing their growth and learning who they are. Some of them come back and say, ‘Miss Kim, you were really tough, but now I understand why.’ That’s priceless.”

In an email sent Monday, Wright-Smith informed Willard families that all LEARNS coordinators had received pink slips, jeopardizing the program’s leadership and structure.

“Losing our LEARNS coordinators would have a huge negative impact on the program, the students, the staff, and the families who rely on this service,” Wright-Smith said in the email. She called on families to reach out to board members and the superintendent to advocate for maintaining these roles. 

Kera Bartlett Binns, a BUSD parent who attended the Berkeley City Council meeting on Tuesday, urged officials to not reduce but expand city-run aftercare options for working families. 

“The LEARNS program is already overwhelmed, and this year my family was one of over 200 left on the waitlist for childcare,” she said. “Cutting after-school coordinators when the demand is already outstripping supply is a decision that will leave hundreds of children without a place to go when the school day ends.”

Superintendent Enikia Ford Morthel said “a good majority” of all the notices the district sent to staff about possible layoffs are for positions that will be reassigned to different school sites.

“No decisions have been made on any positions nor on any of our budget reduction strategies,” she said. “We had to send out those notices to comply with California law, even though we’re still trying to understand and figure out our budget.”

‘He makes all the difference.’ Children, families and staff show up to support after-school staff

BUSD community members showed up in full force at the school board’s Wednesday meeting, asking district officials to spare aftercare staff. Morthel estimated at least 100 people were in the boardroom. 

“As you can see from the turnout tonight, layoffs are no joke,” Matt Meyer, the president of the Berkeley Federation of Teachers, told board members. 

“Many educators were devastated to receive these letters,” he said. “I’ve talked to many educators in tears unable to make sense out of what is happening to their career.”

Roshni Kasad, parent of children at Thousand Oaks Elementary, said aftercare is “deeply connected to the community” and to school-day learning. 

Rachel Doughty, a PTA member at Sylvia Mendez Elementary, spoke in support of staff and asked that the district try to minimize the “annual pink slip trauma” imposed on educators.

Lizzie Hager-Barnard, the director of K-12 outreach for the UC Berkeley College of Engineering, said the termination of LEARNS coordinators “would have devastating effects on our youngest students.”

Some students also attended the meeting to express their support for Berkeley educators. They shouted out the names of their LEARNS after-school coordinators, such as Dontay Gallon, Ana “Anita” Zamudio, Jarrett-Tory Sanders and others, during the meeting. 

Ramona, an eighth grader at King Middle School, said programs like LEARNS “are non-negotiable.” She said her mother is a single parent and without these programs, she can’t work. 

“If she can’t work, she can’t support me and my brother,” Ramona told the school board. “But more importantly, it is a place for kids to go after school that is joy-filled, safe, happy, and welcoming.”

Tia, a student at Longfellow Middle School, spoke alongside her younger brother. She said after-school educators visited their home to check in on them after their father died and during a time when their mother said she couldn’t get out of bed. 

“They have been like family to us,” Tia said. “I wouldn’t be able to attend school without their support.”

Victoria, a 6-year-old kindergartener at Sylvia Mendez, told board members that she “felt sad” when she heard that Zamudio might not work at her school anymore.

“Ms. Anita gets special snacks for kids with allergies, helps us practice Spanish, and stops bullies from hurting people and helps them make friends,” she said.

Many children spoke in support of after-school coordinator Gallon. 

“I want Mr. Dontay to stay because he is the best,” Al, a second grader at Thousand Oaks told the school board. “Seeing Mr. Dontay’s face every afternoon makes me feel happy.” 

“He makes all the difference,” said Harlem, a student who met Gallon when he worked at Berkeley Arts Magnet. “I have come to performances at many other Berkeley schools, and I can definitely tell a Mr. Dontay production.”

LEARNS coordinators also spoke at the meetings, and thanked the community for their support. 

Zamudio, the after-school coordinator at Sylvia Mendez, urged the district to keep all aftercare staff, from specialists and coordinators to IT support.

“The viability of after-school programs is very much in our hands,” she said. “We have untapped potential to be sustainable and self-sufficient, to serve more families, and invest in our communities. Instead, the leaders who can make that happen are being cut to save money.”

Gallon said many after-school coordinators began as classified workers — in positions that don’t require certification — and earned promotions into their current roles. 

“We have worked tirelessly to build strong, thriving programs and now we are being told that our jobs, which were created out of district necessity, are no longer valued,” he said during the meeting. “Without us, there is no leadership on site. There is no oversight. There is no consistency.”