Laughable LCAP Goal #1 for Piedmont Unified School District?

Look at any Piedmont real estate selling point and you see the phrases: “top rated schools”; “exceptional schools”; or “highly coveted K-12” – –  BUT are Piedmont students truly receiving an extraordinary education?

Since graduating from Piedmont High School in the 1990s, the educational standards and expectations of PUSD students have significantly declined. As a Piedmont parent observing the evolving  PUSD education environment over the past decade, the marked changes that began in 2020 have been startling. Well-intentioned Piedmont stakeholders, including parents and school board members, seized the unstable circumstances of 2020 as an opportune time to advance their political agendas within the Piedmont education system.

Review of the PUSD 2024-2027 LCAP Goals:

Goal #1: “Creating An Environment To Thrive”. 

Goal #2: “Investing In Outstanding Academics”.

I, as many Piedmont parents, question why Goal #2 is not Goal #1 ???

Reviewing neighboring school district LCAP goals, I find that education is their Goal #1:

Oakland USD: “All students graduate college, career, and community ready”

Berkeley USD: “Provide high quality classroom curriculum and responsive instructional practices that are informed by data, promote college and career readiness and eliminate the achievement gap based on race and/or program”

West Contra Costa USD:  “Achieving Students: Deepen the implementation of quality learning, teaching and leadership practices in our classrooms and schools”

Although Piedmont students ranked Top-3 in the 2024 CAASPP testing, this is not all due to the extraordinary instruction of PUSD teachers. Out-of-pocket, Piedmont parents spend unspoken dollars to ensure their children gain the knowledge of information that is not taught in the classroom.  

Yes, Piedmont LCAP goals were developed through numerous in-person meetings attended by Piedmont stakeholders, parents and school board members. However, as an education-focused parent, I felt excluded because I did not agree with the politically correct agenda that the majority of attendees advocated for, which was not focused on education. To advocate for education over politically correct agendas (ie: SEL, DEI) was deemed Piedmont social suicide – – this silenced a number of the attendees.    

In my opinion, PUSD must have a more balanced approach to education. Over the past 5 years, education-focused parents have quietly endured enough and deserve for our children to receive an extraordinary education.  We do not want to send our children to private schools because politically-motivated Piedmont stakeholders, parents and school board members seem to prioritize virtue signaling over providing a quality education.