Berkley Public Schools (Oakland, Berkeley, El Cerrito: middle school, gated, move)

[196CG]

Considering a Bay Area move in a few years. Our son will be a 6th grader then. Right now we are focusing on Berkley. We are self employed so location will be based on public school options. Can anyone provide some insight on such things as quality of teachers and programs? How is class size? What specific schools seem to be best? Is middle school 6-8 or 7-8? Any other info would be much appreciated. Thx.

[Ruth4Truth]

Location doesn't matter when it comes to highschool, as there's only one HS for the entire city. It's always been said to be a rough place, crime-ridden. Oakland is no better. Consider El Cerrito or Albany, just to the north of Berkeley.

[196CG]

Thx. Will check out those areas.

[jade408]

I hear BHS s pretty racially segregated these days, and also has lots of "urban" problems as well. There are some really ineresting programs, but you need to be very self-motivated to succeed there.

It might also depend on your ethnicity as well. I hear that Albany High can be isolating for non-white or mixed students. People self-segregate. I hear El Cerrito is very mixed and there isn't much self-segregation. (We were literally talking about this yesterday with a BHS teacher and a parent with high school age kids)

[Ruth4Truth]

Sad, how people self-segregate. OP, jade's a great info source. I'd go by her advice. Academically, I've heard good things about Albany HS. I don't know anything about El Cerrito.

[clongirl]

You might also want to check out the Berkeley Parents Network site...there's tons of information about schools in/around Berkeley and the East Bay in general (in addition to lots of other advice and recommendations on other local stuff)

Berkeley Parents Network:

[196CG]

Thx clongirl, Ruth4Truth and Jade408.