At the first day of school in Berkeley on Monday, the specter of the pandemic lingered, but it did not dominate a first day back that, finally, felt pretty normal.
Ally Markovich
Ally Markovich, who covers the school beat for Berkeleyside, is a former high school English teacher. Her work has appeared in The Oaklandside, The New York Times, Huffington Post and Washington Post, among other publications. You can spot her running on the trails in Tilden Park.
Posted inSchools
Meet the 4 new principals chosen to lead Berkeley schools this year
Longfellow Middle School and John Muir, Sylvia Mendez and Rosa Parks elementary schools all have new leaders at the helm for the 2022-23 school year.
Posted inCommunity
‘Harder to stay the course’: Berkeley, Oakland residents grapple with COVID burnout
We spoke with a labor nurse, fire captain, restaurant owner and others to see how their feelings have evolved about the pandemic.
Posted inSchools
Berkeley City College will be free this fall for in-state students
Students must live in California and enroll in at least three units to be eligible for free tuition.
Posted inSchools
What to expect from BUSD’s COVID-19 policies this school year
The new school year brings looser COVID-19 restrictions, with less testing and more field trips and classroom visitors.
Posted inCrime & Safety
Student charged in Berkeley High mass shooting plot sentenced to rehab facility
The 16-year-old Berkeley High student pleaded guilty to a felony crime and his sentence includes time in a rehabilitation facility.
Posted inCity
Berkeley’s COVID-19 death rate is among the lowest in California
People who are elderly and Black make up a disproportionate share of Berkeley’s 62 COVID-19 deaths.
Posted inSchools
She fought on behalf of her blind son. Now BUSD will make online learning tools more accessible
The National Federation of the Blind hopes a settlement the mother reached with BUSD will become a blueprint for other school districts.
Posted inCity
Here’s what you should know about the COVID surge in Berkeley
Case rates are “plateauing at a high rate,” fueled by the BA.5 variant.
Posted inCity
A changing Berkeley: 6 maps show how the past decade has remade the city
From population to housing to racial diversity, these maps show how and where Berkeley has changed the most over the last decade.
Posted inSchools
After Berkeley High tragedy, students lobby for better mental health care
Following a classmate’s death, five students called on the City Council to prioritize funding student mental health programs. “We were converting our grief into something meaningful,” one said.
Posted inCommunity
Berkeley High alumnus with a promising journalism career dies at 22
A recent Sacramento State grad, Brandon Bailey became the first person in his family to graduate from college.