Tight races for city council, school board, rent board and Alameda County DA hang in the balance.
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
Brown, Chang, Shanoski win seats on Berkeley school board
Three candidates, Shanoski, Chang and Lee, are still in competition for the remaining two seats as more votes were counted Thursday.
Posted inHousing & Development
Tenants slate has fundraising edge as real estate groups sit out Berkeley rent board race
The reigning pro-tenant slate has raised a collective $50,000. Can independent candidates break through?
Posted inSchools
Teachers unions compete with Reichi Lee in big-money Berkeley school board race
Lee is waging a competitive, well-funded campaign despite failing to win the backing of the teachers union. As a result, teachers are putting money down to support their endorsed candidates.
Posted inSchools
Berkeley teachers say they need compensation for extra duty of writing college rec letters
Berkeley High stopped hiring subs to cover teachers’ classes while they write letters. As teachers negotiate, students applying to college are caught in the middle.
Posted inSchools
Low-income Cal students get paid for community service with new state program
Through CollegeCorps, 98 UC Berkeley students are getting $10,000 to volunteer with a local organization this year.
Posted inCrime & Safety
Suspect in Paul Pelosi attack once lived in Berkeley with partner pushing 9/11 conspiracy theories
David DePape entered the Pelosi home Friday morning and attacked the House Speaker’s husband with a hammer, San Francisco police said.
Posted inCrime & Safety
Teen brothers killed in shooting laid to rest in deeply moving Berkeley funeral
Family, Berkeley High friends and soccer teammates said a final goodbye to Jazy and Angel Sotelo Garcia on Thursday, marking a “new chapter” of their grief.
Posted inCity
Berkeley City Council to begin all meetings with a land acknowledgment
Intended as a “starting point” for reparative work with local Indigenous people, a land acknowledgment will be displayed at every meeting and read aloud monthly.
Posted inSchools
Berkeley teens hold summit on climate action
Organized by 17-year-old Ella Suring, the conference brought together diverse students to envision a new plan for climate action.
Posted inSchools
Berkeley Unified to raise teacher pay in new union contract
Pay will rise 12% over 2 years. Teachers’ health care costs will fall, and elementary classes are now capped at 27 students.
Posted inCrime
‘Kisses to the sky’: Isamaeli Mata’afa remembered as visionary who put his faith in action
Friends and teachers from Berkeley’s Pacific School of Religion — where Mata’afa was studying to be a minister — joined his tight-knit Samoan family and community to honor his life Thursday evening in San Lorenzo.
