New School Official Aims to Battle for Educational Equality

Closing the achievement gaps and managing budget cuts are among the top priorities for the new superintendent at Berkeley Unified School District.

William Huyett, who will replace superintendent Michele Lawrence when she retires in early February, said he will continue to maintain a focus on the students.

Before coming to Berkeley, Huyett served as the superintendent of the Lodi Unified School District for nearly eight years.

He said pushing for educational equality is among his primary goals.

"(I will focus on) raising achievement at all schools and closing the achievement gap," he said.

While Huyett said he is eager to take on the challenges presented by the diverse, urban school district, he said he is worried about minimizing the impact of the impending budget cuts on the district.

"Reducing the education budget can only hurt the children of California and the future," he said. "They mean negative energy, negative work."

Lawrence said she thinks that Huyett is the right person to lead the school district in the wake of the cuts proposed by the state.

"He is an experienced superintendent and a man of integrity," she said. "I know that he will keep the interests of the students foremost in his decision-making."

Despite high Academic Performance Index scores and a large number of National Merit scholars in the Berkeley school district, there are still many students, often from disadvantaged backgrounds, who are underperforming, Huyett said.

"I'm very interested in looking at all achievement held accountable by the state and the college board standardized tests," he said.

Lawrence said the focus of her six-year tenure as superintendent had been to implement changes in the district's accounting system and balance the budget.

But she said the issue of disadvantaged students lagging behind affluent ones was still a major problem.

"There are still very big discrepancies between low socioeconomic kids and affluent ones," she said. "I am pleased that I can turn my love and passion to somebody who I know will safeguard it."

Although the Lodi Unified School District is located in the Central Valley, Huyett said he feels prepared for the Berkeley school district because Lodi is similar to Berkeley both in its socioeconomic composition and its rich ethnic diversity.

"I think that will be very different for me, but I'm looking forward to it," he said. "It will be another challenge, but I like challenges."

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