Considering a Move to Berkeley – Seeking Feedback on East Bay Sch
We’re planning a move to Berkeley this year, but we’re open to other parts of the East Bay depending on school district fit—especially for special education services.
Our son is a pre-teen with moderate autism. He’s currently attending a private school, and his most recent IEP placement is a non-public school (NPS). As we prepare for this transition, we’re trying to better understand how different East Bay school districts approach IEP implementation, NPS placements, and support for neurodivergent students.
We’d love to hear from other families about their experiences—positive or otherwise—with districts like Berkeley Unified, Albany, Oakland, Piedmont, or others in the area. How responsive have the districts been to special education needs, and how well have they supported families through the IEP process?
Thank you in advance for any insight you’re willing to share—it’s a huge help as we plan our next steps.
Parent Replies
Our family culture and values are aligned with Oakland, and we have tried Oakland public schools at various points in time over the years, but the bottom line is that OUSD is very broken. I would strongly advise against Oakland public schools.
It seemed from your question, you only have the one child who has moderate autism and an IEP. If you can afford it, you would probably be best off in Piedmont, since that school district has the most resources in terms of student needs. If you have other children then Berkeley might be a better choice because it is more diverse, and there are more activities available for older children. My child walked or took the bus to activities in downtown (Berkeley Rep) and on campus, as well as at LHS.
OUSD has become very antagonistic to supporting 2E or autistic kids with private placement. This was less true the last few years, but our triennial IEP this spring was shocking. They suggested we send our child who is thriving in a 1:1 environment, completed almost all of 8th grade requirements for middle school go into a middle school with no capacity to differentiate (besides completing work and then getting some 'more advanced' options, though best offer from school principal was the honors band during lunch....our child does not play an instrument). A friend in Piedmont Unified is fighting to get her child into an NPS. I think all the districts are a mess, sadly. wondering where you're moving from?
In general, from a friend who has done a lot of advocacy and is a parent in Berkeley, the district there is not a great supporter of kids' needs, either. It's a true mess.
Feel free to contact me. I wish we didn't have to fight to support our kids. And it makes me very sad for the many kids whose parents don't have capacity or understand how to navigate the processes.