Sorry, Shahlayagoubi, this is a LONG answer, but I hope it helps.

I used to live in Berkeley & still have friends with kids in the area. First, I recommend that you check out the Berkeley Parents Network, an online community at parents.berkeley.edu. They're AWESOME & have all sorts of advice, recommendations, & local information gathered from thousands of parents via their email lists since 1993. It's free to join (you can also read stuff without joining) & they can really help you get a feel for the area. They're totally run by volunteers & have no commercial content at all.

If you care strongly about education, consider moving to Albany, a small town which borders on North/West Berkeley. It's a diverse urban enclave with a small-town feel. The public schools are excellent (rated 10 here), there are good preschools nearby (I was impressed with the Albany Coop) & there's a strong community of families. The downsides are that Albany's expensive & it can be hard for single or two-career parents, because of the school schedule & lack of after-school care through the school (though there are other options & many families qualify for sliding scale or free care at other facilities).

Berkeley has some excellent schools. Unfortunately, it also has some really terrible schools, & you never know which one the lottery will assign to your children. If you get a bad school assignment (which can happen even in the nicest & most expensive neighborhoods), getting an inter-district transfer to a better school is next to impossible, because everyone else is trying to get one too. The situation's even WORSE in Oakland. I really love Oakland, but when it comes to your children's education, it's too danged risky. The schools are a mess.

If Albany isn't in the cards for you, consider El Cerrito, next to Albany, just over the line in Contra Costa County. It's a nice community, is more affordable & the schools & neighborhoods are improving because of the recent influx of families with kids. I know some parents who are very happy with their schools & neighborhood. There are also some good preschools -- my friend & her child absolutely adored Hug-A-Bug.

Finally, remember as you do your research, that the Best Schools rating doesn't tell the whole story. These ratings are only based on test scores. You should also see what the parents say here & on the Berkeley Parents Network about the various schools. There are also the activities, community of families, teachers, school environment, etc. which should be considered. My daughter's school scores only a 7 out of 10, but we love it & the parents' rating is 5 out of 5 stars.

Enjoy the East Bay -- it's a fabulous place.

Hi there,
The city page for Berkeley is a good place to start. Here's the link:
www.greatschools.net/city/Berkeley/CA