James Buhn

1934 - 2021

James Buhn
May 20, 1934 - December 19, 2021
James Edgar Buhn (Jim) passed away at his home on December 19, 2021, at the age of 87. A lifelong enthusiast of learning, he taught at Kenilworth Junior High for eight years, then Rancho Cotate High School for 29 years, and was a leading voice in the development of advanced math and science classes in the local school system. Jim was born May 20, 1934, to Edgar and Marjorie Buhn in Vallejo, California. Two years later, his brother Robert (Bob) was born. The two grew up in Vallejo collecting comic books and Disney memorabilia. At age 16, James attended Vallejo Junior College and Solano Community College for his final two years of high school, then transferred to UC Berkeley. In 1956, he earned his Bachelor Of Science in Chemistry from Berkeley. He then earned his general secondary credential in 1957, with focuses on science and mathematics. Ten years later, in 1966, he completed a Master of Arts degree in Education, again at Berkeley. After college, he performed his student teaching at Bret Harte in Oakland, a job he would later describe as "the worst he ever had." The experience at Bret Harte left him feeling discouraged, and he considered turning away from teaching, but a senior teacher at the school rallied him, suggesting another school might be a better fit. He then transferred to Oakland Tech, working there for a year, and finding he did love teaching. In 1959, he began teaching at Kenilworth Junior High in Petaluma. He started out as a math teacher, but quickly found himself with a like-minded group of colleagues wanting to create a program of advanced mathematics and sciences. Along with Jim Giovando (known affectionately to his friends and fellow teachers as "Jimmy G"), and Myron Ringstad, he worked with the school board to create a pathway for students to take "new math," a method of teaching that emphasized inquiry based learning, introducing more advanced math concepts and classes at an earlier age to students with an acuity for math. The "new math" pacing, which was approved by the Petaluma School Board in 1961, included algebra in junior high, and allowed high school students the opportunity to take advanced math classes. In 1963, Jim was a member of the teacher committee who drafted plans for the introduction of the academic merit program, which built on the same ideas driving the "new math" program. The academic merit program created a course of curriculum for select students "who are able to carry advanced subjects at a sooner date." The new program initially included courses in French, algebra, geometry, and a class called "Great Ideas." It later integrated advanced English and Spanish being introduced in elementary schools. In 1963, his students nominated him for "Teacher of the Day" on the Honest John Trotter radio show, and his name was published in the Argus Courier. In 1984, he served as one of three teacher advisors to a pilot program for student leadership–High School Students as Instructional Seminar Leaders–in which teams of two students taught seminars of their own choosing to other students and teachers.
In addition to teaching, Jim was the president of his local branch of the California Teachers Association, the Association of Petaluma Area Teachers. He argued for, among other things, prep periods for secondary teachers, increased wages, and medical and dental benefits. After serving as president, Jim stayed on as an active member, sitting in on negotiations. He also served as a union representative, arguing for the same things, under the American Federation of Teachers during his time both at Kenilworth Junior High and Rancho Cotate High. Petaluma Unified opened the new high school, Rancho Cotate, in 1967. Jim was picked to transfer there. At Rancho Cotate, "The Ranch," Jim was department chair for the science and math departments. He taught physics, chemistry, geometry, trigonometry, and calculus. With Margaret Marshall, he co-led CSF (California Scholarship Federation) and NHS (National Honor Society). He created a liaison between the Ranch and Sonoma State University, allowing advanced students to take college courses while in high school. He also continued to be a union leader. In the 1980s, he co-coached the school's Academic Olympiad team with Margaret Marshall. While he retired in 1996, he continued to sub at the Ranch until the early 2000s. Outside of all his activities in school, he was a member of the United Way Board of Directors and the Petaluma United Crusade Board for a few terms in the early 1970s. He regularly attended "Teacher Institute" workshops at the Exploratorium in San Francisco from their inception in 1984 through his retirement in 1996.
In 1967, Jim moved from Napa, where his family had eventually settled, to Penngrove, having a house built for him on Sonoma Mountain. He married Elise Matson in 1971. In 1974, he sold his home on Eagle Ridge Road; Elise designed a new home for them to be built on Formschlag Lane in Penngrove. They had three children: Gillian, in 1972; Nathaniel in 1976; and Margaret in 1978. They were divorced in 1983.
Jim continued to collect Disney memorabilia and comic books, as well as classic literature and a vast range of nonfiction books, until his death. He stayed close over the years with his "science guys', traveling with them to Comic Con a number of times, and making a couple of visits to Disneyland. His interests ranged widely, from the history of pencils to the Big Bang, from lexicons to Charles Dickens. He enjoyed taking day trips with his children, visiting such sites as Ghirardelli Square, the Winchester House, the San Francisco Zoo, The Lawrence Hall of Sciences and The Academy of Sciences in San Francisco. He is survived by his brother Bob, ex-wife Elise, his three children Gillian, Nathaniel, and Margaret, and his two grandchildren, Cyrus and Cassia, as well as his four nephews and nieces. His ashes will be laid to rest at Tulocay, near other family members. His service will be held at Rancho Cotate High March 20th at 1 pm, and via zoom. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Exploratorium in San Francisco.