Why Should Progressive Care About Education? (edit this)
Many activists are involved in the issues in front of the Board of Supervisors. And I applaud them for their work.
But recently, I’ve talked to many progressives who don’t understand the complexities of issues surrounding education. They are not aware that the Board of Education frequently meets from 7 p.m. to 2 a.m. They are not aware that the Board of Education will have two to three meetings a week. They are not aware that the Commissioners only receive $500 per month and do not have any staff.
Yet, the issues of public education are just as important as the issues of city government. Here are some of those issues:
1. Deficit-The state has lower the level of payments that it is redistributing back to the school districts (lower than what the voters agreed to)-for example, SFUSD should have receive $66 million more dollars last year. The feds have also been reducing their contributions to special education, child development/pre-K and tutoring for academically struggling students (as required under No Child Left Behind). The issue of school closures is directly linked-since it is one of the ways that the deficit can be addressed.
2. Acheivement Gap-The Chron and the Examiner are right that SFUSD has the highest test scores of the larger urban districts. But it also has the largest acheivement gap between the average student and the average African-American student-72 points. This means that the average African American student scores 72 points lower than the average student on standardized tests. The next largest gap is in 40’s. So we are talking gaping difference at SFUSD. SFUSD has also a very spotty record in graduation rates and being UC/CSU ready (thus, get into any four year college) among students of color.
3. Sunshine-This week’s Guardian has my editorial on it. SF BOE has a resolution in front of them. Without its passage, SFUSD will continue the following-1) require all speakers at general meetings to call in if they want to speak at the meeting-and leave their phone number (it has been reported that the District has called people and asked them not to speak), 2) claim to not have records when other agencies clearly show that they do, 3) not even list the actual amounts that they spent in the previous year on any of their public budget documents.
4. Students’ Concerns A key concern for students is clean restrooms. Coleman Advocates has been front and center in making sure that the student voices are heard on this by the District and the Board. The District’s Student Advisory Council has also voiced concern about this issue. It is important for the District to address this concern-as well as ensure that students’ voice are heard (and responded to) by the Board and the District about other key issues, such as the superintendent search, budget and other issues that impact their education.
5. UESF Contract The largest union of the school district is the United Educators of San Francisco (the teachers and the paraprofessionals) with 6,000 members. The next largest union has 1,200 members-Local 790 and it has just concluded its negotiations. UESF has been working without a contract for 1 1/2 years. They haven’t had a raise in 4 1/2 years (including no cost of living increases). The District each year loses 800 teachers-and was recruiting teachers in November for the 2005-06 school year. Yet, UESF has had difficulty getting the district to come (and stay) at the table. (As Local 790 and others can tell you, this is the constant theme in the district’s negotiating policy-don’t bother to come to the table and reject all economic and noneconomic proposals out of hand.) In the fall, the members voted to allow a strike vote to happen, if the union’s negotiating team felt that it was needed.
6. Superintendent Search The BOE has created a Citizens Advisory Committee to advise them on the criteria and public process for the Superintendent Search. But it doesn’t appear that there are four votes on the Board to ensure that the public’s voice will actually be heard. Our favorite three (Lipson, Sanchez and Mar) want a clear community voice and public meetings as part of the process of selecting a superintendent. The other four appear to want to keep the power for themselves.
For most activists, the issues of housing, transportation, policing and health care are ones on which they devote their time and efforts. But the issues of education are just as complex-and deserve your support as well.
January 1st, 2006 at 11:30 pm e
I give Kim immense credit for her close study of education issues — I’m embarrassed now that before I was an SFUSD parent myself I paid only the most superficial attention to the field of education.
If social justice is your concern, education is Ground Zero.
But I also want to remind progressives that one of the most effective things you can do to help achieve social justice is to send your children to public school. Your children benefit in the long run when you engage them in the community rather than cloistering them in the rarefied environment of even the most supposedly progressive private school (and that goes for homeschooling, too).
So yes, follow the criticisms of SFUSD and vow to work to effect change. But please understand that SFUSD is running many wonderful schools that nurture educated, aware future leaders who are truly part of their whole community.
To learn more about SFUSD schools, please contact Parents for Public Schools, www.ppssf.org , or 415/468-7077. Or join the sfschools listserve at sfschools-subscribe@yahoogroups.com .
January 2nd, 2006 at 10:04 am e
Thank you, Caroline for your kind comments.
I agree with you 100% that we are blessed with many wonderful schools-both “found” gems and hidden gems.
As I told Eric, Mark and Sarah once, it is a good thing that the choice of which schools have to be closed is so gut-wretching. Because we would wonder why we had hurt children by keeping bad schools open.
And you are right-the way to support our great public schools is to send your children to them. And I applaud you and Nestwife for doing so.