GREAT SCHOOLS FOR ALL
It's simple. To prepare the next generation of San Franciscans for the innovation economy, we have to change the equation in our public schools. And I know we can.
As a Board Member of the New Schools Venture Fund and Network for Teaching Entrepreneurship, and an Advisory Board Member of the San Francisco Schools Alliance, I’ve led cutting-edge efforts to support teacher development and improve student outcomes in our most under-served communities.
I know from over a decade working in the trenches on the issue of education reform, change is possible when you ignore the conventional wisdom and start with four basic building blocks: the expectation that every child can succeed, a dedicated teacher and mentor, a willingness to make our schools synonymous with innovation, and a broad network of stakeholders engaged in the process.
Small increments of improvement are just not good enough as more children slip through the cracks.
To affect change system-wide, we need to build stronger bridge between the city and its schools. We need to provide our Superintendent and school district with the resources needed to meet their goals. As Mayor, I will serve as the San Francisco’s Chief Education Advocate, and make school improvement a top priority.
RETURN TO NEIGHBORHOOD SCHOOLS
Families are leaving our City every year because of the uncertainties associated with our school lottery system. The fact is that forcing kids to commute an hour each way to school on MUNI undermines their safety, makes it harder for working parents to be involved in school activities, and creates yet another deterrent for businesses who might otherwise consider locating their operations and employees in San Francisco. We can reverse this trend by making sure every child can attend a quality neighborhood school within walking distance of his or her home.
As Mayor, I will also work to move towards more community based learning models like the Tenderloin Community School or ER Taylor School’s Healthy Start Program, which bring traditional curriculum together with other community services: including counseling, health, family support, and after school programs. This strategic framework will improve student achievement, youth development and family well-being. And the Mayor is uniquely positioned to bring together the resources needed to bring this concept from idea to execution in neighborhoods across our city.
REAUTHORIZE PROP. H AND INCREASE CITY FUNDING
Facing a massive shortfall, the San Francisco Unified School District was recently forced to cut art instruction and summer school – programs with proven benefits for children – while imposing unpaid furlough days on classroom teachers. City hall can and must play a role in helping our schools supplement their already tight budget realities.
As Mayor, I will fight to reauthorize the Public Education Enrichment Fund (Prop. H), and to increase funding levels to $100 million per year, in exchange for SFUSD allowing parents to send their children to a school within walking distance of their home as a first choice. By incentivizing elimination of the costly and complex school lottery, we can also help schools focus more resources where they are needed most—the classroom.
BUILDING BRIDGES WITH EMPLOYERS AND PHILANTHROPISTS---MAKING OUR SCHOOLS SYNONYMOUS WITH INNOVATION
San Francisco is the innovation capital of the world, but if we are going to effectively prepare the next generation to compete in the global economy, we need to do a better job of bringing that culture into the classroom.
Too many students literally go back in time when they enter school. From improving computer access and building 21st century facilities, to developing and testing new ways to teach and learn, we can and must work to make our schools a national model for educational excellence.
First, we need a city-wide commitment to school modernization. Proposition A, the final phase of an almost decade-long project to modernize our schools on this November’s ballot, is vital to our future. As Mayor, I’ll make sure those improvements happen on time-and on budget.
I will also work to engage private and non-profit sector leaders in the process of developing, testing and funding new ideas in the area of adaptive learning and individualized curriculum, and to provide mentorship opportunities that raise the sights of students, and support the development of teachers and administrators.
