SF School Board Notes 9.28.05

SF School Board Notes 9.28.05

By Nicole Freeling
GreatSchools.net Correspondent

Board Thrashes Props. 74 & 76
Board to Craft Proposal on Military Recruitment
No Discussion of Possible Strike
Staff Lauded for Crisis Response

In a meeting where not a single dissenting vote was cast, board members presented an unusually unified front -- roundly bashing two ballot measures in the upcoming special election and commending a district school's response to tragedy.

• Board Thrashes Props 74 & 76

  Board members issued resolutions opposing two measures that will be on the ballot in a special election November 8, which they say could gut school funding, make it harder to recruit new teachers and make it more cumbersome to dismiss poorly performing ones. San Francisco teacher's union president Dennis Kelly added his voice to the chorus of opposition to the measures.

  Proposition 74, dubbed the "Put the Kids First Act," but referred to by the board as "Punish New Teachers Act" seeks to extend teachers' probationary periods to five years and set terms for dismissal of tenured teachers.

  According to the board, however the measure would make it less appealing to be a teacher, remove local authority in dismissing under-performing teachers and result in a host of unintended consequences, such as protracted negotiations with bargaining units and additional evaluations, which could run into millions of dollars in unfunded mandates for California schools.

  Proposition 76, the California Live Within Our Means Act, which the board voted to refer to as the "Cuts School Funding Act," would, according to the resolution, "upset the balance of power between the governor and the Legislature by giving the governor the power to both create and declare a fiscal emergency and then to take unilateral budget actions." Such actions could include mid-year, across the board cuts for education, the resolution states.

  "It's a shame our governor has gotten to the level of attacking the people who are serving the children rather than looking at the issue of underfunding, which is the real problem," said Norman Yee, who helped author the resolution.

• Board to Craft Proposal on Military Recruitment

  Dan Kelly announced he would present a resolution at the next board meeting (October 11) regarding the district's policy allowing students to opt out of having their personal information given out to third parties, including military recruiters. He made his comments after two parents addressed the board to voice their opposition to military recruitment.

  In January 2003, the board adopted a privacy rights policy allowing students to opt out of having the district turn over their names and contact information to outside parties, including military recruiters, scholarship organizations and colleges. However, there is still much concern in the community that students are still not fully aware of their ability to opt out, or about alternatives to military service, especially with regard to raising money for college.

  "The first issue is to make sure the procedure (for opting out) is as thorough and complete as possible," Kelly said. "We need to tighten the process up and have it done early in the school year."

  Mark Sanchez said he would like to see the district consider an opt-in policy similar to that adopted by the Berkeley school district, under which a district would not give information to military recruiters unless the student or parents specifically request it. There are questions, however, as to whether Berkeley's policy in legal, and could jeopardize federal funding.

  As the issue was not on the agenda, further discussion was tabled until the next meeting.

• No Discussion of Possible Strike

  There was no discussion of the issue on many parents' minds, the status of mediation discussions with Service Employees International Union local 790, which covers secretaries, custodians and cafeteria workers among others.

  Dennis Kelly, president of the San Francisco teachers union, told GreatSchools that, if there were to be a strike, some teachers would refuse to cross the picket line. "Teachers are going to be torn. They are going to want to support (SEIU's) action in whatever way the feel they can, and a lot of them aren't going to cross a picket line." That, he said, would create "confusion and disruption" in the schools.

  The union is currently in mediation with the district. However, it voted last week to strike if an agreement with the district cannot be reached.

• School Staff Lauded for Crisis Response

  On July 5, a mother of a child attending Dr. William Cobb Child Development Center was gunned down in the school yard after dropping off her child at 7:30 a.m.

  The board issued a resolution of commendation to the staff for its response. According to the board, staff acted quickly and calmly to minimize student exposure to the incident, then, in the ensuing weeks and months, worked with children and parents to help them process and deal with the incident, employing city programs to help minimize trauma.

  The school is now working to reclaim the yard by creating a new garden area, setting aside a memorial corner and painting a mural.