Berkeley, the last to fall, caves in

The Contra Costa Times reports that Berkeley is caving in to DOD pressure: School district changes military recruiting policy. Fitting that Berkeley would be the last hold out.

Have you done the opt out for your high school student?

KQED Forum looks at recent educational law cases

San Francisco's future school enrollment policies and efforts to combat the ongoing re-segregation of its schools will be impacted by the Supreme Court's rulings on two pending cases. Yesterday's radio broadcast of KQED's Forum took up the subject of these rulings in this segment:
KQED | Forum: School Integration:

The program discusses the implications of a pending Supreme Court ruling on the use of race as a factor in school integration.
Host: Michael Krasny
Guests:

• Alicia Mundy, journalist with the Seattle Times
• Goodwin Liu, assistant professor of law and co-director of the Chief Justice Earl Warren Institute on Race, Ethnicity and Diversity at UC Berkeley's Boalt Hall School of Law
• Sharon L. Brown, principal attorney with the Pacific Legal Foundation

As usual, Michael Krasny does an excellent job of delving into the subject. Well worth a listen.

While looking at the Forum archives, I found this show recent show that is also relevant to this audience:
Supreme Court Ruling on Special Ed

n light of the recent Supreme Court ruling in Winkelman v. Parma, the program discusses the challenges that parents and school districts face when providing education for students with special needs.
Host: Dave Iverson
Guests:

• Jean-Claude Andre, counsel for Ivey, Smith & Ramirez and representative for the Winkelmans in the Supreme Court case Winkelman v. Parma School
• Ron Wenkart, general counsel for the Orange County Department of Education
• Sandee Winkelman, mother of a disabled child
• Stephen Rosenbaum, staff attorney at Protection & Advocacy, Inc. and lecturer at UC-Berkeley's Boalt Hall School of Law

What really bugs teachers

Here's an interesting report by a Cal State prof on the issue of teacher retention: A Possible Dream: Retaining California Teachers.

The report starts with the observation that California student achievement is poor, and that the lack of qualified teachers is a contributing factor. What is notable is that the study digs beneath the surface to find that teacher retention, not training and recruitment, is the key to addressing the ongoing teacher shortages. Their "key findings" are:

• 81% of teachers who participated in our survey said they entered the profession because they wanted to make a difference for children and society. This overwhelming number indicates that teachers want above all to be effective teachers.
• Many teachers leave schools long before retirement because of inadequate system supports such as too little time for planning, too few textbooks, and unreliable assistance from the district ofice.
• Bureaucratic impediments (e.g., excessive paperwork, too many unnecessary meetings) were cited frequently by leavers. The data also showed that teachers were not asking to be left alone but instead wanted eficient and responsive bureaucracy that supported their teaching.
• Better compensation matters to teachers, but unless their classroom and school environment is conducive to good teaching, better compensation is not likely to improve teacher retention rates.
• Teachers willingly stay because of strong collegial supports and because they have an important say in the operation of the school; they also seek strong input in what and how they are allowed to teach.
• Special education teachers are most likely to leave special education because of inadequate system supports as well as an all-too-often hostile teaching environment created by parents and student advocates. In addition, they leave because of too little time for the complex and constantly changing IEPs (individualized Education Programs) they are required to write. Many leave because of dysfunctional professional relationships with their colleagues in general education.
• Many teachers (28%) who have left teaching before retirement would come back if improvements were made to teaching and learning conditions. Monetary incentives alone would be less effective in luring them back.

What makes this study notable to me is that it side steps the usual hot button controversies about teacher pay, collective bargaining, educational bureaucracy, etc. and attempts to identify what really bugs teachers and what drives them from the profession. The findings jibe with what I've observed in my kids' schools over the years.

Former SFUSD officials indicted

Bill Coleman, SFUSD finance chief under Bill Rojas in the 1990s, and former fellow SFUSD administrator Ruben Bohuchot have been indicted for suspected shenanigans in Dallas, where they both worked under Rojas after leaving SFUSD in the late '90s.

Coleman subsequently went to work for Detroit schools, and now they're worried about what he might have been doing there. (The people who do hiring for these districts don't seem to know how to Google.)

Arlene Ackerman booted out and sicced law enforcement on key figures in SFUSD from the Rojas/Coleman regime.

The Detroit Free Press on Coleman:

Coleman's indictment a concern for Detroit
Former DPS leader charged in Dallas school contracts
May 30, 2007
BY SUZETTE HACKNEY and PEGGY WALSH-SARNECKI
FREE PRESS STAFF WRITERS

Detroit school board members were divided Tuesday about whether a former superintendent's indictment in Dallas would lead to fallout here.

William F. Coleman III, 52, and two other men were indicted on charges of conspiracy, money laundering, bribery and obstruction of justice involving millions of dollars in technology contracts in the Dallas public school district.

While the indictment makes no suggestion of improprieties in Detroit, Coleman tried to help one of the men indicted with him $(O R(Buben B. Bohuchot $(O g(Bet a job consulting with technology companies that were trying to win Detroit contracts. However, a Free Press investigation led to the Detroit district tossing out bids and re-awarding the contracts.

Bertram Marks, Coleman's attorney, called the indictment absurd and guaranteed a speedy dismissal of the charges.

"William Coleman has preserved trust everywhere he's been $(O h(Be's done nothing to destroy that public trust," Marks said Tuesday evening. "This was a fishing expedition that turned up nothing, and Mr. Coleman has been caught in this net. But he will be exonerated."

Marks said Coleman would appear in federal court, either in Dallas or Detroit, "very deliberately" to plead not guilty.

In a Free Press article last October exposing Coleman's connection to Bohuchot, Coleman said he knew Bohuchot was under investigation when he recommended him.

"This was a way to help an old friend, who's unemployed, to make a few dollars," Coleman told the Free Press last fall. "In hindsight, I guess that was a stupid decision."

Detroit board member Carla Scott said the district has moved on, and with a new superintendent arriving July 1, the Detroit technology contracts are not an issue.

"I think we were very clear we did not think he should be our superintendent," Scott said. "Other than that, it doesn't really mean anything for Detroit. ..."

"We have a $200-million deficit; we question everything we can. We questioned him very thoroughly, and a lot of questions were asked."

Added board member Marvis Cofield: "What happened in Dallas happened in Dallas. ... We did our due diligence, and we gave the IT contracts to the person, the company, that we felt gave us the services we needed."

Not all satisfied

Yet board member Annie Carter said the district should reexamine some of the contracts approved under Coleman.

"I truly thought it was a joke," Carter said of hearing of the indictment.

"I feel we should look at some of the contracts we've done," she said. "We made the right choice to get rid of him."

Board member Marie Thornton said she plans to write each member of the board and ask that they investigate whether any money has been misappropriated. If she could, she said, she'd request a similar federal investigation in Detroit.

The federal indictments, which were unsealed Tuesday, stem from an 18-month investigation. The indictments say Coleman served as a facilitator between Texas businessman Frankie Logyang Wong and Bohuchot, who oversaw technology contracts for Dallas public schools.

The district eventually awarded two contracts worth $39 million to Wong's Houston-based company, Micro System Enterprises.

In May 2002, Wong's company paid for a trip to Key West, Fla., for the three men and their wives. While there, they discussed a contract to provide computers before the Dallas district had issued a public request for purchase $(O i(Bnside information that helped Wong win a $4-million contract, the indictment says.

The indictment says Wong and Coleman created bogus shell companies to conceal payments from Micro Systems to Bohuchot. The company bought a $300,000 yacht that Bohuchot named the Sir Veza II, according to the indictment.

If convicted, Coleman faces up to 90 years in prison and nearly $2 million in fines.

In and out in Detroit

Last year, while he was Detroit Public Schools chief, Coleman recommended Bohuchot serve as a consultant for a DPS vendor even though he knew Bohuchot was under federal investigation in Dallas.

Coleman said he asked Julius Bender, owner of Information Solutions Group, if he planned to bid on soon-to-expire Detroit technology contracts. Bender said he didn't know how to write the proposal, and asked Coleman if there was anyone who could help. Coleman recommended Bohuchot.

Bender did not return phone calls Tuesday seeking comment.

Bohuchot had been under investigation by the FBI since summer 2005, after the Dallas Morning News reported that Bohuchot, then technology chief for Dallas schools, routinely accepted the free use of a luxury sports-fishing yacht.

Eventually, Information Solutions Group became a subcontractor in a bid put in by another IT company, GVC Networks, and it's unclear how much input, if any, Bohuchot had in that contract.

As the Free Press was about to print details of the Coleman-Bohuchot connection, Coleman issued a statement recommending the district rebid the Information Solutions contract, saying "unjustified suspicion" now clouded it, causing a "needless distraction."

Coleman and Bohuchot first met in San Francisco, where Coleman was school district finance chief and Bohuchot the technology chief. Coleman resigned a month after the state hired auditors to examine the district's books. While it never named Coleman directly, the audit eventually slammed the district's practices, calling the records inaccurate and chaotic.

Coleman's only connection to Bohuchot is that they worked together, Coleman's attorney Marks said Tuesday. "That does not translate to something being done improper," he said. "Mr. Bohuchot never had any dealings with anybody here in Detroit, nor did he have anything to do with any of the district's technology contracts."

Although ousted by the Detroit board, Coleman continues to receive his $225,000 annual salary until his contract runs out June 30.

Contact SUZETTE HACKNEY at 313-222-6614 or shackney@freepress.com.

And you have to wonder where these guys will land next, in some other Google-impaired school district.
Caroline

Approaching the finish line? Or jumping the gun?

The Saturday Chron says that the superintendent search is all but over:

Finalist to run schools is ex-Las Vegas chief
Garcia known for frankness, service in California districts

The search for a new San Francisco schools superintendent is down to one finalist -- former Las Vegas schools chief Carlos Garcia, The Chronicle has learned.

In interviews Friday, four San Francisco school board members said the selection process is down to final steps such as checking references before making an offer.

The four -- Mark Sanchez, Hydra Mendoza, Norman Yee and Jane Kim -- gave Garcia nothing but rave reviews.

While the board deserves praise for adhering to a disciplined search process, it is troubling to see this story leaked to the Chronicle before an offer has been made. This is how a good search can go bad in a hurry. With four board members cited by name in the article I have to question why they have let themselves leak this news to the media? Nothing good could possibly come from jumping the gun. If the story is correct, he knows to expect a cut in pay to come here, so why complicate the negotiations by blabbing to the media before any offer has been put on the table? For the record I'll note that Commissioner Mar has flatly declined to comment about the candidate or the process on our list. That is how it should be handled.

Let's hope the leak does not screw up Mr. Garcia's candidacy. It would be a shame to botch a process that has been executed in a timely way with a broad, inclusive input from so many stakeholders, and which has apparently identified a consensus candidate.

Update: An insider tells me that the leak did not originate with the BOE members cited in the article. The leak happened and the article was to be published with or without their comments, so the four commisioners chose to participate with the article. So it is a regrettable breach, but apparently not the fault of the BOE.

Community Budget Workshop 5.23.07

Community Budget Workshop 5.23.07
By Nicole Achs Freeling
GreatSchools.net Correspondent

• District Offers Primer on Next Year's Budget
• Interim Superintendent Chan to Retire

District Offers Primer on Next Year's Budget

At a Community Budget Workshop Thursday night at Balboa High School, district representatives offered a primer on the district's budget: where the money comes from, how expenditures break down and what changes might be coming at the state level.

Increases in federal, state and local revenue have helped to offset the loss of funds due to declining enrollment, according to district budget documents. Commissioner Jill Wynns said the district has not had to make the major cuts it did last year — such as closing schools — to balance its budget. But the district faces continued budget pressure due to declining enrollment, which amounts to about 800 students a year, equal to about $7 million of funding.

Myong Leigh, chief of policy and planning, explained that the district's two main funds are its facilities fund, comprising bond money, developer fees and state building funds, and its general fund, made up largely of revenue from the state. The general fund is broken down into unrestricted funds, which can be spent at the discretion of the district, and restricted funds, which are earmarked for categorical programs such as special education.

The district is looking at a $640 million budget for 2006-07. It is expecting unrestricted general fund revenues of $356 million, up from $332 million last year. Its budgeted expenditures are $334 million.

Most of the budget pressure has fallen in the area of unrestricted fund. The reason is that the district gets money per pupil from the state, based on average daily attendance. As enrollment has declined, this money has declined. "A well-funded district can weather some declining enrollment," Leigh said. "But a chronically inadequately funded system that shows continual declines can't do it."

Some good news came from Sacramento earlier this month in the form of the governor's May revision of the state budget, which allocated a cost-of-living (COLA) increase of 4.58 percent to the district, higher than S.F. school officials were expecting. The COLA increase is meant to keep state funding in line with increasing costs of operating schools.

The 4.58 percent COLA represents about $13 million in additional money for the district, according to district Budget Director Reta Madhavan. Expected declines in attendance will represent a loss of about $7 million, leaving a net of about $6 million in additional money. That, however, will be wiped out by salary increases for teachers reaching higher seniority levels, increases in health benefit costs and pay raises negotiated in last year's union contracts with employees, district representatives said.

The district is looking at two main strategies for addressing the budget crunch caused by declining enrollment, representatives said. One is the development of a long-term plan to increase enrollment, a first for the district, Leigh said. The other is the launch of a parcel tax, which is currently slated for the February 2008 ballot, to coincide with presidential primaries. The tax would seek to raise funds largely to increase compensation for teachers and add additional classroom and administrative staff, as well as develop other initiatives aimed at building enrollment.

The parcel tax could be a huge boon to the district, on the order of Proposition H, Leigh said.

But, Wynns said, tax increases are always a hard sell, and they must pass by a two-thirds majority. "It's very unlikely we can pass a parcel tax if we have a big fight with the unions this year." To that end, she said, the district is working hard to reach an agreement with the teachers union on its upcoming contract by the end of this school year, a move that would be unprecedented in the district.

Wynns encouraged community members to get involved in helping the parcel tax succeed. "This is one of the few things we can do — not just in the district but in the whole community — to make a big impact on the (funding) dilemma."

Interim Superintendent Chan to Retire

After a 40 year career with the school district, in addition to 13 years as student here, Acting Superintendent Gwen Chan announced she would be retiring from the district July 1, 2007. She said she would be happy to help with the transition to the new superintendent, which the board is expecting to name by the end of the month, according to BOE President Mark Sanchez.

Chan's move disappointed those who had hoped she would seek the post of permanent superintendent.

Chan made her announcement Wednesday at Francisco Middle School, which she had attended as a youngster, giving the graduation speech in 1960. She spoke to a crowd of supporters that included Mayor Gavin Newsom, current and former board members, the police chief and other civic leaders. Commissioner Norman Yee gave Chan a big letter "F" for service that had he attained at Francisco as a youngster.

BOE webcast for May 22, 2007

Now available here

Gwen Chan to retire

So it is official. Gwen Chan will not be the next superintendent: San Francisco schools acting superintendent to retire July 1:

Chan announced her retirement at a news conference at Francisco Middle school, with 100 friends, former students, colleagues and district staff in the audience.

She has made her misgivings about the job clear in the past, so this is not a big surprise. In her short tenure she has already had some friction with the board on issues like JROTC and Prop H spending. Yet she has also demonstrated an ability to overcome factious differences and calm troubled waters. The climate at the BOE was noticeably calmer and more professional after Chan replaced Ackerman. Her calm collegial manner helped resolve the labor impasse that she had inherited too. Under different circumstances she clearly could have been an effective superintendent.

But she has chosen to retire, and who can blame her? Other news about the superintendent search sounds promising. The search is progressing quickly with no glitches or damaging leaks.

School Board Notes 5.22.07

School Board Notes 5.22.07
By Nicole Achs Freeling
GreatSchools.net Correspondent

• District Names First "Small Schools"
• Getting Youth Out to Vote
• Teachers Want Deal by End of Year

District Names First "Small Schools"

The first two schools to participate in the district's small schools initiative will be San Francisco Community School (a K–8 school) and June Jordan High School, Interim Superintendent Gwen Chan announced at the school board meeting Tuesday night. Several schools had applied for the program, said Chan. The selected schools will have more site autonomy, different governance structures, and different evaluation and budgeting procedures from other schools in the district, in an effort to allow them to develop as models of small schools by design. The small schools program seeks to foster student achievement through limiting schools size and offering more customized instruction.

Getting Youth Out to Vote

How to get youth excited and interested in the voting process was a main issue of policy discussed at Tuesday night's meeting. One resolution — introduced for first reading and directed to committee — seeks to adopt a YouthVote curriculum that would educate students about voting and upcoming election issues.

The YouthVote initiative provides for a certain number of days of instruction in voting, as well as discussion about the politicians and issues involved in ensuing elections. The district would hold mock elections to correspond to real ones; students would be able to cast their vote on the delegates, candidates and propositions up for decision. Several members of the Student Advisory Council registered some concerns with the proposal, including that it called for two rather than three days of instruction per year. The proposal was sent to the Curriculum Committee for further discussion.

The board unanimously passed a resolution proposed by the Student Advisory Council that would, in part, seek to increase the number of schools represented. Student delegates to the board have often come from two or three star high schools. The resolution calls for at least one interim delegate to be elected from a school that has not been represented by student delegates for at least three years. The interim delegates will serve from July until November, when the results of student elections are announced.

Teachers Want Deal by End of Year

Members of the teachers union turned out again to press the board for agreement on a contract by the end of the school year, a move that would herald a new era for district-labor relations, according to union representatives. Union leader Dennis Kelly asked the district to put some of the 4.53 percent cost-of-living increase in funds from the state toward salary increases. "We've been bargaining since February 1, and the district has yet to put a single dime on the table," he said. He urged the district to make good on a pledge to bring a compensation package to the table at a meeting on Thursday. "We want to start next year with a contract settled and harmony in this district."

Our blog in a changing media landscape

Two recent Chronicle stories have me wondering about the future of our modest adventure in web journalism here at SfSchools:

• Chronicle to cut 25% of jobs in newsroom
• Outsourcing to India for reporters
  Web site to cover Pasadena council news from overseas

Could a blog like this, fueled by volunteer, amateur 'journalists' be a viable substitute for the kind of local education journalism provided over the years by the likes of Jill Tucker, Heather Knight, Nanette Asimov, Bonnie Eslinger? Could our treasured School Board Notes really be dished up by someone watching webcasts of the BOE from offshore?

I certainly hope not.

The blog and the sfschools list provide what I think is an interesting and useful adjunct to traditional print journalism. We provide an outlet for stories that would not make the paper or the evening news. We provide a place for parents, educators, and activists to keep track of school relates stories. We are listed on and getting traffic from outside.in, a site aggregates blog and other web media with local content and provides a "way to discover the people, places, and conversations in your community." We try to keep up with the changing times.

But we are not professionals. We do not have the same resources that a newspaper reporter has. And, no, even if we were to run ads on this site it would not generate any significant income. It's hard for me to imagine how the blog media can really fill the gaps forming by shrinking newspaper media.

Rachel's School Beat column

Rachel Norton, who often writes here on Special Ed issues, wrote this week's School Beat column about a trip she and other members of the CAC on Special Eduation took to Sacramento to raise awareness of Special Education needs.

Special Education Parents Seek to be Heard in Sacramento:

While we were received politely and felt very grateful for the legislators’ time, we also concluded that we still have a long way to go towards our goal of gathering enough support for a special education system with the resources to provide high-quality service and high academic expectations for all children with disabilities.

How the charter folks fool the press

This is kind of a classic, though it's from the hinterlands.

From a story in the May 16, 2007, L.A. Weekly on Mayor Villaraigosa's effort to remake LAUSD ("Antonio Remakes School Board / But with 43,000 kids fleeing LAUSD to charter schools, will mayor follow?") by Janine Kahn:

Locke isn’t the first large L.A. school to seek a conversion to independent charter. In 2003, Granada Hills High School broke L.A. Unified’s hold. It now earns an impressive 9 out of 10 on the statewide test-score rankings, and was recently named one of California’s 39 certified charters — a designation of excellence.

California Charter Schools Association President Caprice Young says Granada officials got tired of being told “you can’t have that discipline plan, you can’t have the teachers staying after school, you can’t have a longer school year — Granada said, ‘Forget it. We know what the kids need.’”

This assumes but doesn't state that Granada Hills' scores improved after it became a charter.
I checked the school's API for the years before it became a charter in 2003.

2000-01: 9/9
01-02: 9/8
...
05-06: 9/8

I assume the reporter was snookered rather than helping to promote the deceit.

I don't know how much of an honor it is to have made the charter folks' list of 39 top state charters. Included on the list is San Francisco's own Edison Charter Academy — the musty, largely forgotten mediocrity that was the center of a hype frenzy five or six years ago.

— Caroline

Food for thought for the new superintendent

This guest blog post is by two health professionals. Jo Ellen Brainin-Rodriguez MD is a psychiatrist with Bridge to Wellness, an outpatient treatment program, President of the San Francisco Education Fund Board, and the mother of two graduates from SFUSD schools. Her sister Laura Brainin-Rodriguez MPH, MS, RD is a nutritionist with the San Francisco Department of Public Health and a member of the SFUSD Student Nutrition and Physical Activity Committee.


Whoever is hired as permanent superintendent of San Francisco schools will have a lot on his or her plate. But we need to remind him or her to make a priority of what’s on students’ plates.

As health professionals, we know that healthy food plays an essential role in students’ physical and emotional well-being, as well as success in academic and intellectual pursuits. Both research and anecdotal observations have shown that offering higher-quality school food is linked with a notable decline in disciplinary problems and even littering.

Health professionals know that our brains rely on the food we eat to make the chemicals that support emotional health and learning. An administrator at Berkeley's Willard Middle School reported in 2003 that she had seen disciplinary problems drop from 20 a day to one or two, after low nutrient foods were eliminated from their cafeteria.

At San Francisco’s Balboa High School, suspensions dropped 50% when soda was eliminated from the campus. “Research shows that healthy, well-nourished children are more ready to learn and can take better advantage of educational opportunities,” according to a 2003 California School Boards Association report, Linkages Between Student Health and Academic Achievement.

The San Francisco Unified School District has developed a School Wellness Policy that has received national recognition for its thorough, far-reaching recommendations. SFUSD Student Nutrition Services, responsible for providing over 5 million meals a year, struggles to provide good quality food, while charging about half what neighboring school districts do for meals. Corn dogs, mystery meats, and sugary pastries have been eliminated; fresh fruits and vegetables have been increased; and salad bars are being piloted in two schools, but SFUSD needs more financial support to continue these positive changes.

In addition, SFUSD has a policy of feeding every child, even if they have no money — whether they are enrolled in the National School Lunch Program or simply forgot to bring lunch money. Other school districts let such children go hungry or feed them a bare-bones “meal of shame” such as a bowl of cereal. The SFUSD “no child left hungry” policy has resulted in budget shortfalls which impact the SFUSD General Fund. Now budget guidelines make this no longer possible. It is not good policy to balance the budget by giving kids poorer-quality food. As a city we cannot make feeding children the sole responsibility of the schools, forcing educators to choose between classroom needs and better food.

The low income students — especially Latino and African-American children — who rely on free lunches are likelier to live in neighborhoods with limited access to supermarkets or other sources of fresh fruits and vegetables. Their food sources are likely to be corner markets selling mostly canned and junk food, or fast-food restaurants. They are more likely to have inadequate access to health care, or to safe places to play outside and get exercise. They also tend to be the students on the other side of the "achievement gap,” whose academic performance the school district is desperately trying to improve.

It is in this context that we recommend that the district select a new superintendent who is committed to supporting in word, deed and funding good quality food for the students of the SFUSD– and to work with the city and private funders to bring in more resources for improving school food.

We need to show our true commitment to graduating kids ready to achieve academically, personally and with the ability to engage in their communities, by insuring that from the top on down the SFUSD supports San Francisco children’s bodies and minds and gives the necessary support to feeding bodies, which builds great minds and thriving communities.

SfSchools Calendar this week

Holy cow! Another monster week on the SfSchools Calendar Thanks to the many sources that contributed to this listing.

Wednesday, May 16

John Muir Fundraiser/4th Annual SF Political Trivia Contest

7:00 PM - 9:00 PM

Temple Bar, 600 Polk Street (Turk Street)

Join Supervisors Ross Mirkarimi, Jake McGoldrick and Chris Daly, along with Commissioners John Rizzo and Milton Marks in the 4th Annual Political Trivia Contest on Wednesday, May 16 from 7-9 p.m. at the Temple Bar, 600 Polk Street (Turk Street).

Admission is $5 per person. Categories include "Streets (and Transportation that Runs on) of San Francisco," "Interesting Characters of San Francisco," "Home Sweet Home" and "Only Trivia that A Policy Wonk Would Know." Winners will get better than cash-value prizes.

This fun-filled, laughter-filled event is a fundraiser for John Muir Elementary School's PTA to fund a spelling bee for Western Addition public school students.

Presidio Spring Orchestra Concert

7:00 PM - 9:00 PM

Presidio Middle School, 30th Avenue and Geary Blvd.

Presidio Orchestras in 6th, 7th and 8th grades will play some classical favorites and spring some surprises on you!
Free admission
Contact Tom Weverka, endwahl@yahoo.com

Thursday, May 17

Aptos Multicultural Potluck and Band Music Concert

6:00 PM - 8:00 PM

Aptos Middle School Auditorium, 150 Aptos Ave

Multicultural potluck with orchestra ensemble followed by the 7th and 8th Grade Aptos Band and Aptos Jazz Band.

SOTA Presents a Piano Recital

7:30 PM - 9:30 PM

SOTA Main Stage, 555 Portola at O'Shaughnessy.

Information and directions: www.sfsota-ptsa.org

Hoover Spring Band Concert

7:30 PM - 9:30 PM

Hoover Middle School Auditorium

$3 donation per person,
$10 per family

The SOTA Dance Department Presents Quintessence, The 25th Anniversary Concert

8:00 PM - 10:00 PM

Fort Mason's Cowell Theater

Tickets: 415/345-7575 or www.fortmason.org

Friday, May 18

George Moscone ES 1st Annual School Walkathon

10:00 AM - 12:00 PM

George Moscone Elementary

George Moscone Elementary

Youth Theater At Its Best: "INTO THE WOODS"

7:30 PM - 9:30 PM

Randall Museum, 199 Museum Way

Young People's Teen Musical Theater Company presents Sondheim's "Into the Woods," with many talented SFUSD students in the cast, through May 20. Performances are at the Randall Museum, 199 Museum Way. Schedule of remaining performances: Friday May 18, 7:30 p.m., Saturday, May 19, 7:30 p.m.; Sunday, May 20, 2 p.m. Reservations and information: 415-554-9600 ext. 12, or tickets@yptmtc.org .

Saturday, May 19

George Peabody Spring Luau Carnival, Raffle and Silent Auction

All day event

George Peabody Elementary School

Peabody Schoolyard, 7th Avenue, between California and Clement

Community Meeting on SFUSD's budget

10:00 AM - 12:00 PM

Everett Middle School's Cafeteria

Myong Leigh, senior director of Policy and Planning, noted that there would be very little information provided about FY 07-08 funding. But the workshop would give an overview on the budget process.

Sherman ES Under the Sea Carnival and Silent Auction

11:00 AM - 12:00 PM

Sherman Elementary School

Sherman Elementary School – 1651 Union Street (at Franklin)

Grattan 2nd Annual Grattan Family Fun Festival and Silent Auction

11:00 AM - 12:00 PM

Grattan Elementary School

Grattan Elementary School, 165 Grattan Street, in the heart of Cole Valley

Glen Park Family Funfest

11:30 AM - 3:30 PM

Elk and Bosworth

Lots of events for kids, food and drink, live entertainment. Free! Glen Park is at Elk and Bosworth, across from Glen Park BART.

Fairmount FiestaVal—Supporting the Arts at Fairmount

12:00 PM - 3:00 PM

Fairmount Elementary School

Fairmount Elementary is having their annual family fundraiser this Saturday, May 19th from 12noon to 5pm, with children's arts & crafts & games, amazing food, performances and a truly affordable silent auction that includes dinners at wonderful restaurants, weekend getaways and fabulous services that many of our parents have donated! Fairmount Elementary is located in Glen Park at 65 Chenery Street (at Randall). Please stop by, eat, play, shop~

www.fairmountschoolpta.org

Sunnyside Spring Fest

12:00 PM - 3:00 PM

Sunnyside Elementary School

Sunnyside Elementary, 250 Foerster Street

Asian Heritage Street Celebration

2:00 PM - 5:00 PM

SOMA?

The AHSC School Raffle Fundraiser is organized by the AsianWeek Foundation for the exclusive benefit of schools and school programs within the San Francisco Unified School District.

Grand Prizes: Three pairs of Round Trip Airline Tickets - Anywhere in U.S. with Southwest Airlines Other Prizes: Nintendo Wii System, DVD Player/Karaoke System with Microphone, Shopping Gift Cards, Restaurant Dinners, Electronics, 20 - 30 different prizes

Ticket Price: $3.00 Fundraising: $2.00 per ticket to school/group

Additional school donations: $500 to school with top seller in school level (elementary, middle, and high school) $100 minimum for selling 20 or more tickets Guaranteed minimum rate of return of 100% of proceeds (2006 returned 93% of funds.)

BONUS PRIZE: Guided-behind-the-scenes tour at the Academy of Sciences for one of top three selling schools.
www.asianfairsf.com

Youth Theater At Its Best: "INTO THE WOODS"

7:30 PM - 9:30 PM

Randall Museum, 199 Museum Way

see above

The SOTA Dance Department Presents Quintessence, The 25th Anniversary Concert

8:00 PM - 10:00 PM

Fort Mason's Cowell Theater

Tickets: 415/345-7575 or www.fortmason.org

Sandra Tsing Loh: Mother on Fire

8:00 PM - 10:30 PM

The Women's Building, 3543 18th St. at Valencia.

Hysterical about where to send your kids to school?

Public school or private?
Need something to do for Mother's Day?
Need a good laugh?

Sandra Tsing Loh, writer/performer and regular commentator on NPR's "Morning Edition" and on "This American Life", is bringing her one-woman show, "Mother on Fire" to San Francisco.

Special Q & A after Friday May 11 Performance

$20
This is a benefit for Mission High School and The Women's Building.
Parking available at Mission High School:
Entrance on Guerrero at 17th St.

Discounts:
For parents: $5 discount for each child in public school.
(See, there ARE benefits!)
For public school teachers: $10 discount.

For more information, email: grants@womensbuilding.org
For more information about Sandra: www.sandratsingloh.com

Sunday, May 20

The SOTA Dance Department Presents Quintessence, The 25th Anniversary Concert

2:00 PM - 4:00 PM

Fort Mason's Cowell Theater

Tickets: 415/345-7575 or www.fortmason.org

Youth Theater At Its Best: "INTO THE WOODS"

2:00 PM - 4:00 PM

Randall Museum, 199 Museum Way

see above

Sandra Tsing Loh: Mother on Fire

2:00 PM - 4:30 PM

The Women's Building, 3543 18th St. at Valencia.

see above

Instilling the love of learning in our youth?

I Googled around a bit over the weekend to learn more about Oakland's American Indian Public Charter School after KC posted that intriguing East Bay Express story on it.

The long and the short is that I got into a discussion on an Oakland blog about whether the school's test scores, which in six years went from the toilet to the stratosphere, might possibly have been tinkered with. That was before the Sunday Chron coincidentally came out with its lead story on schools that cheat on their test scores (which did not mention AIPCS).

One blogger and AIPCS enthusiast who read my posts put an enraged rejoinder on his/her own blog. His/her point is that he/she had a successful teacher in his/her youth who got top performance out of his students with these tactics:

"... abject terror ..."

"... no limit on the level of cruelty ..."

"... [being] a sadistic asshole who made my life a living hell ..."

"... misery ..."

The blogger' s interpretation of my comments was that I was a racist for saying that only poor minorities would subject their kids to the kind of humiliation and intimidation inflicted on them at AIPCS. The blogger offered up his/her fond memories to prove that I'm a racist for making that point — he/she is apparently not a poor minority and was also subjected to humiliation and intimidation, and thinks it was a fine thing.

(What I was actually saying is that some middle-class whites seem willing to endorse inflicting humiliation and intimidation on poor minorities, when we would never tolerate it for our own kids.)

All I can say about that blogger's comments is that his/her position is not likely to be much of a sales tactic for AIPCS. (The true secrets to closing the achievement gap: terror, misery, living hell and cruelty!) But the essential point of the news coverage is that nobody cares what outrageous tactics Ben Chavis uses as long as his kids' test scores are high.

— Caroline

Panhandling for $5 million

Here is an article about a company operating mostly in the East Bay, serving organic and healthy meals to a few charter and private schools. I’m not sure why the owner declined to give the reporter her prices, as the company was happy enough to share them with SFUSD Student Nutrition Services (SNS) director Ed Wilkins when he contacted them a while ago. They currently charge $2.80 for grades K-6 and $2.90 for 7th-12th, and next year that will increase to $2.95 and $3.00 respectively. Sadly, this is far more than the .97 cents available to our SNS to spend on food for a school lunch (out of a total reimbursement of $2.63 – the rest going for labor and other overhead.)

People (especially Stan Goldberg, who has taken a lively interest in this issue) often ask me what it would cost to feed the kids “better” food. Ed Wilkins has estimated the cost of providing the lunch described in this article (assuming this company could suddenly accommodate 18,000 additional lunches per day, which is unlikely) at just under $5 million MORE than what is currently spent for those lunches at the SFUSD schools which are not cooking schools (all elementary and about half the middle and high schools.)

So, does anyone have a spare $5 million per year to improve school food?

Speaking of more money for school food, if the reimbursement rate for free and reduced price meals increases next year at approximately the same rate as it has for the past couple of years (that is, about 8 cents more per meal for lunch from the feds, and about 5 cents more for breakfast, plus about a penny more from the state) then based on current participation levels, SNS might see as much as $357,000 more total reimbursement from the government next year.

The union to which the cafeteria workers belong is entering contract negotiations with the SFUSD. Based on current labor costs, every 1% increase in salary which the union is able to negotiate will cost about $80,000 more per year (note that this covers only salary, not any increase in current benefits.) So, a 3% salary bump would cost about $240,000, leaving about $117,000 to cover potential food cost increases for the millions of meals and snacks served by SNS each year (but only if that $117,000 does not have to go for increased benefits as well as salary bumps.) If a 4% raise is negotiated, that would cost about $320,000 (even without an increase in benefits) and leave just $37,000 to cover higher food costs. Any increase higher than 4%, or even a lesser increase paired with increased benefits, will more than consume the projected additional reimbursement revenue. At that point, with no other revenue stream with which to support the program, there may be even less money for school food next year than there is this year.

Racism Allegations Against Principal Ben Chavis

Check out the allegations made against a notorious charter school principal in the letters cited in this East Bay Express article: Racism Allegations Against Principal Ben Chavis. The article links to a set of letters(PDF) written by a group of Mills College students and educators who visited the school, including this snippet from the group's professor:

The visit began as scheduled at 9:30 am. At 9:45, one of my students, an African American male named Unity Lewis, arrived late. Dr. Chavis immediately began shouting at him that he needed to leave, and that he was an embarrassment to his race. When Unity objected and assumed that Ben was not serious, Ben grew more and more agitated. Ben then jumped out of his chair and "chased" Unity out of the building, shouting racial epithets at him and making threats such as "I'll be happy to fight you. Let's take it outside!" Ben continue to threaten Unity in a very aggressive manner, pushing him out the door and threatening him with physical harm. I followed them outside and when Ben saw me he stopped making threats to Unity and instead stormed back inside.

[...]After sitting down again, Ben remained quite agitated, and repeated several times thatif any of the white students had been late he would not have said a thing, but that as an African American student, Unity needed to be "taught a lesson". He then continued that the women in the class would want to "mother" him and that the problem with African American males were that their mothers were always trying to protect them. This portion of the visit continued with his ongoing rantings about the problems with "darkies" and the kinds of things that "darkies" do.

Wow. That's just one version of the events and not the most outrageous version. Check them all out.

No wonder this guy doesn't care about, or discourages, parent involvement in his school—he'd probably end up screaming insults at them. And this guy and his school are held up as a model of success? Sounds like a target for a lawsuit.

School Beat: More on Standardized Testing—Timing is Everything

Another must-read School Beat column: More on Standardized Testing—Timing is Everything:

What if you were taking a class and the final exam was scheduled before the end of the semester? What if it were scheduled after you had attended only 80% of the course?

Even if you're a fan of testing, the author makes a strong case for the need to improve the way the tests are administered. Check it out.

SFUSD Surplus property map

As mentioned in the previous BOE meeting notes, the idea of declaring 20% of SFUSD's property holdings to be "surplus" properties was presented as a possible solution to chronic budget pressures resulting from persistently declining enrollment. Ten properties were specifically called out. This list is far from complete. The district is working to identify more properties.

I've taken the list of 10 and created a map that shows each site. As the public discussion of this idea goes forward I hope to update the map. I find it a useful way to track the proposal.

School Board Notes 5.8.07

School Board Notes 5.8.07
By Nicole Achs Freeling
GreatSchools.net Correspondent

• District Declares Surplus Property
• Guadalupe School Pleads to Save Computer Lab
• District Makes Offer for Tech Workers Raise

District Declares Surplus Property

The district will designate 20 percent of its property as surplus and lease or sell it to third parties in response to declining enrollment, the school board decided at its meeting Tuesday.

Decades of declining enrollment have left the district with more property than it needs at the same time it is struggling to meet budget shortfalls, according to members of the board and staff. In an effort to turn shuttered school buildings and unused grounds into cash for the district, the board unanimously passed a resolution that adopts guidelines — put together by a citizen's advisory committee — for putting properties up for sale or lease. The district would especially support use for affordable housing, teacher housing and child care facilities.

The resolution named a number of properties to be deemed surplus. These are:

• Children's Center Administrative Building at 20 Cook St.
• Florence Martin Children's Center at 1155 Page St.
• Vacant land at 1101 Connecticut St.
• The 7th Avenue parking lot at 1350 7th Ave.
• Louise Lombard High School (currently vacant) at 700 Font St.
• The former Phoenix High School site at 1950 Mission St.
• The former Newcomer High School site at 2340 Jackson St.
• Vacant land at 7th Avenue and Lawton
• A parking garage at 1340 Bush St.
• The Golden Gate Annex at 1513 Ave.

The list represents only a portion of the 20 percent called for. District staff has established a subcommittee and is working to identify excess property, including unused parts of buildings or grounds, said Chief Facilities Officer David Goldin. One such property is the former SOTA site at 135 Van Ness. "We're beginning to say the cost of renovating this historic old building isn't doable, but maybe it has value for a developer for the rights to the space above that will help us work on the building below."

A number of citizens protested the designation of the 7th and Lawton lot as surplus, saying it is actually open space and was deeded to the city with the requirement that it remain so.

"Designating this as surplus property is the first step toward making a property that was designated open space and turning it into something that is not," said local resident Jeremy Friedlander. The spot houses an annual pumpkin patch and Christmas tree farm and is used as "an ad hoc park by the community," according to another resident. "This is part of a corridor of very interesting open space. It's an ideal location to educate kids about the natural world, maybe have a garden where they could grow their own vegetables or natural plants," he said.

Goldin confirmed there is a deed restriction on the property, which was given to the district by the city in property swap years ago that could "make it difficult to sell to a developer." Board members appeared to believe, however, that a use in line with its designation or some way to remove the restriction could be found.

Goldin also underscored that sale or lease of any single piece of property, even that deemed surplus, would still have to come before the board for public testimony and a vote.

Guadalupe School Pleads to Save Computer Lab

Dozens of families from Guadalupe Elementary School turned out to press school officials not to close the school's computer lab. The school serves mostly underprivileged families, including low-income African-American and Latino students.

Many of the seats in the audience were filled with squirming elementary schoolers holding handmade signs. The school recently learned it would have to close its computer lab to accommodate over-enrollment in the 4th and 5th grade, parent Terry Factora told the board. She presented a petition with 200 signatures asking the board for a bungalow. "We are a school that is succeeding," she said, noting improved test scores. At the same time, she said, the school has historically been given few resources from the district. "With our speech therapist working out of a closet and our behavioral specialist working out of an old bathroom, now our kids are expected to go without a valuable resource."

Board President Mark Sanchez, who has often stressed his commitment to under-served communities, put the item on the agenda for the next Buildings & Grounds Committee meeting, May 29. At the behest of Sanchez and Commissioner Eric Mar, Chan said she would look into that case and any other schools that came to the district with a similar complaint.

District Makes Offer for Tech Worker Raise

After years of having no contract with the union governing IT staff and technical workers, the district adopted an initial proposal including an annual increase in pay and benefits of a total of $700,000 to $800,000 going forward and a lump sum payment of $2.2 million this year. The agreement, which encompasses  "a retroactive component longer than almost any other contract we've seen," according to Chief of Policy and Planning Myong Leigh. It includes retroactive salary increases of 3 percent for 2000-01; 2.5 percent for 2001-02; 2 percent for 2006; and 9.5 percent for 2007. In exchange, members will pay the full share of their retirement costs starting this May.

This year's chunk will come from district reserves, with future increases coming out of the district's operating budget.

SfSchools Calendar this week

The SfSchools calendar is bursting with activity this week. Special thanks to PPS for compiling an extensive list of school activities for elementary and middle schools that accounts for most of the entries. Hopefully the heat wave will continue through the weekend!

Tuesday, May 8

Young at Art

All day event

de Young Museum

The 21st Annual San Francisco Unified School District student arts festival, YOUNG AT ART, will be held at the de Young Museum from Saturday, May 5th to Sunday May 13th, 2007.

The nine-day event reflects the creativity and diversity of San Francisco's youth and will include a Comprehensive Visual Arts Exhibition, Student Performances and a "Family Day" Celebration. The YOUNG AT ART Committee invites you to volunteer for this outstanding children's event

North Beach Art Show and Silent Auction (Yick Wo)

3:00 PM - 10:00 PM

Yick Wo Elementary School

Live Worms Gallery, 1345 Grant Avenue @Green

BOE Regular Meeting

6:00 PM - 11:00 PM

Everett Middle School

Regularly scheduled meeting. Check SFUSD web site to confirm and to review the agenda

Wednesday, May 9

Young at Art

All day event

de Young Museum

North Beach Art Show and Silent Auction (Yick Wo)

3:00 PM - 10:00 PM

Yick Wo Elementary School

Live Worms Gallery, 1345 Grant Avenue @Green

Jewish Community Center Kindergarten Night

6:30 PM - 8:30 PM

3200 California St

The Jewish Community Center Kindergarten Night is on May 9th from 6:30 to 8:30. This is a very popular event for current preschool parents who will be looking for Kindergarten programs for their children in the fall of 2008. The JCC Kindergarten Night is an excellent opportunity for you to get out and talk to parents about your school.

Thursday, May 10

Young at Art

All day event

de Young Museum

North Beach Art Show and Silent Auction (Yick Wo)

3:00 PM - 10:00 PM

Yick Wo Elementary School

Live Worms Gallery, 1345 Grant Avenue @Green

Sutro ES Open House

6:00 PM - 7:30 PM

Sutro Elementary School

Sutro Elementary School, 235- 12th Avenue, between Clement and California Streets -- Contact Principal Poon, 750- 8525

BOE Curriculum and Program Committee Meeting

7:00 PM - 9:00 PM

555 Franklin St.

Check the SFUSD website for up to date schedules and agendas. The committee meetings have changed, but the new schedule has yet to be published.

Hover Spring Orchestra

Friday, May 11

Young at Art

All day event

de Young Museum

SOTA: Concert Band

Sandra Tsing Loh: Mother on Fire

8:00 PM - 10:30 PM

The Women's Building, 3543 18th St. at Valencia.

Hysterical about where to send your kids to school?

Public school or private?
Need something to do for Mother's Day?
Need a good laugh?

Sandra Tsing Loh, writer/performer and regular commentator on NPR's "Morning Edition" and on "This American Life", is bringing her one-woman show, "Mother on Fire" to San Francisco.

Special Q & A after Friday May 11 Performance

$20
This is a benefit for Mission High School and The Women's Building.
Parking available at Mission High School:
Entrance on Guerrero at 17th St.

Discounts:
For parents: $5 discount for each child in public school.
(See, there ARE benefits!)
For public school teachers: $10 discount.

For more information, email: grants@womensbuilding.org
For more information about Sandra: www.sandratsingloh.com

Saturday, May 12

Young at Art

All day event

de Young Museum

Presidio MS Outdoor Education Free Car Wash

9:30 AM - 2:30 PM

Presidio Middle School, 30th Avenue and Geary Blvd

Fundraiser for supplies and scholarships for our school trips to Yosemite, Olympia (Washington) and Washington, D.C. in late May.

Commodore Sloat Spring Festival

10:00 AM - 3:00 PM

Commodore Sloat Elementary School

Commodore Sloat Elementary, 50 Darien Way -- Contacts: Calvin Jue, ceejay1@pacbell.net or Chris Francisco, ctfrancis@earthlink.net

Claire Lilienthal MayFair Spring Celebration

10:00 AM - 4:00 PM

Claire Lilienthal Elementary School

W. Scott Campus of Claire Lilienthal at 3630 Divisadero

Miraloma Spring Festival and Raffle

11:00 AM - 3:00 PM

Miraloma Elementary School

Miraloma Elementary School, 175 Omar Way

Lakeshore Spring Carnival

11:00 AM - 3:00 PM

Lakeshore Alternative Elementary School

Lakeshore Alternative Elementary School, 220 Middlefield Drive

Argonne MayFair: Annual Spring Carnival/Fundraiser

12:00 PM - 3:00 PM

Argonne Elementary School

Argonne Elementary School playground, (enter on 17th Ave. between Balboa & Cabrillo Sts. in the Richmond district)

Buena Vista: Salsa at The Ramp

4:30 PM - 8:00 PM

Buena Vista Elementary School

The Ramp, 855 China Basin Street

Dianne Feinstein Auction Party and Silent Auction

6:30 PM - 10:00 PM

Dianne Feinstein Elementary School

Lincoln Park Golf Course Clubhouse, 300 34th Avenue -- contact the school at 242- 2505

SOTA Orchestra and Wind Ensemble in Concert

SOTA and James Lick MS 2nd Annual Blue Bear Live

8:00 PM - 11:00 PM

Great American Music Hall, 859 O'Farrell Street, San Francisco

SOTA and James Lick MS 2nd Annual Blue Bear Live: A Youth Music Education Benefit

Featuring Booker T. Jones and student bands from SOTA and James Lick Middle School.

VIP Tickets include preferred access and viewing areas, complimentary heavy appetizers and more!
VIP Tickets: $125
Gen Admission: $60
Blue Bear Member:$45

Sandra Tsing Loh: Mother on Fire

8:00 PM - 10:30 PM

The Women's Building, 3543 18th St. at Valencia.

see above

Sunday, May 13

Young at Art

All day event

de Young Museum

Sandra Tsing Loh: Mother on Fire

2:00 PM - 4:30 PM

The Women's Building, 3543 18th St. at Valencia.

see above

Monday, May 14

Galileo Multicultural Night and Open House

5:30 PM - 7:30 PM

Galileo Academy of Science & Technology, 1150 Francisco Street @ Van Ness

Multicultural performance showcase by students in the auditorium, followed with school tour. All families are invited to attend and see Galileo's various outstanding programs. Refreshments will be on sale from PTSA.

For more information, contact Karin Lau: (415)749-3430 ext. 3229
email: klau@muse.sfu

Is internet security really such a threat to kids?

Ars Technica notes that in a recent survey of parents, internet security ranked among the top ten health concerns for kids:

I have to agree with Ars, there is no way internet safety deserves to be listed among these other concers. I suspect this reflects parents' insecurity about the technological changes around them; they fear the unknown world of IM, MySpace and YouTube that their kids live in, that they feel incapable of protecting their kids from. As the article notes, "I also realize that its our responsibility as parents to be aware of what our kids are doing in front of the computer, who they're talking to, and what web sites they are visiting. It's our job... and that truly is a scary thought."

School Board Notes 5.3.07

School Board Notes 5.3.07
By Nicole Achs Freeling
GreatSchools.net Correspondent

District Graduates Get Mixed Reviews From the City College System

At a meeting with the BOE Thursday night, officials from City College of San Francisco reported on how well incoming SFUSD students are doing compared to other students at the college. The meeting had good news and bad news for the district.

SFUSD students have been entering the college at lower levels of English proficiency than other new high school graduates, and their ability has been trending lower over the last several years. In math, SFUSD grads placed higher than graduates of SF private schools, but lower than from schools outside the city. Math abilities of incoming students have been improving over the last few years.

SFUSD students have been steadily improving the percentage of units passed, reaching 63 percent this year. They have a higher rate than other student cohorts of continuing at the college from semester to semester, with a reenrollment rate of 85 percent. "There is something about SFUSD students that they stick with it here," said CCSF representative Steven Spurling. "Persistence has a lot to do with success."

The complete report can be viewed here: The High School Report (PDF). It was presented May 3 at a joint meeting of the Curriculum and Program Committee of the Board of Education and the Education Committee of the San Francisco Community College District Board of Trustees.

About 25 percent of district students continue on to City College for higher education, making it one of the most popular college entry points for SFUSD students.

The report found that 59 percent of SFUSD grads were placing into English at the most basic level, compared to 36 percent of those from private SF high schools, and 45 percent of those from outside the city. Only 7 percent were placing in at college level, compared to 17 percent of kids from private schools in the city and 12 percent of kids from out-of-area schools.

Kids who come in at the most basic level have to take five courses just to get up to the level of freshman English, Spurling said. "The questions is, 'Why the dickens would someone be able to place in that low? Without finger-pointing, that's been an issue we've had for years."

Board members said one cause was lack of communication between SFUSD faculty and CCSF faculty about curriculum. Commissioner Jill Wynns asked whether CCSF's test was in line with standards, NCLB requirements and other material upon which the district itself is assessed. "Are you testing kids on what we're teaching them?" she asked. "That's a good question," Spurling responded. There is no standard placement test being used by the colleges, he said; in fact, there are more than 100 different placement tests used by various institutions. "It's absurd and bizarre, but that's how it is."

The Committee discussed trying to formalize communication between SFUSD teachers and CCSF faculty so teachers could be sure they were equipping their seniors to place into higher courses. Commissioner Kim Shree-Maufus cautioned, however, against another form of teaching-to-the-test. "We don't want more kids are placing into these (higher) courses and then failing the course."

In a related address, Commissioners heard Thursday night from an organization called CalPASS (California Partnership for Achieving Student Success), a state-funded program designed to improve student success as they transition from high school to college. CalPASS helps gather data about how cohorts of students from each school and district fare after graduation. It also facilitates conversations between school districts and higher learning institutions and works to help them align curriculums so incoming freshman will be equipped for success.

"There's a misalignment across the state and across the nation," said Michele Kalina, Senior Director of Operations for CalPASS. "Students come out of high school who have done well, and then they enter higher education and – whether it's CSU, UC or City College, find themselves ill prepared to do the work that's expected of them."

Board members discussed moving immediately to join CalPASS. Assistant Superintendent Margaret Chu said the district had considered paying a private firm to help gather just the information CalPASS was offering to provide.

Appreciating our Teachers

May 7-11 is Teacher Appreciation Week. Sounds contrived, but hopefully it will inspire a few of us to take a moment to honor the dedicated, hard working educators in our lives. If you're looking forideas on how to do that, check out the San Francisco Education Fund's new website, Thank a Teacher Today

There are many great ways to thank teachers. Here are a few ideas.

• Drop them a Line! Send a free E-Card now!
• Hang a Thank A Teacher Today Poster!
• Donate Stuff to a Teacher's Classroom!
• Share Inspiring Stories!
• Nominate a Teacher for an Award!
• Become a School Volunteer!
• Join a Parent or Community Organization that Supports Our Schools!

Sr. Dad presents the San Francisco Briefing Room

Sr. Dad is the home of podcaster Stan Goldberg who produces a weekly podcast about parenting and education that I highly recommend. He does a great job of interviewing important and interesting personalities and covering a wide array of educational topics.

He has just launched a new component on his website, the San Francisco Briefing Room, where you can listen to segments from his recent podcasts that focus on subjects of particular interst to San Franciscans. His opening lineup features:

• Joan Williams - one sick child away from getting fired.
• Marie Hoemke - A retired San Francisco Health Department Nurse - Does the relationship with the Health Department and the SFUSD put our children at risk?
• Katy Franklin - As a mother with an autistic she struggles with the system and raising her son.
• Dana Woldow - SFUSD volunteer shares how the food was changed to healthy food and free breakfasts were started
• Eric Mar - What issues face the School Board
• Pamela Wolfberg - The challenges to a school system as they include children with Autism
• Andy Krackov - author of the study "How Bay Area Parents Say their Kids are Faring-2007"

If you haven't had a chance to listen to Stan's work before, please check it out. I might have to buy an iPod-friendly car stereo so I can keep up with all the intersting podcasts like Stan's.

School photoblogging: Cesar Chavez returns

Cesar Chavez looks out on his school

A year ago we posted a very similar shot of Cesar Chavez ES, with the beatific mural of Cesar Chavez presidingg over his Folsom Street school. Since then I've started playing with HDR photoprocessing techniques that use multiple exposures of the same shot to tease vivid colors out of the over and under exposed elements of a high contrast image. The results can often be cloying and synthetic, but the goal is to capture the intensity we see with our own eyes. Not sure this is all that notable an HDR image, but I like what it does for Cesar's iconic presence.

Are teachers the secret to KIPP's success?

Today's Fresno Bee says:

Teachers proving to be the secret of academy's success
Students at KIPP demonstrating the power of knowledge.

"KIPP Academy Fresno students and a philanthropist [the Gap's Don Fisher] who has donated millions of dollars to education agreed Wednesday that when it comes to academic success, it's all about the teachers."

But if we look at the enrollment numbers at KIPP Academy Fresno, we have to ask whether it's actually all about getting rid of a large number of the students — likely the ones who aren't succeeding.

KIPP Academy Fresno is only in its third year. Its current 7th-grade class started in 5th grade with 60 students, dropped to 48 in grade 6, dropped to 35 by fall of grade 7. (We don't know how many are still there by this point in the school year, of course.) That's a loss of 42.6% of the class, raising questions about how many will be left by the end of grade 8.

That school also shows an even higher attrition pattern for African-American boys and girls. AA boys: 19 in grade 5, 10 when the class moved on to grade 6, 4 remaining when the class reached grade 7. AA girls: 15 in grade 5, 6 when the class moved on to grade 6, 4 remaining whent he class reached grade 7. By fall of 7th grade, this class had gotten rid of 73.33% of its African-American girls and 79% of its African-American boys. You have to wonder if any will finish grade 8. (That pattern does not hold for Latino students. I have no explanation for this and am just presenting the numbers.)

Observers reacting to my previous posts about KIPP attrition point out that there's also high mobility at traditional public schools that serve a lot of low-income, high-need students. That's true, but the difference is that traditional public schools replace them with students who transfer in -- and the incoming students are just as likely to be low-income/high-need (and thus statistically likely to be academically challenged).

A school that simply has low-income, high-need students leave — and doesn't replace them but just continues with a smaller, leaner class — is obviously in a different situation. If many of those students left because they couldn't handle some aspect of KIPP, that means the students who are higher-functioning in the KIPP environment are the ones who remain.

Not that that isn't legitimate. But it's not what KIPP and its supporters cite as the secrets to its success. Traditional public schools don't function that way — and they take in the students who leave KIPP. So it's unsound and unfair to compare the two types of schools to each other. Or to be more blunt, KIPP dumps its unsuccessful students back into traditional public schools and then touts itself as superior to those very schools. Aside from the fact that that's just wrong, it indicates that KIPP is not the magical miracle solution to the challenges of educating low-income, high-need kids. It clearly works well for a select subset of low-income, high-need kids, but that's not the subset who are the greatest challenge to public education.

We need to question the "it's all about the teachers" viewpoint, too. Not that I question that great teachers aren't the key to a great education. But that impugns the teachers who work with high-need kids in schools that can't get rid of 40% of their class (and that have no selective or self-selective admissions to begin with, as KIPP clearly does). I would heatedly defend teachers in traditional public schools against the implied slam that they're just inferior to KIPP's teachers.

— Caroline