San Francisco Board of Education

The San Francisco Board of Education is made of seven Commissioners, elected by voters across the city to serve 4-year terms. It is subject to local, state, and federal laws, and determines policy for all the public schools in the San Francisco Unified School District.

Early history

Founding

In October 1849, John C. Pelton opened a school in a Baptist church in San Francisco, depending entirely upon voluntary donations and tuition for funding. It was free only to poor children. In 1850, the city council came to his assistance and adopted an ordinance making it free public school for all children, a first in California. In 1851, the school was reorganized under an ordinance providing for a San Francisco Board of Education and a Superintendent.[1]

Japanese segregation

In 1906, the San Francisco Board of Education prohibited 93 Japanese American and Korean American students from attending public schools. A compromise was reached whereby the students would be allowed into the schools and the Japanese government would stop issuing passports for laborers to the United States.[2]

Response to 1906 earthquake

On April 18, 1906, the morning after the 1906 earthquake, members of the Board of Education, including Aaron Altmann, David Oliver, Thomas F. Boyle, and Lawrence F. Walsh, Superintendent Alfred Roncovieri, Secretary E. C. Leffingwell, along with and all employees of the Department, reported at the repair shop of the Board of Education at corner Pine and Larkin streets to rebuild.

The group spent the next two days guarding SFUSD property, checking up on teachers, and ensuring that all of their employees had proper shelter.

Out of a total of 74 school buildings controlled by the SFUSD in 1906, 29 were destroyed by fire, and many of the remainder were seriously damaged by the severity of the earthquake. The Girls' High School, located at Scott and O'Farrell streets, was totally wrecked by the temblor. Mission High School, located at Eighteenth and Dolores streets was badly damaged as well.[3]

The Oriental School was also opened after the 1906 earthquake to solely serve children of Chinese, Korean, and Japanese descent.

Modern history

Arlene Ackerman Era

Arlene Ackerman arrived in SFUSD in mid-2000 and immediately began cleaning up the financial affairs of a school district marred by fiscal scandal under her predecessor Bill Rojas. Her efforts resulted in arrests of alleged perpetrators who had been looting school-district coffers,[4][5] as well as the exposure of alleged schemes impacting other school districts nationwide.[6]

But a faction on the school board and in the community—far-left "progressive" and Green Party members—soon became hostile to Superintendent Ackerman.[7][8]

Her critics claimed that Ackerman had opposed efforts by the City's Youth Commission to address sexual assaults in the public schools and that Ackerman ordered staffers to not talk to the press.[9] Due to her efforts to maintain fiscal discipline in an era of tight finances, Ackerman's relations with the teachers' union, United Educators of San Francisco, became strained.

Ackerman remained popular with community and parent leaders.[10] The San Francisco Chronicle editorialized in support of Ackerman. "Her understated but firm demeanor -- and her focus on the classroom -- is producing results," the Chronicle said in an editorial. "A school superintendent needs all the support he or she can get. What she doesn't need is sniping and second-guessing from elected officials whose job is to set broad policies, not micromanage the superintendent's daily conduct. Tensions between school board members and superintendents come with the territory. But in San Francisco, those tensions had gone far beyond the limits of acceptability. Three board members in particular -- Eric Mar, Sarah Lipson and Mark Sanchez—need to start working with Ackerman, not fighting with her virtually on a daily basis.” [11]

Ackerman won national acclaim for initiatives she implemented in San Francisco's schools, including extra support for low-performing schools; the "weighted student formula," in which funding followed each student in different amounts depending on the student's needs; and "site-based budgeting," which gave schools (as opposed to district bureaucrats) far more control over their own budgets.[12]

Toward the end of her tenure, Ackerman was given a large, controversial raise, of which included a salary of $250,000, a $4,000 monthly housing allowance, and a $375,000 severance package, by a 4-3 vote.[9] Ackerman could trigger by quitting whenever she wished, even though it was clear that her days were numbered. Eventually, the Board of Education was sued over the contract. Ackerman stated that the cost of her legal defense would cost the SFUSD more than her severance package was worth.[13]

Ackerman left the district in mid-2006 after six years .[14] Ackerman's interim successor was longtime SFUSD administrator Gwen Chan, who retired rather than pursue the superintendent's post on a permanent basis. Carlos Garcia was hired to replace Chan. Garcia has kept a low profile and has maintained good relations throughout the district, but many in San Francisco continue to resent the Green/Progressive attacks that drove Ackerman out.

JROTC

In November 2006, the Board voted 4-2 to eliminate the JROTC program altogether in the entire city within two years,[15] stating that "armed forces should have no place in public schools, and the military's discriminatory stance on gays makes the presence of JROTC unacceptable."[16]

In December 2007, the School Board decided to continue JROTC for one more year so the JROTC task force could continue its search for a replacement program without punishing the current JROTC students.[17] A non-binding measure called Proposition V was placed on the November 4, 2008 general ballot in San Francisco that supported the reinstatement of the JROTC program in the City. The proposition passed. In May 2009, the school board voted to reinstate the program.[18] In June 2009, the San Francisco School board voted 4 to 3 in favor of reinstating physical education credit for students enrolled in JROTC.[19]

Organization

Current members (as of April 2020)[20]
Name Elected Notes
Mark Sanchez 2000–2008, 2016– President[21][22][23]
Gabriela López 2018– Vice President[24]
Jenny Lam 2019– Appointed by London Breed to take over Matt Haney's seat.[25] Won 2019 Election to retain seat.[26]
Allison M. Collins 2018– [24]
Faauuga Moliga 2018– Appointed by London Breed to take over Hydra Mendoza's seat.[27] Won 2018 Election to retain seat.[24]
Stevon Cook 2016– [23]
Rachel Norton 2008– [28][29][23]

Select former members
Name Elected Notes
Emily M. Murase 2010–2018 [30][31]
Shamann Walton 2014–2018 [31]
Matt Haney 2012–2018 [29][28]
Hydra Mendoza-McDonnell 2006–2018 [32][30][31]
Sandra Lee Fewer 2008–2016 [28][29]
Jill Wynns 1992–2016 [33][21][22][28][29]
Kim-Shree Maufas 2006–2014 [32][30]
Norman Yee 2004–2012 [22][28]
Jane Kim 2006–2010 [32]
Eric Mar 2000–2008 [21][22]
Sarah Lipson 2002–2006 [34]
Eddie Chin 1998–2006 [35][34]
Daniel P. Kelly 1990–2006 [35][34]
Emilio Cruz 2001–2004 (Appointed by Willie Brown to take over Mary Hernandez's seat)[36]
Frank Chong 1998–2002 [35]
Mary Hernandez 1996–2001 Resigned[36]
Steve Phillips 1996–2000 [33]
Juanita Owens 1996–2000 [33]
Keith Jackson 1994–1998 Resigned[37]
Tom Ammiano 1990–1994 [38]
Leland Yee 1988–1996 [39]

Elections

November 6, 2018 election

The November 6, 2018 election for the Board of Education has drawn an unprecedented 19 candidates[40]—the most in any Board election in at least 20 years[41]—in part because two sitting commissioners, Shamann Walton and Hydra Mendoza have announced they will not seek re-election. Walton is running for a seat on the Board of Supervisors[42] and Mendoza has decided not to seek a fourth term[43] after the passing of the late Mayor Ed Lee. Instead, Mendoza has taken a position as deputy chancellor for community empowerment, partnerships and communications for the Department of Education in New York City, leaving the board at the end of September.[44] On October 15, 2018, Mayor London Breed appointed candidate Faauuga Moliga to fill Mendoza's seat for the remaining three months of her term.[45]

The remaining incumbent, Dr. Emily Murase, missed the filing deadline and became ineligible to run.[46] She has subsequently announced that she will spend more time with family and pursuing leisure activities.[47]

In addition, commissioner Matt Haney is also seeking a seat on the Board of Supervisors[48] and, if successful, will step down from the Board of Education. His seat would be filled by a mayoral appointee. Some have suggested that the Mayor should appoint whichever candidate receives the fourth highest number of votes while others wonder if Mayor Breed would appoint Emily Murase.

On September 10, 2018, Candidate Josephine Zhao withdrew from the race amid allegations of racist and transphobic remarks made in Cantonese.[49][50] Her withdrawal, however, came after the deadline to do withdraw so she will still appear on the ballot and on October 13 supporters of Zhao were canvassing at the district's annual enrollment fair.[51] There are two transgender candidates running for office, Martin Rawlings-Fein and Mia Satya; if elected, either would be the city's first.[52]

On November 6, 2018, San Francisco residents chose three new members for the Board from among nineteen candidates:[24]

CandidateBallots castPercentage
Alison Collins122,86515.02%
Gabriela López112,29913.73%
Faauuga Moliga107,98913.2%
Phil Kim76,0179.29%
Michelle Parker65,7408.04%
Li Miao Lovett61,4127.51%
John Trasviña46,6015.7%
Alida Fisher37,7354.61%
Monica Chinchilla34,1934.18%
Lenette Thompson30,4963.73%
Josephine Zhao27,7613.39%
Mia Satya17,5402.14%
Paul Kangas13,9671.71%
Martin Rawlings-Fein12,9501.58%
Darron A. Padilla12,4391.52%
Connor Krone12,2511.5%
Roger Sinasohn12,0181.47%
Lex Leifheit9,6051.17%
Phillip Marcel House2,4910.3%
Write-In1,5510.19%
Total817,920100%
Under Votes282,075
Over Votes16,041

The winners were Alison Collins, an African-American mother and educator, Gabriela López, a Latina immigrant and classroom teacher, and Faauuga Moliga, a behavioral therapist and the first Pacific Islander to hold a citywide office.[53]

Phil Kim, a charter school administrator and former teacher, took third place, followed by Michelle Parker who was endorsed by London Breed.[54] Given that board member Matt Haney won his election for the Board of Supervisors,[55] Mayor Breed had to appoint someone to fill his seat. It was unclear as to whether she will select Kim for his 4th place showing, Parker whom she endorsed, or board member Emily Murase. On November 14, 2018, the Bay Area Reporter published an editorial pushing for Mayor Breed to appoint Mia Satya to the open seat,[56] offering a fourth option. On January 22, 2019, Mayor Breed appointed Jenny Lam to fill Matt Haney's seat on the board. Lam, who had been the Mayor's education adviser for the prior three months, is a social justice advocate as well as a parent and a second generation Chinese-American.[25]

References
  1. Early History of California Public Schools
  2. |Asian American studies: a reader|Jean Yu-wen Shen Wu, Min Song|2000
  3. Main Page America Hurrah
  4. Knight, Heather (July 6, 2004). "SAN FRANCISCO / Schools chief learns tough lessons on fraud / Ackerman's 4 years of fear, frustration pay off in settlement". The San Francisco Chronicle.
  5. sfbg.com
  6. SFGov: Office of the City Attorney: City Whistleblower Suit Nets $3.3 Million for S.F Archived 2008-01-04 at the Wayback Machine
  7. Knight, Heather (September 24, 2003). "3 S.F. school board members accused of plot on Ackerman". The San Francisco Chronicle.
  8. Knight, Heather (September 25, 2003). "Schools chief in S.F. hints at quitting / Conflict with faction on board detracts from work, she says". The San Francisco Chronicle.
  9. San Francisco Bay Guardian News
  10. Arlene Acerman
  11. Fighting
  12. Acerman Must Go!
  13. Knight, Heather (July 27, 2005). "SAN FRANCISCO / Schools chief is considering retirement / Conflicts with some board members worsening, she says". The San Francisco Chronicle.
  14. Knight, Heather (September 7, 2005). "SAN FRANCISCO / Ackerman says she'll quit as schools chief / She and Board of Education agree they're incompatible". The San Francisco Chronicle.
  15. Achs Freeling, Nicole (2006-11-15). "School Board Notes 11.14.06". GreatSchools.net. Archived from the original on November 19, 2007. Retrieved 2006-12-29.
  16. Tucker, Jill (2006-11-15). "School board votes to dump JROTC program". San Francisco Chronicle. Retrieved 2006-12-29.
  17. Tucker, Jill (December 12, 2007). "SAN FRANCISCO / Board approves year extension for high schools' JROTC program / Classes allowed to count for physical education credit". The San Francisco Chronicle.
  18. Jill Tucker (May 13, 2009). "S.F. school board votes to restore JROTC program". San Francisco Chronicle.
  19. Jill Tucker (June 10, 2009). "S.F. school board restores JROTC program". San Francisco Chronicle.
  20. "Board of Education (SFUSD)". SFUSD. Retrieved 2018-07-28.
  21. "Election Results 2000". sfelections.org. San Francisco Department of Education. Archived from the original on June 22, 2010. Retrieved April 16, 2020.
  22. "Consolidated General Election Results November 2, 2004". sfelections.org. San Francisco Department of Education. Archived from the original on June 22, 2010. Retrieved April 16, 2020.
  23. "November 8, 2016 Official Election Results". sfelections.org. San Francisco Department of Elections. Retrieved 2020-04-17.
  24. "November 6, 2018 Election Results - Summary". sfelections.org. San Francisco Department of Elections. Retrieved 21 December 2018.
  25. Waxmann, Laura (January 22, 2019). "Breed appoints education advisor to fill seat on school board". San Francisco Examiner. Retrieved April 16, 2020.
  26. Waxmann, Laura (November 5, 2019). "Mayoral appointees hold on to school board, CCSF seats". The San Francisco Examiner. Retrieved 2020-04-17.
  27. Tucker, Jill (2018-10-16). "Breed appoints Faauuga Moliga to SF school board three weeks before election". SFChronicle.com. Retrieved 2020-04-17.
  28. "Election Summary - November 4, 2008". sfelections.org. San Francisco Department of Elections. Archived from the original on July 4, 2013. Retrieved October 2, 2010.
  29. "November 6, 2012 Election Final Certified Results". sfelections.org. San Francisco Department of Election. Retrieved April 16, 2020.
  30. "November 2, 2010 - Consolidated General Election". sfelections.org. San Francisco Department of Education.
  31. "November 4, 2014 Official Election Results". sfelections.org. San Francisco Department of Edication. Retrieved April 16, 2020.
  32. "Results Summary Nov 2006". sfelections.org. San Francisco Department of Education. Archived from the original on July 31, 2010. Retrieved April 16, 2020.
  33. "Election Results 1996". sfelections.org. San Francisco Department of Education. Archived from the original on June 22, 2010. Retrieved April 16, 2020.
  34. "Results Summary Nov 2002". sfelections.org. San Francisco Department of Education. Archived from the original on June 22, 2010. Retrieved April 16, 2020.
  35. "Election Results 1998". sfelections.org. San Francisco Department of Education. Archived from the original on June 22, 2010. Retrieved April 16, 2020.
  36. Guthrie, Julian (November 2, 2001). "As school board's Hernandez steps down, Cruz steps up". SFGate. Retrieved 2020-04-17.
  37. Asimov, Nanette (March 27, 2014). "Keith Jackson, former S.F. Education official, accused in murder-for-hire scheme". SFGate. Retrieved April 16, 2020.
  38. Needle, Chael. "Tom Ammiano: Advocate". A&U Magazine. Retrieved 2020-04-17.
  39. Ling, Huping; Austin, Allan W. (2015-03-17). Asian American History and Culture: An Encyclopedia: An Encyclopedia. ISBN 9781317476450.
  40. "Candidates". San Francisco Department of Elections. Retrieved 12 September 2018.
  41. "Past Election Results". San Francisco Department of Elections. Retrieved 12 September 2018.
  42. "Board of Education President Shamann Walton in the Hunt for District 10 Supervisor". The Potrero View (December 2017). Retrieved 12 September 2018.
  43. "Board of Education president will not seek fourth term, to step down from role in Mayor's Office". San Francisco Examiner. 15 June 2018. Retrieved 12 September 2018.
  44. "SF Board of Education president to take job in NYC". San Francisco Examiner. 6 August 2018. Retrieved 12 September 2018.
  45. Tucker, Jill (16 October 2018). San Francisco Chronicle https://www.sfchronicle.com/bayarea/article/Breed-appoints-Faauuga-Moliga-to-SF-school-board-13308740.php. Retrieved 17 October 2018. Missing or empty |title= (help)
  46. "SF school board member Emily Murase misses deadline, ending run for re-election". San Francisco Chronicle. 18 August 2018. Retrieved 12 September 2018.
  47. "Dr. Emily Murase for School Board 2020". Re-elect Emily Murase. Retrieved 12 September 2018.
  48. "In SF's District Six race, Haney is in while Angulo is out". San Francisco Chronicle. 19 September 2017. Retrieved 12 September 2018.
  49. "Josephine Zhao: Embattled school board candidate drops out — despite public support from SF political establishment". Mission Local. 10 September 2018. Retrieved 12 September 2018.
  50. "Zhao withdraws from SF school board race after reports on transgender comments". San Francisco Chronicle. 10 September 2018. Retrieved 12 September 2018.
  51. "Josephine Zhao's backers campaign at public school enrollment fair — despite candidate's "withdrawal" from Board of Education race". Mission Local. 15 October 2018. Retrieved 5 November 2018.
  52. "LGBT candidates vie for SF school board". Bay Area Reporter. 22 August 2018. Retrieved 12 September 2018.
  53. "Collins, Lopez, Moliga lead in San Francisco school board race". San Francisco Examiner. November 6, 2018. Retrieved 9 November 2018.
  54. "Endorsements". Michelle Parker for School Board. Retrieved 9 November 2018.
  55. "San Francisco election results: the Board of Supervisors races". Curbed San Francisco. 2018-11-07. Retrieved 9 November 2018.
  56. "Editorial: Mayor Breed should name Satya to SF school board". Bay Area Reporter. Nov 14, 2018. Retrieved 16 November 2018.
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