SFUSD Upending Student Assignment Rules at Brown

You may have heard in the news today that at tonight's SFUSD Board meeting, there will be a fast-tracked vote on the Superintendent's proposal to revise the student assignment policy regarding Willie Brown Middle School. The School Board meeting will be held tonight at 6PM in the 

IRVING G. BREYER BOARD MEETING ROOM

555 FRANKLIN STREET, FIRST FLOOR

SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA 94102

According to the Chronicle, 

In a last-minute scramble, the superintendent and school board are hoping to lure families with a valuable incentive: first dibs at any city high school if they attend Willie Brown for the three years of middle school.

According to the agenda for tonight's meeting, the new student assignment policy gives priority to students applying to Brown in the following order:

1. younger siblings of students who are enrolled in and will be attending the school during the year for which the younger sibling requests attendance;

2. students attending 5th grade at one of the following four elementary schools: Dr. George

Washington Carver, Dr. Charles Drew, Bret Harte, Malcolm X Academy (Bayview preference);

3. students who reside in 94124 (94124 preference);

4. students who reside in CTlPl census tracts;

5. students attending 5th grade at one ofthe following four elementary schools: Gordon J. Lau, Miraloma, George R. Moscone, Edward R. Taylor (Brown preference)

6. all other students.

In addition to modifying the order of priorities for students applying to Brown, we believe that modifying the student assignment policy to create a high school priority for students who attend 6th, 7th, and 8th grade at Brown middle school will help Brown attract a robust and diverse student body.

Therefore the revisions outlined on page 12 ofthe attached student assignment policy (PSI 01) modifY the high school choice process to give preference to applicants in transitional years in the following order:

1. younger siblings ofstudents who are enrolled in and will be attending the school during the year for which the younger sibling requests attendance;

2. students graduating fi'om Willie L. Brown, Jr. Middle School (Brown) who were enrolled in and

attended Brown in 6th, 7th, and 8th grade;

3. CTIPl, with a minimum of 20% ofseats reserved at each high school for students who live in

CTIP1 census tracts;

4. all other students

This new tiebreaker would become effective in the 2018-19 school year when Brown's first cohort of students graduate from middle school and apply to high school.

Sports Basement Sip & Shop for SF Public Schools

Come join edMatch, fellow SFUSD parents and other sporty types for beer, wine and bargains at Sports Basement (Bryant St.), all to benefit SF Public Schools! 

On Mon. 09/16, from 6:00 PM-9:00 PM, Sports Basement is hosting a party for edMatch and is offering all attendees 10% off on every item in the store AND will donate 10% of all resulting sales to edMatch. This money will go directly to supporting San Francisco Public Schools. They are also providing us with FREE beer, wine and snacks in their 5th floor party space! So come shop, be social and stock up on sporting goods all for a great cause.

Make sure to check in on the 5th floor to get the discount code & mention edMatch at checkout.

Please RSVP to ellen@edmatchsf.org, so we know how much beer/wine/soda and snacks to have on hand. Thanks! Look forward to seeing you there...

San Francisco's Metro High charter school merges with another campus

From the San Francisco Examiner,

A charter school located in the Bayview-Hunters Point neighborhood quietly closed its doors this month and merged with another school 4 miles west to preserve money.

Fight to revive SF transitional kindergarten plan

From SFGate,

Dozens of San Francisco parents are fighting a school district decision to abandon plans for transitional kindergarten, a program created by state law to prepare children not quite ready for regular kindergarten.

Transitional kindergarten was to begin next fall for a small number of kids who won't turn 5 years old until after next Nov. 1.

While California lawmakers decide whether to fund the program, the families' applications for transitional kindergarten have been set aside.

The financial impact

The state could save about $675 million if it doesn't fund transitional kindergarten, according to the Legislative Analyst's Office. Many districts have said they couldn't support the program without the $6,000 per child in state funding they would receive to pay for it.

If the state decides to stick with transitional kindergarten, San Francisco school officials have said they will offer it at two early-education sites, both located on the southeast side of town - in the Bayview and Visitacion Valley neighborhoods.

Read more at SFGate

Amidst Chaos, 15 Minutes of Quiet Time Helps Focus Students

From KQED,

On a recent morning at Visitacion Valley Middle School in South San Francisco, Principal James Dierke looked out over the school’s auditorium at more than 100 eighth graders. A restless din filled the large room. Bursts of laughter and errant shouts punctuated the buzz. Most of the students seemed disinterested in Dierke’s announcements about the spring’s impending graduation, upcoming field trips, and recent birthdays.

Then, Dierke struck a bell and said, “Okay, it’s quiet time.”

And just like that, a hush fell over the auditorium. Students straightened their backs and closed their eyes. Some bowed their heads. Others rested them on the backs of their chairs. The once-boisterous hall became silent and remained so for the next 15 minutes.

“Visitors are always amazed,” Dierke said afterwards, “but it works. It really is quiet time.”

Read more at KQED

Cash for College

 

 

 

Cash for College

During January and the beginning of February, the San Francisco College Access Center, along with AACE Talent Search & AACE Upward Bound will be hosting 8 Cash for College workshops throughout San Francisco & Daly City.
Cash for College can help you find grants, loans and scholarships to cover some—or ALL—of the costs of college. You can afford college! Join us for free help applying for Financial Aid. Seniors that attend a Cash for College workshop and complete an exit survey are eligible for a $1,000 scholarship!

Please visit us at one of our sites for free Financial Aid help! Chinese & Spanish translators will be available at specific workshop sites.

Upcoming:

 
Philip & Sala Burton High School – 400 Mansell St. San Francisco, CA
Thursday, January 26th, 2012 [Chinese & Spanish Translators]
5:00 – 5:30 Registration
5:30 – 5:45 Welcome / Introduction
5:45 – 6:45 Financial Aid Presentation
6:45 – 7:30 Q&A
7:30 – 9:00 1:1 FAFSA Assistance @ Computer Labs
9:00 Workshop Ends

George Washington High School – 600 32nd Ave. San Francisco, CA
Thursday, January 26th, 2012 [Chinese & Spanish Translators]
6:00 – 6:30 Registration / Dinner
6:30 – 6:40 Welcome / Introduction
6:40 – 7:45 Financial Aid Presentation
7:45 – 8:30 1:1 FAFSA Assistance @ Computer Labs
8:30 Workshop Ends

Jefferson High School – 6996 Mission St. Daly City, CA
Wednesday, February 1st, 2012 [Spanish Translator]
5:15 – 5:30 Registration
5:30 – 5:45 Welcome / Introduction
5:45 – 6:30 Financial Aid Presentation
6:30 – 7:30 1:1 FAFSA Assistance @ Computer Labs
7:30 Workshop Ends

Galileo High School – 1150 Francisco St. San Francisco, CA
Thursday, February 2nd, 2012 [Chinese Translator]
5:30 – 6:00 Registration
6:00 – 6:15 Welcome / Introduction
6:15 – 7:00 Financial Aid Presentation
7:00 – 7:15 Q&A
7:15 – 8:15 1:1 FAFSA Assistance @ Computer Labs
8:15 Workshop Ends

Previous workshops (sorry for not getting this up sooner!!):

Thurgood Marshall High School – 45 Conkling St. San Francisco, CA
Tuesday, January 17th, 2012 [Chinese & Spanish Translators]
8:30 Workshop Ends
Mission High School – 3750 18th St. San Francisco, CA
Wednesday, January 18th, 2012 [Chinese & Spanish Translators]

Balboa High School – 1000 Cayuga Ave. San Francisco, CA
Thursday, January 19th, 2012 [Chinese Translators]


If you would like to help and spread the word about Cash for College, click & download the CASH FOR COLLEGE FLYER.

h/t E. Salgado

PG&E Bright Minds Scholarship Program

 

Program Information

The application must be submitted electronically by 11:59 p.m. Pacific Time, February 17, 2012.

Guidelines

Pacific Gas and Electric Company and The PG&E Corporation Foundation (collectively, "PG&E") are offering up to $1,000,000 in PG&E Bright Minds Scholarships for undergraduate study to students who live in the PG&E service territory.

The program is administered by Scholarship Management Services, a division of Scholarship America. Scholarship Management Services is the largest U.S. designer and manager of scholarship and tuition reimbursement programs for corporations, foundations, associations and individuals.

Before beginning the application process and to better understand the PG&E Bright Minds Scholarship Program, please read the following guidelines and instructions. Print this information and keep on file for reference of program procedures and important dates.

Who is eligible?

Applicants must meet all of the following criteria:

• Be a minimum of 16 years of age and be a high school senior or graduate, have received GED certification or be a current post-secondary undergraduate student.
• Live within one of the counties listed on the attachment hereto.
• Plan to enroll in full-time undergraduate study at an accredited two-year or four-year college, university or vocational-technical school for the entire 2012-2013 academic year.

NOTE: Nontraditional students who are returning to school or planning to pursue a postsecondary education for the first time are eligible and encouraged to apply.

How do I apply?

Only online applications via this website will be accepted.

h/t T. Ellington

Boy and Girls Clubs of SF Looking for Tutors

Boys & Girls Clubs of San Francisco Clubhouses provide fun and safe spaces for kids to learn and grow with the support of caring adults. Won't you consider joining us as a Homework Helper or Evening Tutor? A mere one hour a week can make an impact for a lifetime.

Click here to register

Name of Event: Are You Smarter than a 5th Grader? Homework Helpers & Tutors needed!

Date: Ongoing from now until end of the school year (May 2012)

Time: Volunteer needs and hours may vary by location within the timeframe of Monday through Thursday between the hours of 3pm - 7:30pm.

Location: Our Clubhouses with the greatest needs are located in the outskirts of San Francisco (Bayview/Hunters Point; Sunnydale; Visitacion Valley; Treasure Island).

Visit www.kidsclub.org for more info.

Event max # of volunteers: Five to 10 per location

Contact Email: eperez@kidsclub.org

Contact phone: (415) 445-5482

Age Restrictions: Ages 18+ Type of Work: Homework Helpers & Evening Tutors are needed for at least one hour a week to help Club kids with their homework, which may include a variety of subjects, special projects, and/or engaging them in learning activities.

Grade levels of Club kids vary but focus mostly on elementary school levels.
Waiver Required: Three easy steps: 1) application, 2) orientation, 3) background check
Attire: comfortable attire
Meals Provided: Not applicable
Beverages Provided: Not applicable

Teachers do more with less

From New American Media,

California's public schools have experienced deep cuts in funding since 2007-2008. San Francisco Unified School District, a district that serves around 55,000 students, saw its general operating funds drop by 10 percent since 2008-2009, even though there was an increase of 400 students in district enrollment.

Visitacion Valley Middle School is feeling the pain. According to SFUSD, the school's annual budget increased from $2.5 million last year to $2.8 million this year. But average spending per student actually fell by $750 due to a projected 20 percent increase in student enrollment.

Located in the southeastern part of San Francisco, where housing is cheaper, Visitacion Valley serves largely low-income and immigrant -- primarily Asian -- students. More than 85 percent of the students qualify for free or reduced price meals.

Read more at New American Media

Offered chance, few failing schools close doors

From the AP,

Over the last decade, San Francisco's Willie Brown Jr. College Preparatory Academy has seen enrollment plummet and student performance lag. Just 15 percent of students scored proficient in reading on state tests in 2010 and 17 percent in math.

When the school shut for summer recently, it was for good. The district has chosen the most drastic of four options — closure — in a federal program to help students at poorly performing schools. About $45,000 in federal money will pay for a counselor to help families enroll elsewhere for the coming school year. Eventually, a new school will be built at the site.

"It will provide a fresh start," Assistant Superintendent Patricia Gray said. "This is about closing it, starting something new and having something much better."

Read more at the Associated Press

How wellness centers help troubled S.F. students

From SFGate,

As a dyslexic, African American male growing up in San Francisco's notorious Hunters Point neighborhood, the odds were far greater that Evander Williams would drop out, die or go to jail than graduate high school.

Well over half the city's black males don't make it to graduation day on time, according to state data.

Williams did, collecting his diploma from Thurgood Marshall Academic High School last week.

The 18-year-old credits his family, his faith and friends. But he also credits the support he found behind the door at the end of his high school's first-floor hallway.

The small sign on the outside simply says "Wellness Center."

Read more at SFGate

School Closes In San Francisco’s Bayview Neighborhood

From KCBS,

On Friday, the Willie L. Brown Jr. College Preparatory Academy is closing its doors in the Bayview district of San Francisco. Once called 21st Century Academy, the school was part of an ambitious effort to address school performance. That didn’t work, but as the final bell rings, hope remains that a successful middle school can be built here.

Reaction from the students was mixed. Some students said they would miss the school because of the caring teachers while others said they were glad to see the school closing because it was so ‘horrible and raggedy.’

The facilities at Willie Brown Academy look worn – from the old green and white tile floors to small bathroom stalls for elementary children, which were used by kids in middle school.

Some students said they wanted to work harder like Malaysia Rodriguez, who has a better than B average.

“I learned a lot, but I wanted a challenge,” she said. “I think all the work is too easy.”

But others like Angelie Edwards struggled.

“I started being absent ever since my dad passed away because I’ve been having family problems,” she said.

Assistant Superintendent of the Bayview Zone, Dr. Patricia Gray, said scholastically there is lots of room for improvement.

“The school is closing because it is underperforming in the bottom five percent of schools in the entire state of California,” she said.

In part, Gray blames a revolving door of teachers for the school’s low performance.

“We know that it takes more because of all that’s going on out in the environment,” she said. “So we want to make sure we get the best and brightest and keep the best and brightest teachers. That’s very important.”

The district wants to tear this school down and build a state of the art middle school. A bond issue will be on the November ballot, and if it passes, a new middle school would open on this site in August of 2014.

College Track Seeks Volunteers and Instructors

College Track is a nonprofit college access after-school program in the Bayview. They help motivated students from under-resourced communities graduate from high school and gain admission to and graduate from college. Over 90% of their students will be the first ones in their families to earn a college degree. All of their students come from populations historically under-represented in higher education. They seek caring, committed, college-educated San Francisco community members who are passionate about youth and educational equity to support this work! They are actively recruiting for paid workers and volunteers.

Parents protest teacher layoffs at Bayview school

From the Bay Citizen,

A small group gathered Friday afternoon at an elementary school in San Francisco’s Bayview district to demand that parents be more involved in school district decisions like how many teachers are laid off at their children’s schools.

A total of 11 staff at Charles Drew Elementary School may lose their jobs next year: six certified teachers, four classroom aides, two employees in the child development center and one community relations officer, according to the United Educators of San Francisco, which represents more than 6,000 employees of the school district.

“It’s the hardest-hit elementary school in the city and nobody was given any notice about it and there was no input about it,” said Sid Breckenridge, with Alliance of Californians for Community Empowerment, who helped organize the protest.

$25,000 Grants Available through the College Bound Brotherhood

After a wonderful Black & Proud to Be College Bound Conference this past March, the College Bound Brotherhood of the Kapor Foundation has announced the annual call for grant requests between now and June 15th, looking to provide $25,000 grants for up to 15 nonprofit organizations that work on college readiness with young black men in Bay Area. Click HERE for more information on how to apply.

Please help us to spread the word to organizations that serve our youth. Additionally, stay tuned for more information about the upcoming College Bound Graduation Celebration at the Oakland Museum on Wednesday, June 8th, which will recognize and celebrate African American young men who are graduating seniors heading to college in the fall.

To contact them with any questions, call 415-946-3024 or jdavis@mkf.org.

SF School Named After District's 1st Black Female Principal

From NBC Bay Area,

San Francisco's school board is renaming a preschool after the district's first black female principal. The decision came on the 150th anniversary of the start of the Civil War.

The Burnett Child Development Center was named after Peter Burnett, the first governor of California and a Southern-sympathizer who supported the southern states in their secession efforts. During his tenure, which lasted from 1849 to 1951, he signed laws stripping blacks, Asians and Native Americans of their rights to vote and testify.

Some members of San Francisco's education and faith communities say the Burnett Child Development Center, located on Oakdale Avenue in the Bayview District, never would have been named for the governor if officials had done their homework.

The board of education voted last night to rename the preschool the Leola M. Havard Early Education School.

Havard was born and educated in Louisiana before moving to San Francisco, Virginia Marshall, a tutor for the school district, said. Havard went into teaching in the late 1940s and was eventually named principal of John Muir Elementary School.

Havard, who retired from the district in 1979, turned 91last week and was at last night's school board meeting with her family.

Marshall said the effort to rename the Burnett Child Development Center started last summer when the Rev. Amos Brown, head of the Third Baptist Church and an NAACP leader, read a book about the state's first civilian governor.

In his inaugural address, Burnett tacitly endorsed the extermination of Native Americans and called on California to refuse to let African Americans settle in the state.

The community decided the school needed to be renamed, and naming a school after Havard was "long overdue," Marshall said.

Great things are happening at Dr. Charles Drew College Preparatory Academy

From SF Bay View,

Nestled atop Bayview and Pomona streets in San Francisco’s Bayview Hunters Point neighborhood is Dr. Charles Drew College Preparatory Academy. Dr. Charles Drew College Prep is an elementary school, designated for pre-kindergarten through third grade students. Yes – Dr. Charles Drew College Preparatory Academy is an elementary school. 

As part of the San Francisco Unified School District’s “Dream School” initiative, a program intended to transform under-performing, inner-city schools into college prep academies to rival their private school counterparts, Dr. Charles Drew College Prep was targeted as one of the many schools slated for improvement. Leading the charge for improvement at Dr. Charles Drew College Preparatory Academy is Principal Tamitrice Rice-Mitchell. According to Rice-Mitchell, “Dr. Charles Drew College Preparatory Academy is taking college awareness to another level.”

Read more at SF Bay Times

Nearly 500 in S.F. schools to get pink slips

From SFGate,

Nearly 500 San Francisco teachers, aides and administrators will find pink slips in their mailboxes within the next two weeks as the school board works to backfill an estimated $27 million shortfall if the state's worst-case budget scenario pans out later this year.


If the layoffs hold, class sizes would go up and overall support for students would decline, district officials said Tuesday night.


The layoff notices are expected to hit struggling schools the hardest because of a disproportionate number of new teachers at those sites. Under seniority rules, it's typically last in, first out in layoffs.


At El Dorado Elementary in Visitacion Valley, for example, half the school's 15 teachers are expecting to get a layoff notice.

Read more at SFGate

California College of Arts buys 2.5 acres in Mission Bay

From SF Business Times,

California College of the Arts has bought the 2.5-acre former Greyhound maintenance yard on the Western edge of Mission Bay, a $8.4 million acquisition that will allow the arts school to grow its San Francisco campus.

The 102,000 square foot expanse of weed-choked pavement is bordered by 7th, Hooper, and Irwin Streets, and sits directly across the Caltrain tracks from a new Mission Bay park that includes a dog run and courts for tennis, volleyball, and basketball. It also sits next to CCA’s main San Francisco building at 1111 Eighth St.

Read more at San Francisco Business Times
(h/t T.W. Yip, Potrero Neighbors Yahoo Group)

NASA Ames Research Center to Host Science Festival for Hunters Point Students

All are invited to the 10th anniversary of the Reachout for the Rainbow After School Science Festival on Sunday, Feb. 27, at the Bayview Opera House in San Francisco.

Festivities include presentations and musical performances by students; interactive science projects from NASA's Ames Research Center featuring the Traveling Space Museum, the San Francisco Exploratorium and the Museum of African American Technology (MAAT) Science Village; and a special guest appearance via Skype by former astronaut and NASA's Associate Administrator for Education Leland Melvin. State Senator Leland Yee, San Francisco Mayor Edwin Lee and other civic leaders have been invited to attend.

This free family community event supports NASA's science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) efforts to reach out to underrepresented Bay Area students. Reachout for the Rainbow After School is a nonprofit faith-based program located in the Bayview Hunters Point community and housed in the Seventh-day Adventist Church.

WHO: State Senator Leland Yee, San Francisco civic leaders, including San Francisco Supervisor Malia Cohen, San Francisco Schools Assistant Superintendent Cynthia Gray, and NASA officials.

WHAT: Numerous exhibits and hands-on science and technology activities, including the opportunity to remotely operate a real NASA rover.

WHEN: Noon to 5 p.m. PST, Sunday, Feb. 27, 2011.

WHERE: Bayview Opera House, 4705 Third Street, San Francisco, Calif. 94124

For more information about NASA Ames, visit: http://www.nasa.gov/ames

For information about NASA and agency programs, visit: http://www.nasa.gov/home