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.

Urban Sprouts is Hiring

Urban Sprouts is a non profit organization whose mission is growing healthy schools and communities through garden-based education.  They currently partner with four SFUSD middle and high school to deliver intensive experiential learning opportunities during in-school and out of school programming to teach students essential tools to make healthy and educated choices in their lives.

They are currently looking for 24 individuals to join out Health and Nutrition Outreach Team. The Health and Nutrition Outreach Workers will partner with Urban Sprouts’ staff to: lead nutrition activities at community events and farmers markets, lead simple cooking demonstrations and tastings to encourage healthy eating, and educate school and community members on healthy food choices, food access, and food justice issues. No experience needed, we will provide all the tools and training. The position is flexible and is based off your schedule. The current session will be from now till the end of October for a total of 20 flexible hours with a stipend of $250.00. Another session will begin in October if you can't join them now.  For more information and to apply please CLICK HERE. If you aren’t able to apply please spread the word to other families. 

Willie Brown Academy, Born in 1992 With High Hopes, Will Close in May, a Failure

I for one will NOT be sad to see this school close down.

From the NY Times,

When the school now known as the Willie L. Brown Jr. College Preparatory Academy opened in San Francisco’s predominantly black Bayview neighborhood some 18 years ago, it was at the forefront of an ambitious effort to address school performance and segregation without busing children out of the neighborhood. It was once even part of a Dream Schools program that brought millions of dollars in special aid, along with school uniforms, longer school days and Saturday classes.

But those dreams have been thoroughly dashed, and the 160-student school is set to close May 27, largely as a result of chronic student underachievement and high truancy. And for those unfortunate enough to be a part of its final months, conditions have gone from bad to worse.

School District Moves Slowly to Manage Its Real Estate - NY Times

1101 Connecticut St

Jennifer Gollan at the Bay Citizen writes,

Despite being one of the largest financially struggling landowners in the city, the San Francisco Unified School District has largely failed to actively manage its holdings, leaving a number of valuable properties idle for years.

Decades of declining enrollment led the district to acknowledge in 2007 that roughly 20 percent of its holdings had little or no educational use. It also designated 10 vacant or underused properties as surplus and concluded that selling them would net an estimated $134 million, plus millions more in property tax revenue.

Read more at NY Times/Bay Citizen 

Read the 2009 SFUSD Evaluation of Potential Surplus Sites