Countdown to Mother’s Day! 🎉💐
One thing about a weekly newsletter is you get a sense of how you anticipate certain times of the year. Mother’s Day is a special day that I recognize all the incredible memories my mom, my wife, my aunts, my grandmothers have given me. May your Mother’s Day be a celebration as well. And now, my newsletter…
Feature
This topic is kind of a big deal, and the education beat reporters passed on it. A bunch of parents, and an SFUSD-funded Parent Advisory Council coordinator, decided that racial discrimination was fine and rejected a volunteer parent from their chosen slate— “we received more applicants from our Chinese community than could be accommodated.” District legal counsel said uhhh, that’s kind of against state law and Board Policy.
Unheeded, the majority PAC are plowing ahead and presenting their illegal slate for Board of Education approval at tonight’s Board Meeting. Board President Kevine Boggess could have put the kibosh on this item for the agenda, but he didn’t want to mess with their “autonomy”?! Will the Commissioners approve and waste money on another potential lawsuit? 🍿
The SF Examiner published my Opinion yesterday online but the link is now broken so I reposted the piece on my substack yesterday in full.
Upcoming events
Happy Teacher Appreciation Week!
The Board of Education meeting is tonight, 6:30 pm, in person and remote. The PAC will present their illegal slate. Facilities will talk about their idea of a “Facilities Master Plan,” in preparation for a 2024 Facilities Bond. The proposed Transition Kindergarten assignment policy looks like a good thing.
Also tonight is the Lance Christensen listening tour on improving California and San Francisco public schools. Lance has a lot of thoughts about helping students with reading and other things but he is now crossing the state to hear you. The event’ll be May 9th, 5:30 pm, Richmond District Public Library at 351 9th Ave. Get your thoughts over to Lance about how we can advocate for improving our schools here and across our state. Register here.
Hey, this week is San Francisco Small Business Week and I’m jazzed. Check out all the great events that are happening now till Friday. I am planning to go to today’s City Hall pop-up and Thursday’s and Friday’s evening events.
May is Asian American Pacific Islander Heritage Month! Check this link for all the amazing cultural, food, and other events going on all through May! Something for everyone in every part of town. I heard there are some events with yummy food.
Looking ahead, there’s so much going on in this amazing City. Mother’s Day weekend is chock full of available adventures and I got no special recs. CityBeat is a great event run by the SF Chamber, 5/23, 8 am. Housing Action Coalition has their Spring Symposium 5/24. I’m also looking forward to Carnaval (5/27-28), Juneteenth (mid-June), and the Pride Parade (6/25).
Call to Action
I’ve met some great people and learned many things in these groups that have openings now:
Civil Grand Jury (apply by May 12),
San Francisco Unified School District Citizens Bond Oversight Committee (rolling applications).
Sign this petition to bring 8th grade algebra back to SFUSD! Obvi good for students and for equity.
Hot Takes on the News Roundup
The teachers contract is continuing negotiations. As for Oakland, the strike is tbh messy and many parents and the Oakland NAACP have thoughts. It’d be great if we agree to pay teachers well and help kids read better, across the Bay Area and the state.
Decent coverage on student safety by the SF Standard, with some good quotes. Yes, make changes so we can all worry less. Minor quibble- why so late in coverage after my published thoughts, and why no attribution to my advocacy?
Speaking of advocacy, check out the great Opinion piece on filipino language at Bessie Carmichael school. 👏🏽
Former Assembly candidate Bilal Mahmood weighed in with his deep dive on the software angle on the yet-to-end #EmPoverish teacher payroll cluster. Good on him.
Our SFUSD Citizens Bond Oversight Committee didn’t get any coverage but we approved improved by-laws and approved the late, thinly performed 2021 Bond audits. Hoping for good work on the late 2022 audits by a new auditor.
Any Aggie alumni, students or parents? Asking for an offspring, oops a friend.
Really grateful for your continuing interest. Enjoy your summer vacay planning!
