What the San Francisco Board of Education needs today is less in-fighting and more solutions for action. Parents want to see more resolutions addressing school improvement and less politically-driven resolutions such as the banning of irradiated meat and sunshine for the schools. With a strong, positive vision based upon effective community engagement, the Board could become a powerful partner in helping Superintendent Arlene Ackerman effectively implement the Excellence for All plan. The outcome of this election is critical to Ackerman’s ability to continue making improvements in San Francisco Unified School District (SFUSD) as her contract will soon be up for renewal.
I evaluated each candidate along the following criteria:
• Vision and Focus
• Experience running a large organization (SFUSD has a 7000-strong staff running ~120 schools with a budget of approximately $500M)
• Experience with SFUSD, schools and children
• Potential to bridge across multiple communities (parents, teachers, other Board members, etc)
• Ability to work with Superintendent Arlene Ackerman (she is broadly acknowledged to have done very good work so far, and this election is critical for determining whether or not she can work with the new Board)
My evaluation is based on:
• Attending two Board of Education meetings this month and detailed research of all the candidates’ backgrounds and platforms (from candidate statements, schoolboardmatters.org, smartvoter.org, and candidate websites)
• Maximizing complementary skills and experiences and the potential for collaboration with each other and existing Board members.
Below I have summarized each candidate’s background and platform, as well as my assessment in italics. First, the incumbents whom I watched in action:
Heather Hiles
• Appointment to Board of Education in January 2004 by Mayor Gavin Newsom.
• Solid political and non-profit experience in community and economic development as a Coro Fellow, social entrepreneur and non-profit executive.
• Record for working hard to change inefficiencies in Board processes and structure, and in so doing, generating animosity from teacher’s union.
• Action, business orientation supports Ackerman’s policies, but does not bring own vision for SFUSD schools.
Hiles does not offer her own strong vision for SFUSD schools, but her experience, action orientation and support of Ackerman’s plan makes her a strong candidate. Unfortunately, given the antagonism she has generated among union members, I suspect a new face will be better for the Board.
Eric Mar
• An attorney, college educator, political and community activist, and School Board member for 4 years.
• Background and record of for civic rights and racial justice, while important, distracts from real school improvement.
• Priorities are greater community empowerment and involvement in district decision-making, equal education opportunity, and strong financial oversight.
• Alignment with Sanchez may have alienated other Board members.
Mar does not offer an education improvement-focused platform, despite a strong record of leadership, collaboration and accomplishments in the areas of educational equity and advocacy. It is also uncertain how much he will support Ackerman and can collaborate with other Board members given past tensions.
Mark Sanchez
• Former teacher and strong teacher advocate, Board member for 4 years.
• Platform is based on empowerment, openness, and greater classroom resources
• Divisive approach, name-calling and unprofessional behavior have alienated Board members, effectively detracting from finding common solutions.
• Previous threats to fire Ackerman risk disrupting continuity of Superintendent Ackerman’s role and programs
Although Sanchez makes an excellent advocate for his constituency, I find his talents highly inappropriate for the role of a Board member. His vision does not focus on student success, he brings no organizational experience and he does little to bridge the needs of his constituency with other parties.
Jill Wynns
• Parent and School Board member since 1993
• Only candidate with comprehensive vision to make SF schools the best in the country (coming from an 11-year incumbent!)
• Instrumental role in bringing Arlene Ackerman to SFUSD
• Commitment and extensive experience evident in her insightful questions
Among all the candidates, Wynns offers a stellar vision and unmatched experience given her longstanding role on the Board. In the two meetings I attended, she earned my respect for her deep understanding of SFUSD and her integrity in asking tough questions.
And the new candidates, where my assessments are derived solely from my research:
Dr. James Calloway
• Retired principal with 30+ years’ experience with SFUSD in various roles
• Vision of excellence across all aspects of district
• No clear record of achievements in community engagement, administration. or bridging constiutencies
Calloway appears to be running on the strength of his credentials, which is simply not enough for a school system that is widely perceived to have declined in the past couple decades. Without a focused vision and specific concrete achievements in SFUSD, how can any well-informed voter trust in his ability to engage the community to move schools towards excellence?
Jim Ferrigno
• Teacher for 8 years and radio show host
• Vision is based on ensuring transparency, adequate funding and resources, fighting high-stakes testing, academic freedom, and removing the gag order on teachers speaking to the press.
• Active in community non-profit work
• Stated intention to not renew Ackerman’s contract, but open to changing his mind
Ferrigno comes across as an advocate committed to challenging policy at the district, state and federal levels, rather than a Board member dedicated to finding district solutions to build a vision for excellent schools. Also, he blames Ackerman for not fighting federal mandates and enforcing the gag order, both situations which are unlikely to change with another superintendent in place.
Larry Kane
• Wrestling coach at Galileo High School since 1993, corporate lawyer and aspiring SFUSD parent
• Agenda to work to build excellent schools for all based on community engagement, improving low-performing schools and promoting after-school programs
• One of two candidates providing multiple testimonials from kids in SFUSD
• Strong professional/organizational experience in mediation and legal, financial and business matters
Kane exemplifies community engagement and an apolitical platform. Given his deep professional experience, demonstrated commitment to kids, and vision for how to improve schools, he would be an asset to the Board.
Jane Kim
• 27-year-old youth program director and youth advocate
• Bold vision that encompasses many components, including: high standards, small schools, SF values, equity in schools, transparency, community partnerships, and protecting classroom funds
• One of two candidates providing multiple testimonials from kids in SFUSD
• Solid experience in community engagement and advocacy
While Kim is clearly talented in community organizing and working with youth, she lacks experience in working directly with schools and in leading large organizations. In addition, her platform is inconsistent from site to site, belying the lack of focus in her vision for SFUSD schools as she tries to appeal to as many consitutents as possible.
Joel Springer III
• Paralegal and educator with 25 years’ teaching experience
• Platform focuses on neighborhood schools, district decentralization and accountability
• Support for Ackerman’s financial and academic achievements
• No record of community engagement, organizational experience, or building collaborative efforts among divided parties
Springer articulates a focused platform that mentions excellence as an afterthought. He also does not offer any demonstrated experiences that give me confidence that he brings critical community engagement or administrative skills.
Starchild
• Escort/Exotic dancer
• Platform based on school choice, reversing salary structure between teachers and administrators, and bringing an outside perspective
• No clear relevant experience to bring to Board role
• Supports removal of Superintendent Ackerman due to high salary
Starchild does offer a solution, but it simply entails moving people around, not ensuring a quality education. His addition would also not contribute any needed skills or knowledge to the Board.
David Weiner
• Current SFUSD principal at Alvarado Elementary, former teacher and Masters in School Leadership from Harvard
• Vision for building great schools with better community engagement, addressing the achievement gap, and ensuring high quality staff members.
• Valuable experience in successfully building community support and improving instruction as a principal
If elected, Weiner would bring a unique perspective as a recent principal committed to great schools, one which the Board could definitely use. Having improved his school’s performance, he will also provide valuable insight into the process and workings of engaging the community to improve a school.
Norman Yee
• Former teacher and education advocate for 30 years
• 5-Star vision to build excellent SF schools with excellence everywhere, leadership for change, parent engagement, small schools reform, and early childhood education
• Deep experience in building education coalitions and community youth programs
• Broad support from teachers and community members
Yee is a strong contender for the convincing platform he has articulated, his lengthy experience with youth in the community, and his administrative experience. He is one of the few candidates, if not the only one, who scores well along all my criteria.
Based on my evaluation, I found the strongest candidates to be (in alphabetical order):
Larry Kane
David Weiner
Jill Wynns
Norman Yee
All four recommended candidates have articulated compelling visions for the future of SF schools. Jill Wynns, as a longstanding Board member, and David Weiner, a current SFUSD principal, together offer unbeatable experience at the district and school levels. Norman Yee, with 30 years’ experience working with and for youth, and Larry Kane, a law firm partner who has spent 11 years coaching and mentoring the wrestling team at an SFUSD high school, both bring deep organizational experience and critical community perspectives. All candidates also have demonstrated the commitment and ability to work with teachers, a critical constituency that has felt left out of recent Board decisions.
This election will certainly be watched along many fronts, presidentially and locally. I hope that you have found this candidate evaluation helpful - and welcome any constructive comments.