EDUCATION
Families and children in District 6 have the most to gain from an effective public education system, yet it has faced declining enrollment and budget cuts, for years. Family flight especially has led to the closures of many neighborhood schools. In order to keep working families in San Francisco, we need a more accountable, better-performing school system for our children. A strong public school system requires more children and families.
To improve our schools we must:
· Ensure that our current school bond money is protected and administrated properly. It is shameful that our teachers are unable to secure the most basic elements of classroom teaching – safe desks, chairs, blackboards and erase boards.
· Guarantee full funding for Arts, after school and extra curricular programs.
· Reform Middle School Curriculum: Encourage an assessment of middle school curriculum and adapt instruction to meet the needs of middle school students.
· Support the $450 million school bond needed to upgrade and maintain buildings. Focus on maintaining and enhancing our City’s school infrastructure.
· Encourage Parental Involvement: Recent studies show that involving parents in student learning is particularly important for student achievement, especially in low-income areas. Examples of parent involvement include school-wide events, ESL classes, health services, and special subject-area events (such as English or math workshops).
· More Certified Teachers: Recent studies indicate that schools with more certified teachers report having higher California State API scores.
· Reinstitute vocational training and shop classes. For students who may not be going to college, we need to help them prepare for a craft or trade.
· Stop wasting time with political agendas that don’t put our children’s education first.
These are some of the first steps we need to take to improve our schools. Our kids in District 6 have the most to gain with the enhancement of their schools. We must work together to make sure our children can achieve their dreams.