Thread by @PPSSFBoardWatch

Next item: Resolution to adopt an interim Lowell Admissions Policy. A brief presentation will follow. #BoardWatch

Here are the first slides #BoardWatch. Presentation by Bill Sanderson (HS) and Jeff Kang (EPC)#BoardWatch

Given changes to grades and SBAC, the district is unable to implement Lowell policy as written for school year 21-22

Here is the recommendation #BoardWatch

What this means is that for this year, Lowell would follow the same tiebreakers as other High Schools. Sibling, Willie Brown MS, CTIP (in that order) #BoardWatch

Already in the midst of the enrollment process. There will be an enrollment guide published at end of October and Nov 6-13 is the enrollment fair. #BoardWatch

Will be allowing 1 hour for public comment. Will be split evenly between those who oppose and those who are in favor. Comments will get 1 minute each. #BoardWatch

Public comment: District has created a panic over Lowell admissions, heard nothing about other options considered. Couldn't the policy just omit SBAC scores and look at existing grades? Was that considered? Abandoning selectivity deserves more consideration. #BoardWatch

Comment: View the proposed change as a step backward for school district. Schools like this provide opportunities for kids who want to engage more and can't afford private schools. Unfair to students who have given up other interests to prepare for Lowell. #BoardWatch

Comment: policy undermines work of those striving to get into Lowell. Idea that merit-based admissions is flawed means students will have a real awakening when they get into the real world. Resources should be put in place for those who get into Lowell and not prepared.

Comment: Will there be a different system for Ruth Asawa? Idea that could use grades for band one. Some families have stayed in SF just for opportunity to attend Lowell HS. #BoardWatch

Comment: student at Lowell not necessarily opposed, but wonder if there could be something like an essay, even if it wasn't graded to show commitment to coming to the school #BoardWatch

Comment: think admission should be merit-based on things like 7th grade or 6th grade grades. Concerned that students who get in in non-merit-based system will be struggling. Also unfair to kids who have given up other things to work on grades. Can't afford private school.

Comment from Representative Phil Ting: Think it is important to have certainty at this time. Urge at least for district to stick with data we do have, like 7th and 8th grade first semester grades. Important not to have as much volatility in admissions process. Have an 8th grader.

(Tweeters note-not capturing every single comment, but trying to share main ideas. Most commenters have similar idea of using existing grades) Comment: this is political and sneaky, nothing to do with COVID. Ironically this is against all of the core values mentioned. #BoardWatch

Comment: it is difficult for kids to come from lowest performing schools to highest performing schools. The students are what makes the school excellent. Shouldn't throw kids in and expect them to succeed. #BoardWatch

Comment: 8th grader says he has been working hard to get good grades to have an opportunity to get into Lowell. Think a new system could be phased in without hurting today's 8th graders. #BoardWatch

Comment: district should explore options, students and parents should have voice, should work together. Lets work in solidarity to best serve all students. #BoardWatch

Comment: 8th grader at Alice Fong Yu says he and friends have been working really hard to meet requirements. Why should we throw out 5 quarters of grades just because we don't have one. If lottery would have to consider private schools. This is rushed. #BoardWatch

Comment: find more creative solutions to retain merit-based admissions. Lowell used to have a lowell-specific test that could be used. #BoardWatch

Comment: (after a lot of shouting from public commenters who feel they are not being given voice)Parent of Lowell student says child did a lot to prepare and get into Lowell and is thriving. Don't know if folks understand that this is a very competitive school. #BoardWatch

Comment: this battle is not new, can't believe there is such a lack of creativity in SFUSD that they couldn't come up with other solutions. Just during this call there have been 10-15 good solutions #BoardWatch

Comment: Suzy Loftus. This has torn our city apart. Destructive conversation. These are reasonable parents that are now screaming and maybe being removed. Just ask us and give us the chance to do what is in the best interest of our kids. #BoardWatch

Comment from ED of Lowell Alumni Association. This takes away priority from students at some middle schools. #BoardWatch

Comment: why don't public magnet schools in other cities have this problem? #BoardWatch

Now moving on to comments in favor of change. Comment: All schools should be great. There are no sacred cows. Same racism experienced 30 years ago. Every child should have the opportunity to go to Lowell HS. #BoardWatch

Comment: SFUSD would be served better overall if we did this completely (not just covid). But don't agree with closing the upper grades to transfers. #BoardWatch

Comment: generally in favor of lottery, but wonder about inclusion of sibling preference or wealthy families living in CTIP area. Current system is not really merit-based. Grades and test scores are not a perfect measure. #BoardWatch

Comment: alum of Lowell HS when standards for admission dropped 20 years ago. These students did very well and many of the "merit-based" students did not make it out of Lowell. Also, most students and families already self-select out of applying to Lowell. This is fear-mongering.

Comment: Lowell Alum says Lowell has been in a jewel box and that needs to be cracked. Those most impacted by Covid are African American's and Latinos. Same people opposing this also oppose affirmative action. When does it stop? #BoardWatch

Comment: Commenter is Indigenous and understand that there are beauties that are not recognized in our district. Happy with Lowell coming away from being a magnet school # BoardWatch

Comment: Student body president at Lowell says it is dangerous to glorify a school plagued by sexual assault. Instead of propping up Lowell, why not provide these resources and options to all High Schools? #BoardWatch

Comment: a huge majority of those who apply to Lowell are absolutely prepared and only a small percentage get in. What can we do to ensure equitable access to all of these programs across all of our schools? #BoardWatch

Comment: Lowell offers 130 AP classes while Lincoln has 30. This is a matter of allocation of resources. This is not living up to SFUSD's equity goals #BoardWatch

Comment (through translation from Spanish): I'm happy about the Lottery system. Latino and African American students deserve the opportunity. Very good to have the lottery system because students will have opportunity to show they are better and can become a lot better.

Comment: Lowell Alum with an 8th grader. Who doesn't want to go to Lowell? Happy to apply through a lottery even though she doesn't want to go because she knows how she will be treated there. #BoardWatch

There is a discussion happening about if it is possible to add 10 minutes for Student comment. Decision is to create a structure for this on the 20th (when this is up for vote) #BoardWatch

Student Delegate Hines-Foster notes that students have to sign up for Lowell- won't be randomly assigned. Also, you need to stop standing up for the system and start standing up for students. Where were you during sexual assault, mental health struggles, walk outs? #BoardWatch

Student Delegate Hines-Foster is interrupted by multiple callers who must have unmuted. Discussion is paused to fix the issue so that student delegates are not interrupted. Those who interrupted are being removed. #BoardWatch

Hines-Foster: you may disagree with some of my points, but these are the politics that come with Lowell, sexual assault, racism, seeing peers kill themselves. This policy was response to pandemic, we see this in colleges. Band 2 and band 3 are not great. #BoardWatch

Hines-Foster: many Black and Latinx students I know who were qualified for Lowell did not get in. The statements about students being "unqualified" for Lowell: most students from these groups who attended and graduated from Lowell have attended some of the best universities.

Hines-Foster: a lot of students are pressured by their parents. A lot of discussion between Black and Latinx community is discussion of parents not wanting kids to go because of the racism. #BoardWatch

Hines-Foster: many families cling to Lowell because of the resources and the networks it provides. Other schools don't have resources to help kids apply early to college, I put together a group myself this summer to help students at other schools. Need to allocate resources.

Hines-Foster: kids are also lying to get into school, gives example of student making up aspects of essay. Think there should be an essay for this year. Not fair to look at grades for this semester. Helpful to be able to write down what they overcame and why they want to attend.

Hines-Foster: shouldn't base admission on the quality of writing, but on the message. #BoardWatch

Student delegate Correa says she only heard two students on the opposed side and find that interesting. Heard a lot of parents saying that their kid didn't do other things so their grades would be good. Did you decide that for them? I understand wanting best for kids. #BoardWatch

Correa: would like to hear more from students. Really value their opinions. #BoardWatch

Hines-Foster: alumni comments on social media is part of reason students are not speaking up. Students see that and are impacted by that. #BoardWatch

Norton: this is not a good day for San Francisco, what I have heard today from people who claim to care about our system is disgusting. #BoardWatch

Norton: this would expire in a year if board does nothing. I hope that doesn't happen. Won't be here, but think it is time to root this out. Hope there is time to have a conversation. But with performance we have seen tonight, should just shut it. Shouldn't allow this ugliness.

Commisioner Lam: Want to thank parents who have spoken to me respectfully. Want to name that I have been through the HS process, it is stressful. Stressful to miss top band by .5 points. There are top performers who choose not to attend Lowell. #BoardWatch

Lam: have serious concerns about how this got rolled out. Need to engage earlier with students and families. What was the process? How was it considered? Why is Ruth Asawa SOTA continuing with same policy? #BoardWatch

Sanderson: there is no board policy around Ruth Asawa admissions. Lowell admission is a board policy. The recommendation comes from fact that we have a lottery system that we don't need to build a whole infrastructure around. That was a key point #BoardWatch

Collins: Why does Lowell have a Board Policy? and why is it a selective admissions school? Sanderson: don't know history, but know that policy has existed for a long time #BoardWatch

Supe Matthews: there was a task force in 2001 that created the current policy. The why for us is because it is board policy. President Sanchez: had entrance requirements for decades, consent decree resulted in a quota system that required higher scores for white/asian students.

Sanchez: the quota system was challenged by lawsuit which forced the system to change. Collins: is this policy out of compliance with state law? Not allowed to have selective enrollment based on academics? Passing to General Counsel #BoardWatch

General Counsel: this type of advice is attorney-client privileged and can not answer in an open meeting. #BoardWatch

Collins: when people say that if they don't get into Lowell all is lost, the implication is that kids that are not there are bad, or lazy, or substandard in some way. The conversations adults are having -- the children are leading the adults in this. #BoardWatch

Collins: How are we promoting all of our High Schools? Harder now because cannot even visit. It is nerve-wracking and children also want to have a say. Lots of great programming people don't even know about. #BoardWatch

Collins: Meritocracies are racist systems. Began as ways to justify racism. This is why colleges are looking at standardized test scores. It measures wealth, ability to get a tutor. Also very ableist, not just about race. #BoardWatch

Jeff Kang, ED of Educational Placement Center. Approach is saying that we have an existing system and we are using that. But we also see student and parent voices about how difficult this process is. Will be highlighting all highschool at enrollment fair. This does create space.

Commissioner Cook: To everyone who is passionate about this discussion, I hear you, I understand, this is the place to bring your opinions. Regarding the length of time given: the Black studies resolution will impact all students. This discussion is about one high school

Cook: also notes that he went to Burton HS and got into and attended Williams and got into Cal (full-ride). #BoardWatch

Cook encourages people to email and "troll me on Twitter" it "doesn't bother me" #BoardWatch

President Sanchez: we knew going into the discussion that there was a lot of heated dialog going on, hope that next week we can have a civil conversation. Know that people will still feel aggrieved if we pass this policy. #BoardWatch

Sanchez: also appreciates Judson Steele who worked to manage the public comment #BoardWatch

Commissioner Lam: I am not ok with the process that was put forward. I recognize there are serious issues, but feel that this process has shut folks out. Look forward to dialoguing in the coming days with the board and community about this process. #BoardWatch

Lam: Clear that families are struggling. Need to focus on how we are going to bring students and educators back safely.#BoardWatch

Hines-Foster: I'm open to having a discussion with alumni, and alumni association, but to all of you who were yelling when I was talking, it shows a lack of respect. Tired of students of color at Lowell having to prove themselves. #BoardWatch

Hines-Foster: Didn't have a lot of friend at Lowell until got on Student Government, mock trial, etc. Had to prove my worth. I hope whatever we come up with eliminates that attitude towards students of color. #BoardWatch

Moving on to last item (will stay on through presentation but not for comments )#BoardWatch

Presentation by Ritu Khanna Chief of Research, Planning and Accountability #BoardWatch

This is a resolution on data collection reflecting a broader array of ethnic, racial and language groups #BoardWatch

This information is collected through the current enrollment form. It asks about 21 race/ethnic groups and an open question about home language. 77 different languages have been listed, not practical to disaggregate data by all of these. #BoardWatch

There will be duplication due to ability to check multiple races. Also, open-ended question about home language makes responses richer, but harder to aggregate. #BoardWatch

SFUSD has been working on a data dashboard, need to work with department of technology to put in the system and maintain it.

Now Chief Technology Officer Melissa Dodd is speaking to the data systems implementation. Have begun an inventory of what systems need to be reviewed and assessed and multiple ways that data is collected. #BoardWatch

Want to not loose the richness of free-form text, but also build it out into a database #BoardWatch

Data Sharing: there are some challenges to implementing the resolution. Sharing must be compliant with privacy laws. Families would have to opt in to allow sharing with CBO partners. Might require more staff. #BoardWatch

The resolution calls to use disaggregated data to support budget development and student success. Have two existing systems that use this data: LCAP and MTSS. #BoardWatch

Fiscal impact: still much is TBD, other than cost of dashboard #BoardWatch

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