Thread by @PPSSFBoardWatch

SFUSD Board of Education meeting is starting! I'm Miranda, PPS-SF's policy director and I have the first shift of live-tweeting today. Stay tuned, action starting soon! (btw, my live-tweet drink of choice is a combo of black cherry and ginger juice..) #BoardWatch

Great news! There is now sign language interpretation for Board of Education meetings. #BoardWatch

Here is tonight's agenda go.boarddocs.com/ca/sfusd/Board…. Staring with the Superintendent's report. He is thanking Commissioners @rpnorton and @stevoncook for service to the board. #BoardWatch @SFUSD_Supe

Commissioner Rachel Norton (@rpnorton) has served for 12 years! Stevon Cook has served the board for 4 years. We @ppssf are so grateful for their service and commitment to SFUSD and its students. #BoardWatch

Commissioners are sharing appreciations and comments with outgoing members. Commissioner Moliga @FaauugaMoliga is wearing on of Cook's campaign t-shirts :) @jennyhlam remembers Norton's 2AM blog posts on BOE policy decisions #BoardWatch

Com. Collins appreciates Norton being a voice for families, especially of students with disabilities. Appreciates Cook's practice of starting meetings with quotes from Black leaders instead of the pledge of allegiance and advocacy for Bayview residents and Black students.

Student delegate Hines-Foster says she screenshotted and saved a tweet Cook posted encouraging her to run for school board. #BoardWatch

Commissioner Cook talks about his roots in the Black church community, and how that has been his bedrock. Says all he has served with has helped transform and improve him, "especially when we disagree" #BoardWatch

Cook says @SFUSD_Supe has been "like a big brother" even though "I'm his boss, technically" and calls out Thurgood Marshall HS in SFUSD as another reason he is here. "It is the best high school in the city." #BoardWatch

Norton notes "it is a strange experience to be giving up this thing that has been so much a part of my life." Says it changed who she is and will be always grateful. "Everyone on this board is truly here for the right reasons." #BoardWatch @rpnorton

Norton is in awe of how hard the staff of SFUSD works, as well as their professionalism. Says when she first ran for the board, most members were not parents; that dynamic has shifted. Aware there can always be more focus on families. #BoardWatch

Both Norton and Cook closed their appreciations with a big thank you to Ms Casco, the Executive Assistant to the board. #BoardWatch

Supe report: It is Inclusive Schools Week! This year's theme: The Time for Inclusion is Now. There are events all week! sfusd.edu/sped-isw #BoardWatch

Supe report: it is also Computer Science week. sites.google.com/sfusd.edu/cs-e…

Free meals are now available to ALL children 18 and under, no ID is required, d/n have to be SFUSD students. Schedule will change for the holiday. Friday Dec 18 will be 7 days of meals. sfusd.edu/services/healt…

Student delegate report: raising funds for homeless students. Make a donation here: gofundme.com/f/fill-a-stude… #BoardWatch

Student advisory council is holding an event on teen suicide. The workshop will take place on Monday at 3PM. Anyone can attend SAC meetings. Contact Salvador Lopez-Barr if you wish to attend. [e-mail] #BoardWatch

An award is being given by CABE (California Association for Bilingual Education) to paraeducator of the year, Gina Padilla-Quintanar. #BoardWatch

Padilla-Quintanar shares that it has been a joy to help families and kids and thanks the amazing team in Migrant Ed who support each other, and with that "energy and love" can "go out and support our community." #BoardWatch

Next up: "Return Safely Together: SFUSD's In-Person Learning Plan" - looking for consensus around this plan or proposed changes. #BoardWatch

This item has been moved up, BTW. Here is the plan: go.boarddocs.com/ca/sfusd/Board… and here are the slides: go.boarddocs.com/ca/sfusd/Board… #BoardWatch

So far, the presentation has been recap. Here are some items that are in the plan linked above.

Matthews: there is a dashboard that shows the progress that has been made on prep work for reopening. sfusd.edu/services/healt… #BoardWatch

Deputy Supe Ford-Morthel @EnikiaM sharing themes from stakeholder feedback. Slide shows main themes heard. #BoardWatch

Ford-Morthel shares a slide with assumptions, constraints, and dependencies. For example, depending on how many students and which students are interested in returning, impacts how many teachers are needed. Safety, Students, Staff and Space are intersection #BoardWatch

Priority groups for phase 2A include PK/Early ed students, students in mod/severe SDC classes, TK-2nd students, county school students. Capacity across all schools is 15K per day. #BoardWatch

If all of these students choose to return, would be at capacity. Will need to prioritize bringing in any additional students after 2A. For 2B priority is homeless students, foster youth, those in public housing, and those with limited engagement. #BoardWatch

Here are numbers if bringing back all students in 3-5. These numbers are inclusive of the phase 2B priority groups. #BoardWatch

Whoops - wrong slide. That was considerations for bringing back all 3-5 students. This is the numbers in 3-5.

Transporting more students to school will mean there is a need for more busses because of spacing requirements (less capacity per bus) #BoardWatch

Propose opening schools in waves. These slides show the three waves along with proposed dates for opening #BoardWatch

Strategy now is "home school" focussed. This means students would attend same school they have attended in the past. Might have to consider a "host school strategy" where students might be in a different school or with a different teacher. #BoardWatch

Ford-Morthel asking for board input on a series of decisions about who should come back to school and when. #BoardWatch

Mele Lau-Smith is presenting on health and safety measures in the plan. #BoardWatch

Lau-Smith: protocols are based on SF Dept of Public Health guidelines. Always evolving and being updated. #BoardWatch

School sites will have "isolation rooms" for symptomatic students or staff and "overflow rooms" to relocate a class where there was a symptomatic student or staff #BoardWatch

If a student or staff person has tested positive while at school the student or staff person would move to an isolation room then go home. Would then close the cohort and they would quarantine for 1-14 days. #BoardWatch

If a student or staff person reports being a "close contact" of someone with COVID-19, that person would go home, but the cohort would not be shut down or be moved to overflow room unless that close contact tested positive or had symptoms. #BoardWatch

Daniel Menezes Chief of HR is reporting on Surveillance Testing protocols. Will be piloting the system with some folks this week at the SFUSD parking lot. Contract is with Curative Labs. Insurers will cover the cost of tests. Staff will have to be tested at sites. #BoardWatch

Dawn Kamalanathan Chief Facilities Officer. Meeting site by site with principals to supply them with tools and resources they need. Have completed wave 1 and all repairs, wave 2 starts tomorrow and wave 3 starts Jan 20, 2020 #BoardWatch

Have hit 100% on dashboard this week for 3 month supply of PPE 😀👏. Running full systems check on all buildings, checking ventilation and hand-washing sinks. Happy to help configure outdoor spaces if principals want to do that. #BoardWatch

"Ground Truthing Assessments" were done with help of city staff to confirm classroom conditions. Re HVAC, all will be inspected and repaired and filters older than 6 months replaced, when possible with MERV 13. Classes without functioning windows will not be used #BoardWatch

So far, 98% of windows have been deemed operable. (woo hoo!) Shields will be provided per the attached slide. #BoardWatch

Kamalanathan: Need to reconcile classroom inventory, student demand, and staff availability. Right now only have 20% of capacity left to house 3rd-5th grade. #BoardWatch

Back to Ford-Morthel to talk about the Instructional Plan. Offering 3 models for learning: 100% Distance (anyone can choose this), 100% In person (only for students in Mod/Severe SDC and PK classes), and Hybrid - some portion distance, some portion in-person #BoardWatch

Focus now is on Hybrid model. Need it to be flexible so can move from in-person to distance when/if needed. Thinking about at least two days a week in person, consecutive days. #BoardWatch

Ford-Morthel: Thinking that all students who return would be there for the full day. #BoardWatch

Some considerations for the board are in the slide attached here (note: the light blue framed slides show decision points for the board). For example, can some schools consider different number of days for in-person vs distance? #BoardWatch

Do we want more consistency at scale, or flexibility across sites? Do we want more days for priority groups? #BoardWatch

Here is the slide with these trade-off decisions #BoardWatch

Update on meetings with labor partners. Have been meeting since onset of pandemic, and as of now do not have completed agreement, but need on by Dec 18 to meet the board deadline of Jan 25 #BoardWatch

Update on communications: Gentle Blythe is sharing guidelines for communicating with families. Know that families rely on teachers and site leaders for information, need to make sure they have the information they need to support families. #BoardWatch

Some information that will need to be shared includes how families sign up for return to in-person learning and prepare for return. #BoardWatch

Blythe, Deputy Supe of Partnerships and Communication notes that there is a challenge of being able to give families enough information to make a decision while still working through some of the details (labor agreement etc.) #BoardWatch

From first survey that went to families, SFUSD has heard back from 40% of families so far. Survey is intentionally concise and being followed up on by site coordinated care teams. Working on another survey for those not in phase 2A. #BoardWatch

Hope to get a registration packet out to families who do want to return by no later than 10 days before the begin of return to in-person. Also site-based orientation sessions are being planned. #BoardWatch

And now we are hearing from Meghan Wallace @MeghanW33046642 the Chief Financial Officer about how much the reopening plan will cost. There are funds that can be repurposed, also some funds for COVID that haven't been spent, and ability to ask City for help @BoardWatch

Back to Superintendent Matthews @SFUSD_Supe with a timeline for what needs to happen to open on January 25 #BoardWatch

Final slide! A summary of decisions the board needs to make about reopening. #BoardWatch

Kidding, one more slide. This is how you can see info on line. #BoardWatch

Hi y'all! I'm Taylor and I'll be taking over for Miranda this evening. Welcome to my desk! (feat. very milked-down coffee)

Commissioner @AliMCollins is recommending that we attempt to revamp classrooms to maintain a recommended air exchange rate of 6 times per hour (as in "new" air circulating into a room 6 times in 1 hour) using air vents in our windows instead of passive ventilation.

Commissioner @AliMCollins suggests that all children wear masks (subject to each age group), provided to them by the school, and to allow for easier on-demand access to testing for staff, students, and families.

Public comment is beginning now!

"I am a little concerned that we say we are using an anti-racist approach but then use a race-neutral approach that doesn't outline what we need to create equitable circumstances."

"Universal masking will go a long way and should be considered a requirement for having our students and staff back on campus."

"Parents, teachers, and staff need answers. [The reopening plan] is confusing. Parents have been counting on the district for something better than this. This plan leaves more questions than answers."

"Parents and teachers-- We want options to return back to school."

"While I appreciate the work that the board has done, the March return date [...] really only allows for 7 weeks of school. Students need their school, and their teachers. Keeping teachers safe is of the utmost importance."

"We can get schools together-- equitably-- by considering schooling outdoors."

"Why is there a gap from Feb. 8th to Mar. 22nd? Distanced learning is the most heartbreaking experience I have ever experienced as a parent. [...] I am disheartened to hear how few students you intend to bring back."

"It seems like if I [a teacher] go back and it's just my class, I'm assuming I'm not going to be at my site. How is this going to work? This doesn't seem like a very good fit if I'm not in my class with my students."

"I am disheartened a little bit but I am encouraged to see that there is at least pen to paper. The recommended masking left a lot of our responses in limbo-- while there's an effort to make communications happen, they also need to be clear and accessible."

"Kindergartners cannot learn remotely, no matter how great the teacher is. I would urge the board to use the resources available to them and get our kids back to school as soon as possible. This plan is not good enough."

"Since the beginning of the pandemic, there's been a lack of communication, collaboration, and transparency. The cruel joke is on the backs of students and parents in these situations."

"This plan is utterly inadequate. [...] Online learning is not acceptable for young children. Not only are you harming our children and our families, but our communities are being destroyed."

"The 10 day timeline to come back to in person-- I'm worried about time for teachers to plan. To set up and get ready to teach in a classroom. We want to make any student who comes into our space as comfortable as possible."

"Hybrid teaching should not fall to one teacher at a time. To teach a class individually is taxing, but to do it in both an in person and online format is not possible."

"We do not understand why this plan as presented allows for students under the age of 10 to not wear a mask. [...] We know we are asking our teachers to take undeniable risk. Teachers are essential workers, and we need to keep them safe."

"I, and other parents, have continually been disappointed by the district's response to crisis. This plan has so many questions and holes in it but does not address [issues presented since March]."

"Allowing private schools to open while leaving public schools closed increases the inequity between students astronomically. This is a tragedy."

This slide is a summarizing wave 1 plans for site leaders (principals) in SFUSD.

Commissioners unsure if they have enough information to make a decision on which group of children will be prioritized for those returning to in-person learning. There is interest in outdoor learning for those who cannot attend in-classroom learning due to space constraints.

.@FaauugaMoliga "I think kids are gonna show up, but I think there's a potential to say that we should focus on certain students as well as other students not included in those groups."

.@FaauugaMoliga mentions that while many students do need to come back to school, there are also students who are thriving and succeeding in online learning. He suggests there must be a medium met-- In which focal groups are accommodated alongside those who are succeeding

Commissioner Enikia suggests that it will be necessary to create "instruction kits" to keep students from sharing materials and potentially spreading germs.

Commissioner @AliMCollins suggests that it is essential for the board to provide strong, equitable direction. Worries that larger schools will be favored upon reopening due to their ability to house more students. #BoardWatch

Whether or not mechanical ventilation (window vents) are possible depends on whether or not the district can partner with the city. If this happens, it could be established as soon as early January.

Good faith from staff with support from the city but do not want to hold up the opening date #BoardWatch

Figuring out how testing will be made available to staff and students #BoardWatch

There will be testing sites at every school and want to have one central location for walk-in testing for anyone from the district #BoardWatch

Student testing is more complicated because they could not secure support from anywhere else other than curative. Curative works with peoples health insurance #BoardWatch

Connections needs to be made with other potential partners so then students can be tested #BoardWatch

Started having conversations with department of health to figure out how much surveillance testing of students would cost #BoardWatch

There is currently no system in place to surveillance test students #BoardWatch

VP @lopez4schools brings up that testing accessibility is going to rely on SFUSD. For many people it will be a sigh of relief. Want to ensure quality and we should be prepared for clear, easy, accessible testing #BoardWatch

Shout-out to the Latino Task Force for helping make SFUSD's testing accessible #BoardWatch

Student Delegate Correa Almanza a huge shout-out to staff, families, and students who are trying their hardest and who are clearly thinking through as many moving parts as they can #BoardWatch

Student Delegate Correa Almanza asks when are we going to have town halls again so then we can ask people directly what do they need? #BoardWatch

Student Delegate Hines Foster asks if there are any way to incorporate phone calls or home visits for conducting surveys? If there's an issue of number of people, can people volunteer? #BoardWatch

Student Delegate Hines Foster supports Commissioner Collins comment families who may not be checking their email regularly #BoardWatch

Coordinated care team have been making calls. Automated call went out to everyone that also received an email of the survey. If there are many people that are still not responding we can maybe send someone out #BoardWatch

Confusion about when middle schools and high schools will be going back #BoardWatch

1) The January date refers to a proposed date for when middle school and high school will be told when they will return to in-person. 2) January 25 is the proposed date for the first schools to open for wave one. 3) Middle School & High school brought back in wave 2b #BoardWatch

High school students are asking Student Delegate Hines Foster when they are going back and she doesn't have answers #BoardWatch

Student Delegate Hines Foster says that people were giving public comment in the Q&A so unclear what it's supposed to be used for #BoardWatch

Clarified that Q&A is only used for talking to those who are talking about the ASL interpretation #BoardWatch

PAC is here! The role of PAC is to represent parent voices and perspectives in order to inform the BOE for policy and policy positions. They will be giving the report for 2020 #BoardWatch

Parts of their report: 1. Communication 2. All things related to distance learning and eventual return to in-person 3. Issues of equity which permeates all aspects of education including the ability to have ones voice heard #BoardWatch

PAC Report: Communication: 1. Miscommunication surrounding which wave second grade was in. 2. Continue to underscore that it should improve communications #BoardWatch

PAC Report Communication: Would like everyone to be surveyed about when they want their child to go back. Could help determine what resources are needed #BoardWatch

PAC Report Equity: It is important to do the work of undoing white supremacy. Principals currently feel rushed when it comes to the school renaming process, they want to have more time to have constructive conversations #BoardWatch

"To rush the renaming of our schools is to miss an opportunity to bring our schools together for a common goal" PAC Member #BoardWatch

To expect that all 40 school sites can engage with their students about renaming, while also doing distance learning and supporting them during the pandemic does not make sense #BoardWatch

The PAC supports the principals asking to engage their communities around school renaming in fall 2021 and submit new names in December 2021.This would also make sense because there is no money dedicated to the renaming right now #BoardWatch

The PAC is 100% supporting the renaming of the schools but we do not support rushing the process and not honoring parent voices. Do this work with meaningful community engagement #BoardWatch

Join the PAC! Translation and interpretation can be provided with some advanced notice and they are super excited to welcome new members! #BoardWatch

Public Comment about PAC Report #BoardWatch

Public Comment: Thank you PAC for all of your hard work! The unpaid labor you're putting in is very important. It's frustrating when these important parent led conversations are bumped for the reopening discussion #BoardWatch

Public Comment: Thank you to PAC members, particularly Michelle. As a parent you often feel overwhelmed and not heard. To have another advisory committee there is so reassuring and empowering. Thank you for your voice PAC, the CAC is excited to continue work along side of you

Public Comment: SFUSD parent. Thank you PAC! Their school has been going through the renaming process and everyone is really excited to get a new name! Not a school with a lot of resources and they are just about done with two months of meetings with interpretations & translation

Cont Previous Pub Comm: It didn't feel rushed, it was a good experience. Would feel hurt if they had to keep their schools racist name for another year #BoardWatch

Public Comment: United Administrators of SF: Thank you Anna Mahina for what she said about fully engaging with communities in terms of name change. Some schools might just have to be individualized #BoardWatch

Public Comment: Parent Leader with AAPAC. Thank you to PAC! Agree with the last commentors about things being individual for each school when it comes to name change #BoardWatch

That concludes public comment #BoardWatch

Commissioner @FaauugaMoliga shout-out to Anna Mahina who is Tongan, which is currently not recognized but she is here and she is in community. If schools are ready, we should support them. If schools aren't ready, we should support them #BoardWatch

It is important for us to listen to the voices of the community. It's something where it isn't sinking all the way down in peoples values #BoardWatch

Commissioner @AliMCollins deep appreciation for PAC and for your voice! Thank you for your unpaid labor #BoardWatch

Student Delegate Correa Almanza thank you so much for all of your work #BoardWatch

There will be communication coming out soon about the school renaming process #BoardWatch

Indian Education PAC Report will be happening in January. They were moved in the agenda and because of that some people had to leave #BoardWatch

Commissioner @AliMCollins brings up how maybe parents who volunteer with PAC can go first #BoardWatch

And we are moving into the new student assignment policy! #BoardWatch

Here are the slides they will be looking at #BoardWatch

My bad! Here are the slides go.boarddocs.com/ca/sfusd/Board… #BoardWatch

And here is the actual policy go.boarddocs.com/ca/sfusd/Board… #BoardWatch

This new plan will result in less transportation costs among other things #BoardWatch

Most of the costs for the new student assignment policy will be one time costs #BoardWatch

This work can continue while there is work being done to open schools #BoardWatch

A lot of work needs to happen before engaging with the community in 2021 #BoardWatch

Facilitating community engagement and building community trust are critical and important. The recommended action is that the board approve the new student assignment policy #BoardWatch

Supervisor Haney is promoted to panelist and he will be speaking #BoardWatch

Supervisor Haney wanted to thank everyone for all the work they are doing. They are inspired by how hard everyone is working and stepping up. Shout-out to Commissioner Cook and Norton! It's their last meetings! #BoardWatch

Supervisor Haney: This resolution was something I had the privilege to author with Commissioner Cook and Norton. I learned is that the current school assignment policy does not create equity, desegregate, or ensure that all students have quality schools #BoardWatch

Supervisor Haney: Thank you for everyone who gave feedback and to get us here. Just here to say thank you for considering this and your hard work. Thank you Ester and Judson for all that you do. Shout-out to student delegates #BoardWatch

Supervisor Haney: We need student delegates now more than ever. Thank you for taking this on and for seeing this through. This will lead us to more equitable, high quality schools #BoardWatch

Public comment is starting #BoardWatch

PC: Speaking on behalf of PAC. The advisory appreciates Commissioner Collins proposing that the vote be changed to January with support from Commissioner Moliga #BoardWatch

PC: Very concerned that the process that helped create the student assignment policy is not inclusive. Public comment at BOE meetings should not be used as community engagement #BoardWatch

PC: Would love if the new board members could vote on this. This is less about desegregating schools and more about politics and keeping the project kids away from the affluent kids #BoardWatch

PC: What's frustrating is when parents who are members of PACs and those affected by segregated schools are saying do not move forward, but people still move forward #BoardWatch

Cont above PC: Concerned that this might blow up site budgets, blow up the ability of those who have systematically not have their voice heard still not heard #BoardWatch

PC: Thank you for taking my comment. I want you to consider the voice of the parents. Many of us have more than one kid in school. Sometimes we pick schools that are close to where we work. Then we can head to the school faster #BoardWatch

Cont above PC: I live on the outskirts of the city where there aren't a lot of schools. I would like to organize meetings to consider parents opinions or given options to the pick the school that is more convenient to us. Thank you #BoardWatch

That concludes public comment #BoardWatch

ASL Interpreters are requesting a break, unclear if they were told the correct amount of time that the meeting would take. Taking a break! #BoardWatch

A quick thank you to all of our followers responding and liking our tweets! If you like what we do here at #BoardWatch and can donate to help us continue to do this work that would be super appreciated #BoardWatch #ShineALight

Also what snacks are you all grabbing? #BoardWatch

We are back! #BoardWatch

Commissioner Moliga brings up how this is a big price tag, how is that breaking down? #BoardWatch

91% of the costs are one time, they think there is only 1 item that is on going. The one item will be the system to monitor the zones because things can change #BoardWatch

Most of the costs come later in the cycle. The initial costs are all focused on communication, marketing, community engagement, data analysis, data story-telling, work that is important any way to change the enrollment process #BoardWatch

Changing to a zone based system will be a paradigm shift that changes everything. If we don't communicate that well, develop all of the messaging so it is transparent and community engagement, it is very critical #BoardWatch

Those costs are one time and it will help us transition how we operate. To do effective community engagement we have to develop and plan it in a thoughtful way #BoardWatch

Believe that a small portion of money saved from lack of transportation could help start this work over the next 6 months #BoardWatch

Commissioner Collins brings up that integration is about much more than a school and an enrollment algorithm. You can name two schools that are the most integrated, Starr King and Rosa Parks and it can seem like two different schools. We need to address anti-blackness #BoardWatch

We need to work on resources and we need to work on both anti-blackness and anti-asianess. We need to engage with the families that are most affected by segregation and it needs to be the first thought not the after thought #BoardWatch

Additionally 2.5 million dollars is a lot to spend. Not opposed to the conversation but it does not seem like it's happening. Want to do the work but in a different way #BoardWatch

Student Delegate Correa Alamanza. Brought to their attention a couple months ago by a student. A student told them that often someone will pick a school because of resources. How does this resolution tackle the disparity in terms of resources? How is that being addressed?

Student assignment alone cannot address any of these things but it can address it in some ways. Families and students are resources too. Under our current student assignment system there are schools that get very little requests so they are under-resourced #BoardWatch

There are also schools that people are clamoring to and they have lots of resources. We are hoping this will help with that #BoardWatch

Student assignment is one piece of the puzzle but it isn't the entire puzzle #BoardWatch

Student Delegate Correa Almanza: In what ways are you taking on that certain neighborhoods are already segregated. How is that taking into account when it comes to zones #BoardWatch

The hard work begins now, want to develop these zones in partnership with communities. Many decisions that need to be made over the next couple of months. The types of questions you are bringing up are the ones we want to be discussed #BoardWatch

Student Delegate Correa Alamanza: Will there be ways to appeal these zones for circumstances like what was brought up in PC about having a school close to someones job? #BoardWatch

Orla O'Keefe: A student will be placed in their zone and we want as few exceptions as possible (still honoring the sibling tie-breaker). We have found that the systems created for desegregation does work except for the exceptions #BoardWatch

President @marksanchezsf brings up how the families that wants to take advantage of exceptions are usually the ones with the means. If there is an escape valve, it will be exploited #BoardWatch

Commissioner @rpnorton echoes what President Mark Sanchez said. Exceptions does not support cohesion in schools #BoardWatch

Commissioner @stevoncook thank you interpreters! Thank you everyone that spoke. How will you be engaging the community with the proposal we have right now? #BoardWatch

Orla O'Keefe: We are not approving zones tonight. We are asking to approve guidelines. One strategy we are anticipating is a community advisory body that will help lead and guide this work. They would help us determine what strategies would be the most effective #BoardWatch

Orla O'Keefe: We would want someone to be full-time committed and they would receive a stipend. We can design it thoughtfully and implement it well. This is the most important work in the next 6 months #BoardWatch

Student Delegate Hines-Foster: this will just put us back in a circle #BoardWatch

Orla O'Keefe: Our current system has unintentionally had a built-in exit strategy to attend other schools. You can see that through our transportation infrastructure. It was all very well intentioned but it didn't work and it caused harm #BoardWatch

Orla O'Keefe: By reducing the amount of choice, creating proximity and predictability then this policy will interrupt the exit strategy. The intent and vision is to create cohesion and disrupt those patterns #BoardWatch

Commissioner Cook: There's this aspect of confidence that I don't want to lose. We went to a school that the community trusted, that we believed in regardless of the assignment policy. We see this incredible work happen when schools build confidence on their own w/o assignment

Commissioner Cook: This is hard for it to sit with me because we need to work on EPC's and on building school confidence. School confidence is getting conflated with student assignment and they need to be separate conversations #BoardWatch

Commissioner Cook: Hopefully we will continue conversations about school confidence in addition to policy #BoardWatch

VP Lopez is still supporting this plan and what has been brought up today should still be talked about after we vote on it #BoardWatch

Commissioner @jennyhlam is supportive of the plan before us but the implementation is key. The zone piece is something I support. The language immersion discussions will be very key to the zones. A really authentic conversation w/ families and parent leaders #BoardWatch

Commissioner Lam I am a proponent of addressing outdated systems. It's due time for this modernizing and I see this as a piece of that #BoardWatch

Commissioner Collins: Parents perceive a value of a school when they don't know anything about it. Resources and school value are easily equated. We aren't talking about the school portfolio but teachers are talking about it #BoardWatch

Commissioner Collins: Parents want to know where certain programs are going to be. If we aren't having that conversation, then we should not be talking about this #BoardWatch

Commissioner Collins: Diversity is a very surface level of looking at progress. We need to address not just diversity but anti-blackness, anti-asian bias, address that there are parents that don't want their kids going to school with students who might be homeless #BoardWatch

Commissioner Collins: We need to talk about where we put our money and our resources and how we make families feel heard #BoardWatch

Commissioner Moliga: A lot of times when we are having these talks, at least every district has one Samoan kid. Samoan kids are trying to find their place. The data shows us that Black kids, Latinx kids, Samoan kids are not doing well. The priority is where the money is

Commissioner Moliga: If we choose to do this and spend so much money on this, we are putting priority over Black kids, Latinx kids, and Samoan kids. We can move this but what about the Black Studies resolution, the Latinx resolution #BoardWatch

Commissioner Moliga: I support this effort, it's definitely needed but at the same time we have to be real to ourselves with what equity really needs. Is it school assignment? Is it specific initiatives? #BoardWatch

Orla O'Keefe: Drawing the zones will be critical. We want to make sure that as we are drawing the zones we want to make sure they are equitable. It will take all parts of the group to work together for equitable access #BoardWatch

Orla O'Keefe: We will be looking at data points to make sure they are diverse. But then how do you assign students within those zones? We will use a variety of strategies like equity tie breakers #BoardWatch

Orla O'Keefe: It will not be looking at specific student data but at the area that they live in. Each school will reflect the diversity of the zone that it's in. When drawing zones we will try to ensure that wherever you live, you will have access to all programs #BoardWatch

Commissioner Norton: The paradigm shift has to happen, if it's just an algorithm then it will fail. Program placement of course has to be a part of this if we are putting people into zones. Families need to feel valued for who they are wherever they land #BoardWatch

Commissioner Norton: This market based system encourages self segregation but it only advantages people who know how to navigate the system #BoardWatch

Commissioner Norton: Our schools to a certain extent are funded on enrollment so if you have schools that are half empty, that's a huge resource gap. It's a lot harder to build a quality school with a half empty school #BoardWatch

Student Delegate Hines-Foster: I just feel like what's being presented will put us into a cycle. When I hear "proximity", especially in places like SF, certain systems will still happen based on income and other factors #BoardWatch

Student Delegate Hines-Foster: I agree with Commissioner Moliga that the school district provides a lot of lip service when it comes to equity. Anti-blackness needs to be addressed, equity needs to be addressed before we develop more systems before we continue on this cycle

Commissioner Cook: I get what you are saying. I want to circle back that there is this potential of the funding on this getting in the way of other priorities. I know we have the reopening plan. How does this rank or do the ranks change? #BoardWatch

@SFUSD_Supe it's getting the priorities of the district straight so then we know where money will be going #BoardWatch

Commissioner Collins: Real estate goes along with redlining and there is educational redlining. If we don't actively disrupt then people will be marketing things on zillow by zones. That is why we cannot do this work if we are not working on fully funding the Samoan Resolution...

Commissioner Collins cont: The Black Studies Resolution, we haven't heard about the Equity Resolution, there's an Indian Resolution #BoardWatch

VP Lopez: I do hear what my colleagues and what the student delegates are saying. This policy has been out there for 2 years. I'm completely assured that our board will have the necessary conversations to build out those zones, just putting it out there #BoardWatch

What are we voting on? #BoardWatch

Voting on the framework for the zones that will be determined by community engagement. This resolution does not create the zones and the board will not vote on the zones. Do not know what the zones will look like but know the characteristics #BoardWatch #VeryConfusing

President Sanchez: Does agree that our current system does create the all for one and one for all system. This will be the first system that advantages families in public housing #BoardWatch

Roll call! Six "yes" to two "no" #BoardWatch

I'm tired and logging off for tonight but thanks for everyone who came to tonight's coverage of #BoardWatch

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