Prop. G first step in fixing S.F. schools
Voters are being asked through a nonbinding measure known as Proposition G if the city of San Francisco should “encourage” the San Francisco Unified School District to offer an algebra course, once again, to eighth graders.
It’s the political equivalent of asking people if they like ice cream. The answer to both questions is, “Yes, of course.”
How did we get to the point where such a seemingly no-brainer measure needed to be on the ballot? A decade ago, the school district removed algebra from its eighth-grade curriculum in an attempt to “de-track” schools and give underrepresented students better opportunities for advanced classes in later grades. The results have been disastrous and widened the education gap in math. Lowerincome students lost access to advanced math courses, while their higher-income counterparts could afford private classes.
The district acknowledged this problem and is planning to reintroduce eighth-grade algebra. But, when it comes to addressing the challenges San Francisco’s education policy faces, Prop. G is just the tip of the iceberg.
San Francisco is a highly educated, wealthy place, and overall, its public school student math scores reflect that. According to the California Assessment of Student Performance and Progress, 46% of San Francisco public school students tested proficient in math, compared to 35% for California — better than virtually every other urban district, including Los Angeles, San Diego, Long Beach and San Jose. White students at the San Francisco school district who are not considered economically disadvantaged do particularly well and score close to the top of all districts in California, with 71% proficiency compared to 58% for the statewide peer group.
But when it comes to low-income Black and Latino students, the San Francisco school district is among the worst districts in the state. Just 12% of lowincome Latino students are proficient in math compared to 19% statewide. The situation is even worse when it comes to low-income Black students: only 7% of these students in the San Francisco school district are proficient in math, compared to 13% statewide.
In a supposedly progressive city, these outcomes are unacceptable.
Last year, building on the groundswell of parent mobilization that started during the pandemic, my organization, San Francisco Parent Coalition, launched a parent-led campaign to demand the district do better. As a result, the district assessed its K-8 math program, and the timeline for evaluation and audit was reduced by 50%. Now, the district has actionable results and information.
TNTP, an external education evaluation firm, identified significant issues with the district’s early and middle school math program, citing noncompliance with official math standards. The firm pointed to the district’s challenges in guiding teachers on instructional delivery, conducting effective student assessments, and promoting connections across mathematical concepts.
The findings align with the district’s self-monitoring of its progress toward meeting its 2027 goals for student proficiency in math, which in a recent report it described as “significantly off track.” While the district is working on a longterm plan to address many of the underlying issues, that won’t help the thousands of kids who need more support now.
The district and the San Francisco Board of Education could issue an urgent and corrective plan to avoid perpetuating years of lost learning opportunities for our students. For example, the district could use the remaining federal and state pandemic-relief funding it received on high-dosage evidence-based tutoring programs. Education research highlights how these interventions are game-changers for kids who are struggling to meet grade-level milestones. The district could also do basic things like moving closer to the recommended 300-minute minimum each week for daily math instruction in classrooms. It’s hard to expect a lot from our students in math if — as in some middle schools — they’re receiving just 60% of the recommended minutes.
Many of the issues afflicting the San Francisco school district are political ones. The seven elected members of the school board set the policy and direction for the district. As we saw when San Francisco had the longest COVID closures of any major district, it really matters who’s on the school board.
My organization started in 2020 when parents were frustrated at how obstinate the school board was in refusing to even discuss reopening schools, instead focusing on renaming them. Today, parents are now holding the board accountable for focusing on essential issues, including an excellent and equitable K-8 math program.
Thriving cities depend on thriving public school systems. Even private and parochial schools are impacted by them. The San Francisco school district, for example, is considered a model for many of the city’s independent schools due to its research partnership with Stanford University. What happens in the district impacts all of us.
Voting for Prop. G in the March 5 primary election is a first step in improving our children’s education. Our city’s youth will need all of us to do much more to advocate on their behalf and to ensure a thriving and equitable school system.
And then, come November, all of us must return to the ballot box to ensure those running to serve on the Board of Education are committed to putting the futures of our 50,000 public school students first.
Our children are depending on it.