Student Rally & Public Comment to Demand SFUSD Pause School Closures
PRESS RELEASE for September 24, 2024
San Francisco, CA – Today students, parents, educators, and advocates are rallying at the San Francisco Unified School District (SFUSD) headquarters and speaking during general public comment at the Board of Education hearing to demand that SFUSD stop proposed closures of public schools across the city. Coleman Advocates for Children & Youth, the Small Schools Coalition, and the Race & Equity in all Planning Coalition (REP-SF) are advocating to protect small schools that predominantly serve students of color, demanding deeper investments to improve schools and increase enrollment, rather than closing or merging schools.
What: “Pause School Closures” Rally before Board of Education Hearing and mobilization for students and community members to speak during general public comment to hold Superintendent Wayne accountable for current actions.
When: Tuesday, Sept. 24, 2024: Rally at 5:30 p.m., ahead of the Board of Education Hearing beginning at 6:30 p.m.
Where: SFUSD School District Headquarters, 555 Franklin St.
Who: Students, parents, and educators from SFUSD will provide testimonies:
Roberto Guzman, member of Parents Making a Change (PMAC)
Neveah Nathan, member of Youth Making a Change (YMAC) and student at June Jordan High School
Olivia Boudreaux, member of PMAC
Lisa Richardson, Sergeant of Arms of United Educators of San Francisco (UESF) and Family Liaison at Malcolm X Academy
On Sunday, Sept. 22, the Board of Education held an emergency closed-door meeting to evaluate Superintendent Wayne’s leadership, which was preceded by emotional public comment from parents, students, and educators voicing frustrations about the Superintendent’s leadership and proposed school closures. They urged the School Board to center students, families, and educators in every decision, as they will be the most impacted. Community advocates emphasized that school closures will have the smallest impact on closing the gap in the budget. Following the emergency meeting, Mayor Breed announced a School Stabilization Team composed of city leaders to provide support for the City’s public schools.
“With the Board of Education and the Mayor’s announcement after their emergency meeting, the situation remains the same. They are still proposing to close schools, and they have no avenue for true community input. We are continuing our push for a PAUSE to school closures. We demand they engage our Black and Brown communities properly. NO DECISIONS ABOUT US, WITHOUT US!” says Chris Ballard, Executive Director of Coleman Advocates.
SFUSD's plan to close our public schools, called the Resource Alignment Initiative, harms students and families and negatively impacts students’ education. Students and parents want SFUSD to know that our communities won't stop until their voices are heard and considered during this process. Superintendent Wayne was expected to release the list of proposed school closures, mergers, and co-locations, but postponed this announcement until October. However, the School Board is still voting on school closures in December. By insisting on this timeline, SFUSD is creating harm and more panic for students, families, and teachers – and exacerbating the problem of under-enrollment.
“This whole process is making me anxious. The thought of having to go to a bigger school instead of my small school scares me. I won’t be able to get as much help as I do in my small school. I choose to be here. Why will I change to a bigger school when that does not work for me?” says Neveah Nathan, YMAC member and student at June Jordan High School.
“Closing/merging schools is nonsense. I go to a big school, and this will affect me personally because if they do close/merge schools, many kids would be sent to my high school, which would lead to more crowded classrooms. The teachers are not able to help each kid individually, which would lead to more students failing and being unmotivated to continue,” says Julissa Galdamez, YMAC member and student at Burton High School.
“Even though SFUSD has not yet released a list of proposed school closures, enrollments are still dropping. People don’t want to go to schools that could potentially close at the end of this school year. It’s a self-fulfilling prophecy: SFUSD is manufacturing the conditions and justifications to close our schools,” says Roberto Guzman, parent of three students and PMAC member.
“The lack of transparency during this rushed process is frankly offensive. SFUSD must listen to the community, the students, and the families of those most impacted by their decisions. Give us a real seat at the table. Show us a supportive and equitable plan with our needs reflected!” says Gaelan Spor, a parent and member of the Small Schools Coalition. “Our communities have experienced inequitable school closures in the past – never again. This is a public school district, not a corporation. Our students need teachers, not middle managers. Close this budget without closing schools!”
“The state is going to take over if SFUSD does not fix its financial crisis. SFUSD does not need to close schools. They need to fix the budget. In addition to causing inequitable harms, school closures will not result in any financial benefit for the District. Even if SFUSD closes schools, the District will still be in a financial crisis and that is when the state will take over,” says Chris Ballard, Executive Director of Coleman Advocates. “Instead, the District should focus on increasing enrollment by increasing the quality of education and realigning resources within the Central Office.”
“The City is planning for a massive population increase to bring in 150,000 new people. This underscores the need to increase enrollment. It doesn’t make sense to close our schools. Where will everyone’s kids go to school? Increasing housing means increasing – not decreasing – our public school resources,” says Dyan Ruiz, member of the REP-SF coalition.
On Aug. 5, the REP-SF coalition and Coleman Advocates submitted a letter to the SF Planning Department questioning how the City can be calling to close public schools, while at the same time doing everything to dramatically increase San Francisco’s population.
“Equity means access to high-quality public schools close to home, in our neighborhoods and communities. Any plans to make historically marginalized students and families travel farther to school to access high-quality public schools is an injustice,” says Jeantelle Laberinto of the REP-SF coalition.
###
About Coleman Advocates for Children & Youth
Coleman Advocates currently focuses on building more effective, equitable, and supportive public schools in San Francisco and beyond. We believe the transformation of our educational system requires the involvement of the entire community—not just teachers, school administrators, and politicians.
About the Small Schools Coalition
The Small Schools Coalition brings together parents, students, educators, administrators, and community members across San Francisco. We are organizing to protect our small schools and to protect the public education of our children and our future. We highlight the voices of our communities because they are the experts on how our kids learn the best.
