Don't approve an unwanted and unqualified charter school in the Bayview / NO APRUEBE una escuela chárter no deseada ni calificada en el Bayview

California State Board of Education / Junta de Educación del Estado de California

MXA students and teachers rally for their school. Estudiantes y profesores de MXA se reúnen para apoyar a su escuela pública
MXA Students and Teachers Rally for their School

Español al bajo.

We, supporters of Malcolm X Academy, Willie Brown, Carver, Drew and other Bayview public schools say NO to another charter school in our neighborhood & NO to Innovate's Mary L Booker Leadership Academy (MLBLA). We don't want our community separated and our schools taken from us. We're upset about having our school doors & bathrooms locked against us as charter schools are forced in against our will. Instead, we ask you to support our public schools.

We have concerns about MLBLA's founder and board's lack of experience, which is part of why they were denied their charter by San Francisco's school board (1). The founder and future Principal, Terrance Davis, does not have an administrative credential (as of September 2018) and the majority of his school experience comes from the Noble Charter School chain in Chicago. This is a charter school chain known for harsh discipline practices (2 & 3). These practices included illegally fining students $400,000 (including for things like "untied shoelaces") and having such strict bathroom policies that students would bleed through their pants when they had their periods. When this policy was challenged, they didn't change their bathroom policy, instead they changed their uniform policy to allow students to tie their sweaters around their waists if this happened to them.

Finally, there is not demand for another charter school in our neighborhood. Last year a new KIPP school said they'd have 140 students. This fall they opened up with around 80.

Willie Brown Middle School has a rich art curriculum that goes far beyond the one art elective starting in 6th grade which is named in MLBLA's charter application. Students looking for art education can go to Willie Brown Middle School where "arts electives include band, orchestra, percussion, art, and more. The new building features a two-story choir and band room, ceramics kiln and art room, and springboard stage for performances in the multipurpose room. Digital arts also are infused into academic curriculum." (4)

We ask the California Board of Education to respect San Francisco's decision about the schools that are right for our community, and we ask you to deny the appeal by Innovate's MLBLA.

(1) SFUSD Board Report, Staff Recommendation:
https://www.boarddocs.com/ca/sfusd/Board.nsf/files/AZK5G97CC896/$file/20180612_MLBLA_Petition_Board_Report_Staff_Recommendation.pdf

(2) Questioning the Fairness of a Detention Fee. New York Times 2012. https://www.nytimes.com/2012/02/17/education/at-noble-street-schools-in-chicago-detention-costs-5.html

(3) Culture Shock: Teachers Call Noble Charters 'Dehumanizing.' Dusty Roads • APR 5, 2018 http://northernpublicradio.org/post/culture-shock-teachers-call-noble-charters-dehumanizing

(4) Willie Brown Middle School http://www.sfusd.edu/en/schools/school-information/brown,-jr.,-willie-middle-school.html

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Nosotros, los partidarios de Malcolm X Academy, Willie Brown, Carver, Drew y otras escuelas públicas de Bayview, decimos NO a otra escuela chárter en nuestro vecindario y NO a la Academia de Liderazgo Mary L Booker de Innovate (MLBLA). No queremos que nuestra comunidad se divida y que nuestras escuelas se nos quiten. Nos molesta que las puertas y los baños de nuestras escuelas públicas estén cerrados, ya que las escuelas chárters están ocupando nuestros edificios en contra de nuestra voluntad. En cambio, le pedimos que apoye a nuestras escuelas públicas.

Nos preocupa la falta de experiencia del fundador y la junta directiva de MLBLA, que es parte de la razón por la cual la Junta Escolar de San Francisco les negó su escuela chárter (1). El fundador y futuro director, Terrance Davis, no tiene una credencial administrativa (hasta septiembre de 2018) y la mayor parte de su experiencia escolar proviene de la cadena Noble Charter Schools en Chicago. Esta es una cadena de escuelas chárters conocida por sus duras prácticas de disciplina (2 y 3). Estas prácticas incluían multar ilegalmente a los estudiantes con $400,000 (incluso para cosas como "cordones de zapatos") y tener políticas de baño tan estrictas que las estudiantes se mancharían cuando tenían sus días de menstruación. Cuando se cuestionó esta poliza, no cambiaron su poliza de baño, sino que cambiaron su poliza de uniformes para permitir a los estudiantes atar sus suéteres alrededor de su cintura si esto les ocurriera.

Finalmente, no hay demanda para otra escuela charter en nuestro vecindario. El año pasado, una nueva escuela KIPP dijo que tendrían 140 estudiantes. Este otoño se abrieron con alrededor de 80.

La Escuela Intermedia Willie Brown tiene un rico plan de estudios de arte que va mucho más allá de la clase electiva de arte que comienza en el sexto grado, que se menciona en la solicitud de chárter de MLBLA. Los estudiantes que buscan educación artística pueden ir a la Escuela Intermedia Willie Brown, donde las clases electivas de arte incluyen banda, orquesta, percusión, arte y más. El nuevo edificio cuenta con un coro y sala de banda de dos pisos, horno de cerámica y sala de arte, y escenario para actuaciones en la sala de usos múltiples. Las artes digitales también se incorporan al currículo académico ". (4)

Le pedimos a la Junta de Educación de California que respete la decisión de San Francisco sobre las escuelas adecuadas para nuestra comunidad, y le pedimos que rechace la apelación de MLBLA de Innovate.


(1) Informe de la Junta del SFUSD, recomendación del personal:

https://www.boarddocs.com/ca/sfusd/Board.nsf/files/AZK5G97CC896/$archivo/20180612_MLBLA_Petition_Board_Report_Staff_Recommendation.pdf

(2) Cuestionando la imparcialidad de una tasa de detención. New York Times 2012. https://www.nytimes.com/2012/02/17/education/at-noble-street-schools-in-chicago-detention-costs-5.html

(3) Choque cultural: los maestros llaman a Noble Charters 'deshumanizante'. Dusty Roads • ABR 5, 2018 http://northernpublicradio.org/post/culture-shock-teachers-call-noble-charters-dehumanizing

(4) Willie Brown Middle School http://www.sfusd.edu/en/schools/school-information/brown,-jr.,-willie-middle-school.html



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SF Families Union
San Francisco, CA

To: California State Board of Education / Junta de Educación del Estado de California
From: [Your Name]

I am writing you to ask that you deny the appeal from Innovate's MLBLA, and uphold San Francisco's decision about what schools are right for our community.

We, supporters of Malcolm X Academy, Willie Brown, Carver, Drew and other Bayview public schools say NO to another charter school in our neighborhood & NO to Innovate's Mary L Booker Leadership Academy (MLBLA). We don't want our community separated and our schools taken from us. We're upset about having our school doors & bathrooms locked against us as charter schools are forced in against our will. Instead, we ask you to support our public schools.

We have concerns about MLBLA's founder and board's lack of experience, which is part of why they were denied their charter by San Francisco's school board (1). The founder and future Principal, Terrance Davis, does not have an administrative credential (as of September 2018) and the majority of his school experience comes from the Noble Charter School chain in Chicago. This is a charter school chain known for harsh discipline practices (2 & 3). These practices included illegally fining students $400,000 (including for things like "untied shoelaces") and having such strict bathroom policies that students would bleed through their pants. When this policy was challenged, they didn't change their bathroom policy, instead they changed their uniform policy to allow students to tie their sweaters around their waists if this happened to them.

Finally, there is not demand for another charter school in our neighborhood. Last year a new KIPP school said they'd have 140 students. This fall they opened up with around 80.

Willie Brown Middle School has a rich art curriculum that goes far beyond the one art elective starting in 6th grade which is named in MLBLA's charter application. Students looking for art education can go to Willie Brown Middle School where "arts electives include band, orchestra, percussion, art, and more. The new building features a two-story choir and band room, ceramics kiln and art room, and springboard stage for performances in the multipurpose room. Digital arts also are infused into academic curriculum." (4)

We ask the California Board of Education to respect San Francisco's decision about the schools that are right for our community, and we ask you to deny the appeal by Mary L Booker Leadership Academy. Thank you for your consideration, and for upholding San Francisco's finding that Innovate's MLBLA is not ready to be a San Francisco school.

(1) SFUSD Board Report, Staff Recommendation:
https://www.boarddocs.com/ca/sfusd/Board.nsf/files/AZK5G97CC896/$file/20180612_MLBLA_Petition_Board_Report_Staff_Recommendation.pdf​​​​
(2) Questioning the Fairness of a Detention Fee. New York Times 2012. https://www.nytimes.com/2012/02/17/education/at-noble-street-schools-in-chicago-detention-costs-5.html​
(3) Culture Shock: Teachers Call Noble Charters 'Dehumanizing.' Dusty Roads • APR 5, 2018 http://northernpublicradio.org/post/culture-shock-teachers-call-noble-charters-dehumanizing
(4) Willie Brown Middle School http://www.sfusd.edu/en/schools/school-information/brown,-jr.,-willie-middle-school.html​