El Tecolote loves hearing from you, the readers, so we gave you a chance as concerned San Franciscans facing an upcoming vote to sound off.
To the Editor,
Like many educators in SF, I am voting No on the Board of Ed recall. I have over 13 years of experience of teaching for SFUSD and am a SFUSD graduate. The recall sets a dangerous precedent for attacking women education leaders of color. In a time of great social unrest, we need diverse educator voices that speak truth about and reflect the experience of students and families of color in SF. Working class communities of color –overwhelmingly the communities served by SFUSD –face one of the harshest housing crises in the US, and are fighting for safe working and school conditions in the face of the ongoing pandemic. They also have historically been most marginalized from SFUSD policy and decision making. The three targeted Board members have actively engaged and advocated for the most marginalized communities in SFUSD while some of the higher profile supporters actively fuel the ongoing economic inequities faced by families in SF.
The BOE recall is part of a larger national conservative power move to privatize public education; this will inevitably lead to deeper division of separate and unequal education. As we grapple with deep cuts to student serving programs including AVID, Peer Resources, and Community School Coordinators, we see the interests of billionaires and conservatives who wish to further dismantle public schools in SF instead prioritized. This recall effort is a waste of public resources that should instead support the educational opportunities and wellbeing of our community members who need it most.
Sincerely,
Jade Rivera
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To the Editor,
I’m a longtime SFUSD middle school teacher and an SFUSD parent who is asking you to vote NO on the misguided Board of Education recall election. Like most voters, there are some choices our school board has made that I strongly agree with and others that I strongly disagree with – but I’m voting NO because this recall is manipulating our democratic processes for undemocratic ends. The truth is that it’s only on the ballot because of over $1 million in funding, mainly from wealthy venture capitalists that are trying to take advantage of our pandemic crisis to take over our public schools. If the recall were to succeed, it would be the Mayor, not the voters, who would unilaterally choose their replacements. I believe that our community’s educators, parents, and voters should decide who sits on our school board, so please reject this recall and send the message that our elections and school board are not for sale. Vote NO so we can settle our political differences the right way in the upcoming November election when we the people can make it clear who we want representing us on our school board.
Sincerely,
Crisoforo Garza
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To the Editor,
I am a native San Franciscan SFUSD teacher, parent and Lowell alumna urging you to vote No on the School Board Recall. The same groups intent on hoarding resources at my alma mater instigated this profligate power grab, which our school district is now forced to subsidize. If Allison Collins, Faauuga Moliga, and Gabriela López are recalled, the mayor will be one step closer to subverting the democratic appointment of the School Board and creating her own boutique board of yes-people serving at her pleasure. As a Chicana student who survived a segregated Lowell in its first years without racial quotas, and a parent and teacher who works in schools serving Black and Brown students from the Southeast side of the City, I know how significant it is that Faauuga Moliga represents my Pacific Islander students, and how devastating it is to see three Board Members of color targeted for removal. Beyond the disturbing ad hominem attacks on these specific members, this wasteful recall represents a complete disregard for our students’ real needs. We could have used this money to improve the lives of all who live and work in the district. Instead, we are forced to spend precious resources to defend a democratic School Board. Join me in rejecting this dangerous takeover and VOTE NO ON THE RECALL.
Sincerely,
Rene Pena-Govea
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To the Editor,
There are lots of good reasons to vote NO on the school board recall happening Feb. 15. You can vote no if you think it was wrong that our district will have to spend millions on a recall election when our kids and our school desperately need money and resources. You can vote no if you think it’s pretty undemocratic that this recall was pushed through by venture capitalists who spent a cool $1 million to gather the 50,000 signatures needed to get on the ballot. You can vote no if you think that the three Board members being targeted did their best in the tough and totally unprecedented crisis the pandemic put us in.
Here’s one more good reason to vote no: If these three Board members get recalled, the mayor—not parents and voters — will appoint their replacements. That’s bad news for our voice in our schools. Mayor Breed is proposing to change the city charter to replace the elected school board with a school board totally appointed by the mayor. The recall elections are part would enable the Mayor to appoint new school board members who will rubber-stamp her takeover of the schools.
If you want to protect our rights as a community to elect our own school board and have a say in our children’s schools, vote no on the recall.
Sincerely,
Ellen Yoshitsugu