Latest news with #SanFranciscoUnifiedSchoolDistrict
Yahoo
2 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
This California school district backtracks on ‘equity' grading policy
For a brief few hours, Rep. Ro Khanna, known for his willingness to critique both parties, had a problem brewing in a northern California county he represents on Wednesday afternoon. Khanna, D-Calif., spoke out against a proposed grading system that was meant to make the schooling experience more bearable. In a social media post Wednesday, he slammed the San Francisco Unified School District for removing honors courses in biology and English and establishing an 'equity' grading plan. This Northern California school district was going to vote on a 24-page agenda, first reported by The Voice of San Francisco. It would cost $172,000 to train and guide students on this new system, meant to be tested across 14 district schools. The equity grading plan would remove homework or weekly tests and allow students to score a high letter grade despite lower marks. For example, if a student previously needed a 90 score for an A, they would have instead only needed an 80. 'My immigrant dad asked me where the missing 10% went when I scored a 90,' Khanna said in a social media post. He represents the East Bay area, next door to San Francisco. 'He came to America for the chance to work hard & pursue excellence. Giving A's for 80% & no homework is not equity — it betrays the American Dream and every parent who wants more for their kids." Khanna is aligned with conservatives like Turning Point USA's Kirk on this issue. 'San Francisco public schools will allow students to score as low as 41% on a test and still get a C — and they can take the test as many times as they want!' Kirk wrote in a post on Wednesday. 'This is what the push for 'equity' is always about.' Hours after Khanna published his post, the school district said they were delaying implementation of this initiative. Khanna said he was 'glad' to see the district backtrack. San Francisco Unified School District Superintendent Maria Su announced the news Wednesday evening in a statement. 'It's clear there are a lot of questions, concerns, and misinformation with this proposal,' she said in a statement. 'We want to make sure any changes benefit our students. I have decided not to pursue this strategy for next year to ensure we have time to meaningfully engage the community.'
Epoch Times
2 days ago
- Politics
- Epoch Times
San Francisco School District Drops ‘Equitable Grading' Plan Amid Backlash
The San Francisco Unified School District (SFUSD) has abandoned a proposal to follow a 'Grading for Equity' policy for the upcoming 2025–2026 school year, after it drew criticisms from the community and officials. 'It's clear there are a lot of questions, concerns, and misinformation with this proposal. We want to make sure any changes benefit our students,' SFUSD Superintendent Maria Su said in an emailed statement to The Epoch Times on May 29. 'I have decided not to pursue this strategy for next year to ensure we have time to meaningfully engage the community.'
Yahoo
3 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
San Francisco school district ditches proposed 'Grading for Equity' strategy after backlash from community
The San Francisco Unified School District will not be moving forward with a controversial equity grading strategy that was proposed this week after significant backlash. The strategy, known as "Grading for Equity," was presented during a SFUSD Board of Education meeting on Tuesday, according to Superintendent Maria Su, with the goal of offering "professional development opportunity in standards-based grading." Under the proposed standards, how a student scores on the final exam, which could be taken multiple times, would be what counts toward their grade for the semester, according to the Voice of San Francisco. Homework and weekly tests would not impact the grade, and neither would late assignments, tardiness to class or absence from school. College Dropouts Celebrate At Unconventional 'Graduation' Ceremony In San Francisco The letter-grade system would also be significantly altered, allowing students who score an 80 to receive an A and students who score as low as a 21 to pass with a D, which models the "Grading for Equity" system in the San Leandro Unified School District, Voice of San Francisco reported. Read On The Fox News App The new system was supposed to be tested by 70 teachers in 14 SFUSD schools until the community, including the mayor and lawmakers, spoke out against the proposal. San Francisco Mayor Daniel Lurie wrote on X that the younger generation is owed "an education that prepares them to succeed" and the "changes to grading at SFUSF would not accomplish that." "I have conveyed our view to SFUSD. We are optimistic that there is a better path forward for our kids and their future," he wrote, in part. Tensions Flare At School Board Meeting After Trans Athlete Wins Multiple Track Events U.S. Rep. Kevin Kiley, R-Calif., called out the proposal, sarcastically describing it as a "brilliant solution." "San Francisco has come up with a brilliant solution for its failing schools. Students simply won't be failed," Kiley wrote on X. "Under the new 'Grading for Equity' plan, Fs are now Cs; Bs are now As; homework and tests are ungraded; truancy is unpunished; and finals can be re-taken again and again." U.S. Rep. Ro Khanna, D-Calif., also shared his opinion on the proposed grading system on his personal X account. "My immigrant dad asked me where the missing 10% went when I scored a 90. He came to America for the chance to work hard & pursue excellence. Giving A's for 80% & no homework is not equity—it betrays the American Dream and every parent who wants more for their kids," he wrote. A statement from Su on SFUSD's X account on Wednesday said that there have been no changes to grading practices within the school district and no action was taken at the meeting. She said each student within the school district is held to a high standard and SFUSD's goal is to "support student success by prioritizing learning and mastery." "It's clear that there are a lot of questions, concerns and misinformation with this proposal. We want to make sure any changes benefit our students," Su wrote, in article source: San Francisco school district ditches proposed 'Grading for Equity' strategy after backlash from community
New York Post
4 days ago
- Politics
- New York Post
San Francisco scraps ‘equity grading' program — in which homework and attendance wouldn't affect grades — one day after unveiling it amid bipartisan backlash
San Francisco school officials took a sudden U-turn Wednesday on an initiative that would have effectively let students skip homework, cut class, and re-take their exams. Parents and politicians alike – including SF Mayor Daniel Lurie – trashed the experimental 'Grading for Equity' initiative as soon as the San Francisco Unified School District (SFUSD) unveiled it on Tuesday. Things like class attendance and homework wouldn't have affected a student's final grade under the new system — instead, grades would have been left up to a final exam, which students would be allowed to redo, according to the San Francisco Chronicle. 4 The proposed 'Grading for Equity' program would have made it easier for San Francisco students to get high marks. Pixel-Shot – 4 Education officials quickly halted plans to test the program after widespread backlash. vchalup – Advertisement 'Grading for Equity' would have also lowered the point threshold for letter grades. Under a similar system at the nearby San Leandro Unified School District – which SFUSD officials have praised – students need a score of just 80% to get an A, and a score of 41% earns them a C, according to The Voice of San Francisco. The purpose of the alternative grading approach was to minimize the impact of challenges that disproportionately affect low-income students, such as traveling to school and finding time and space to do homework. But critics on both sides of the political spectrum said 'Grading for Equity' was not the answer. 'My immigrant dad asked me where the missing 10% went when I scored a 90. He came to America for the chance to work hard & pursue excellence,' Rep. Ro Khanna, a Democrat, posted on X. 'Giving A's for 80% & no homework is not equity—it betrays the American Dream and every parent who wants more for their kids,' he continued. 4 Under a similar program in San Leandro, students need scores of just 80% to earn an A and 49% to earn a C. Matthew Benoit – 4 Critics included San Francisco mayor Daniel Lurie. Koldo_Studio – Advertisement 'We owe our young people an education that prepares them to succeed. The proposed changes to grading at SFUSD would not accomplish that,' Mayor Lurie echoed on the platform. Seventy teachers were to test the new system in 14 district schools, but parents cried foul at a Tuesday school board meeting where board members were asked to approve $172,000 for a training program. Superintendent Maria Su then put the plan on hold, citing widespread 'misinformation.' Advertisement 'It's clear there are a lot of questions, concerns, and misinformation with this proposal,' Superintendent Maria Su said in a statement to the Chronicle. 'We want to make sure any changes benefit our students. I have decided not to pursue this strategy for next year to ensure we have time to meaningfully engage the community.'
San Francisco Chronicle
24-05-2025
- General
- San Francisco Chronicle
S.F. parents are trying to start first K-8 Mandarin immersion charter school. It won't be easy
Yunita Tjhai has always wanted her kids to be able to speak, read and write Mandarin. Unable to speak Chinese, the San Francisco mother of three, who grew up in Indonesia, regretted that she was never able to communicate with her monolingual Chinese-speaking grandparents. She and her husband Brian Hollinger enrolled their kids in Mandarin-immersion daycare. The oldest child is now in first grade at one of San Francisco's only two Mandarin immersion public elementary schools. Hollinger is concerned that the district has not met the growing demand for Mandarin immersion education and that SFUSD's turbulent financial situation might jeopardize his kids' Mandarin education. 'The district hasn't prioritized Mandarin immersion,' Hollinger said. 'They haven't expanded on it even as the city's demographics have changed, even as Mandarin immersion daycare has exploded, even as private school options have exploded.' In March, Hollinger alongside two veteran educators and two other district parents, kickstarted an effort to create San Francisco's first K-8 Mandarin immersion public school, a charter school to be called ' Dragon Gate Academy.' Supporters say the school would address unmet demand and offer more continuity as well as efficient use of resources with students remaining at the same site for elementary and middle school. 'There's an opportunity for the board of education to say we recognize the demand,' Hollinger said. 'Let's deliver a win for these families. Let's deliver an alternative for them to take advantage of tuition-free public education through Mandarin immersion in a K-8 format.' Hollinger said they have already gathered meaningful interest from almost 200 parents and teachers and are preparing to bring the charter petition to the San Francisco school board in the next couple months. They needed 77 prospective parents — 50% of the K-4 students expected for the first year — to sign the petition to be eligible. The team will likely face an uphill endeavor to seek authorization from a school district that's historically been opposed to expanding the number of charter schools. In the absence of the San Francisco Unified School District opening a K-8 Mandarin immersion school, Hollinger said he and other parents feel they have no choice but to serve unmet needs of hundreds of parents who couldn't secure one of the coveted K-5 spaces. SFUSD has two Mandarin immersion elementary schools and one middle school. Both elementary schools have long waitlists for every grade for the upcoming school year. With only 66 seats in the incoming Mandarin immersion kindergarten classes at Starr King and Jose Ortega elementary schools, about two-thirds of which are reserved for proficient speakers, parents say that's far from enough in a city where 22% of residents are Chinese and where Chinese languages are by far the most widely spoken after English. 'If you're thinking of equity, people who can afford Mandarin immersion daycare in preschool have a massive leg up in getting into Mandarin immersion,' said co-organizer Brian Grech, who has three boys in Mandarin immersion, two at Starr King and one in preschool, because their kids can test into the spots reserved for proficient speakers. There were 174 kindergarten seats for immersion in Cantonese, the most common Chinese dialect spoken in San Francisco, at four elementary schools, which also have waitlists, and 163 for native Cantonese-speaking kindergarteners who may not speak English. By contrast, San Francisco Unified School District had almost 400 Spanish immersion kindergarten seats even though there are more than twice as many Chinese speakers with limited English proficiency in San Francisco than Spanish speakers with limited proficiency. San Francisco Unified School District spokesperson Hong Mei Pang said the district is 'supportive of expanding SFUSD language immersion programs as a strategy to increase enrollment options for families while improving student learning and outcomes,' including the possibility of a Mandarin immersion K-8 school, and that the district is engaging experts to determine next steps. District spokesperson Katrina Kincade said that an additional kindergarten classroom could fulfill the existing demand for the 2025-26 school year. She said there are vacant seats in the middle school Mandarin immersion program. 'Public school language immersion programs are a key priority for Superintendent Su,' Kincade wrote in a statement as they 'strengthen enrollment in SFUSD.' Kincade said as the district prepares for the upcoming budget cycle, 'we will be sharing plans to enhance and grow our acclaimed immersion offerings.' Hollinger said the idea that an extra kindergarten class could a meet the exploding demand for Mandarin immersion schools reflects the district's lack of understanding. Hollinger said numerous private Mandarin immersion schools are entering the market, including one called Hiba Academy opening in fall 2026, showing how high demand is. Dragon Gate Academy would adopt a similar immersion model to SFUSD, where kindergarteners receive 80% of teaching in Mandarin and the rest in English, scaling down to 50% by fourth grade. Research has shown K-12 Mandarin immersion has enabled students to achieve extremely high levels of Mandarin proficiency while performing on par with or better than peers in English and math. But a key difference is the K-8 throughline. SFUSD's Mandarin immersion middle school, Aptos, is on the opposite side of the city from Starr King, one of its two immersion elementary schools, creating a 38-minute round trip drive that parents said is inefficient and impractical, especially if they have kids in both schools. Grech's oldest son is expecting to enter sixth grade at Aptos next year. His middle child is at Starr King. Grech is bracing for a commute of over an hour, with traffic, from his home to each of his children's schools, putting his oldest on a long bus ride, or enrolling him in another middle school altogether 'It was obvious that the entire Mandarin immersion program, broadly, was an afterthought in the way it was constructed by SFUSD,' Grech said. 'While I'm very thankful all those programs exist, it should be rethought, in my mind, in a more coherent way that serves the interests of parents across all kinds of demographic groups and every single neighborhood and city.' The organizers envisioned a centrally located school and proposed co-location with an existing, underused SFUSD school, paying rent to the district to share a building. Non-native speakers would have 41%of seats reserved for them. The goal, according to the charter petition, is to mirror the diversity of the district, through an open lottery admissions process with no quotas or preferential admissions and outreach to underserved communities. Hollinger said he started having concerns when he heard in fall 2023 that the Mandarin immersion teacher for seventh and eighth graders at Aptos Middle School had resigned at the start of the school year. 'That was the first, 'Oh my gosh,'' Hollinger said. 'What is the path for the kids if the district isn't supporting the program enough to get a teacher?' It would be months before the position was filled, said Sherry Lin, a parent of two Aptos middle schoolers, who organized parents at the time. From September until March, Lin said her seventh-grade daughter was taught by a rotating cast of substitutes, including many that Lin said did not speak Mandarin proficiently. 'It took the wind out of their sails,' Lin said. The proposed charter school will have to be supported by a majority of the school board, which can, by law, reject it for a host of reasons, including that the district is not positioned to absorb the financial impact of the proposed charter school. Dragon Gate Academy will likely face opposition, especially from the teacher's union, which opposed expanding charter schools in its public education pledge. At least four current San Francisco school board members are listed as having signed it. Neither the union nor the school board members responded to a request for comment. Charter opponents say charter schools siphon funding away from district schools as they attract students who would otherwise have enrolled in district schools. California state funding for schools is allocated on a per pupil basis — about $22,000 per student. Hollinger has argued that Dragon Gate Academy could attract some students who otherwise would have left the district to enter private schools or move out of San Francisco, and therefore doesn't subtract from the district's coffers as much as opponents might think. One such parent is Kailee Boyce, who has two kids in Mandarin immersion preschool and an eight-month-old baby. Neither she nor her husband are or speak Chinese, but they wanted to give their children the benefits of language immersion, including cognitive benefits and cultural exposure. Her older daughter's first word was in Mandarin. ' Gou,' she had said, seemingly pointing to the sidewalk, Boyce recalled. Her daughter was pointing at the dogs on the sidewalk. 'My son was like, 'No Mommy, she means dog, you don't know Chinese,'' Boyce recalled. 'I felt just proud.' But when she started researching elementary Mandarin immersion schools for her four-year-old, she said a parent at Jose Ortega told her that unless they had a sibling already enrolled, the chances of getting in were almost zero. Starr King, located in Potrero Hill, is a 25-minute drive from her younger children's Sunset District daycare. It wouldn't be logistically possible, she said. She's betting on Dragon Gate Academy to succeed. 'If the charter school doesn't get traction,' Boyce said, 'I think we would probably leave San Francisco.'
