Thinking Citizen Blog —Was the San Francisco Recall of Three School Board Members a Big Deal?
Thinking Citizen Blog — Friday is Education and Education Policy Day
Today’s Topic: Was the San Francisco Recall of Three School Board Members a Big Deal?
The vote was not close: “79% voted to oust Alison Collins, 75% to fire Gabriela Lopez, the board president, and 72% to remove Faauuga Moliga, the vice president.” These were the first recalls of a San Francisco School Board Member in the city’s history and the first recall of any San Francisco in over 100 years. Why did this happen? A parental revolt. Over what? Failure to re-open the schools. For starters. Then there was the re-naming of one third of the system’s 125 schools. Among those historical figures canceled were: Abraham Lincoln, George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Francis Scott Key, and Robert Louis Stevenson. Then there was the assault on “elite” public schools for which admission was based on exams and grades. As well, there was the decision to paint over murals from the 1930s by a Russian immigrant (and communist) for their racial insensitivity. What does the recall portend for the mid-term elections of 2022? Experts — please chime in. Correct, elaborate, elucidate.
WHO IS GABRIELA LOPEZ? (from the SF school board website)
1. “At 28, López is the youngest woman ever elected to office in San Francisco and the youngest school board member elected to the San Francisco Board of Education.”
2. “She is also the first bilingual educator ever elected and the first Latina in over 20 years, and the first ever to take the oath in Spanish when she was sworn into office in January of 2019.”
3. “Gabriela López was born in Los Angeles at UCLA Harbor Medical Center in 1990 to Mexican immigrants. Her mother was a house cleaner throughout her childhood and later worked in caring for elderly people and young children, which she still currently does. Her father is a truck driver, beginning his own business in the early 90s and has since sustained that work. López is the middle child to two brothers and the first in her family to go to college. She credits her work ethic to her parents, who consistently demonstrated resilience in the face of adversity.”
WHO IS ALISON COLLINS? (from the her campaign website and the SF Board website)
1. “Alison Collins, also known as “Ali”…is an experienced educator, mom of twins, and community organizer who has been fighting for education equity for 25 years.”
2. “Alison is personally committed to giving back to the public education system which helped her mother rise out of poverty, and helped her father become one of the first Black professors at UCLA. Her family history has fueled her passion for ensuring all students receive equal access to quality education. Her diverse professional experience includes working as a school improvement coach, teacher, parent educator, and diversity expert.”
3. “She is cofounder if the SF Families Union, Parent advocacy organization committed to fighting for equitable and inclusive schools. She is also the author of a blog, SF Public School Mom, focused on race, parenting and education. She holds a masters degree in education from San Francisco State University.”
WHO IS FAAUUGA MOLIGA? (from his website)
1. “Faauuga is the only Pacific Islander ever elected to citywide office.”
2. Bachelor of Science, Justice Studies, Master of Social Work, San Jose State University.
3. Grew up in public housing in San Francisco.
NB: “He has authored numerous resolutions that are improving San Francisco’s public schools. Most notable among these are legislation that will retain teachers by building teacher housing, increase enrollment in the southeastern section of San Francisco, improve learning opportunities for Pacific Islander students, and upgrade transportation and mental health services to save our public schools $30 million over the next five years.”
https://www.npr.org/2022/02/16/1081035770/san-francisco-voters-recall-three-school-board-members
In Landslide, San Francisco Forces Out 3 Board of Education Members
SF School Board Recall Results: Alison Collins, Gabriela López and Faauuga Moliga Recalled | KQED
https://www.sfusd.edu/about-sfusd/board-education/board-president-gabriela-lopez
Opinion | San Francisco Schools the Left
https://www.sfusd.edu/about-sfusd/board-education/commissioner-alison-collins
School Board Vice President Faauuga Moliga resigns in wake of recall — The San Francisco Examiner
https://www.nomoligarecall.com/about-faauuga-moliga
A LINK TO THE LAST FOUR YEARS OF POSTS ORGANIZED BY THEME:
PDF with headlines — Google Drive
YOUR TURN
Please share the coolest thing you learned in the last week related to education or education policy. Or the coolest thought however half-baked you had. Or the coolest, most important thing you learned in your life related to education or education policy that the rest of us may have missed. Or just some random education-related fact that blew you away.
This is your chance to make some one’s day. Or to cement in your own mind something that you might otherwise forget. Or to think more deeply than otherwise about something that is dear to your heart.
