| San Francisco County, CA | November 2, 2004 Election |
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Lack of Academic Freedom in the SFUSDBy Jim FerrignoCandidate for Board of Education; County of San Francisco |
This information is provided by the candidate | |
One of the biggest problems in our district is lack of Freedom and transparency. We have a sunshine ordinance that does not work.One of the biggest problems in our district is lack of Freedom and transparency. We have a sunshine ordinance that does not work. Much of what goes on at the uppermost levels of the district is a mystery to parents, teachers and the community. This is particularly true in the financial area. For example, the public does not have access to all information concerning contracts put up for bid by the district before the bid occurs. The community needs to be aware of what the contracts are, how much they are for, and who the potential bidders are before the contract is awarded. It does not help for the community to get this information after the fact, when it is too late for us to do anything about it. We also need access to detailed information on potential bidders. We need to know their history, and whether or not it would be appropriate to award them a contract in service of our children. We need a new sunshine ordinance in this district that will give the community access to vital information about administrative activities in the district at the appropriate time and in appropriate detail. Possibly the most significant problem in the district is the current authoritarian leadership style of Superintendent Arlene Ackerman that has resulted in a lack of freedom in the district for teachers, students, and parents. Students in our district have very little say in what happens at their schools. After all, the schools exist for the benefit of students. Shouldn't the students have some input as to how they are managed? That is why we need a full student member of the Board of Education, with all the rights and privileges of any other Board member. In addition, there is currently a gag order in our district, barring teachers from speaking to the press. The Superintendent's office has invoked this gag order on several teachers in past months. In my view, it is absolutely unconscionable and totally unacceptable to deny freedom of speech to overworked, underpaid teachers that have important issues to voice concerning our children's education. In addition, to enforce such a gag order denies the community vital information about what is happening in our district. The top- down leadership model of the Superintendent has fostered a serious lack of academic freedom for teachers and students in the district. Teachers must be given the freedom to design their own lesson plans and choose their own textbooks. This is not always the case in our district currently. Without academic freedom, talented educators become mere robotic functionaries who simply carry out orders. |
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Created from information supplied by the candidate: October 12, 2004 21:53
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