Centering Students in These Challenging Times

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Dear SFUSD Community: 

This week we shared some important updates about our budget crisis and how closing or merging some schools could lead to improved educational experiences of our students. Before we head into the weekend, I want to take a moment to acknowledge the many emotions we are feeling, and offer a collective deep breath.

At the heart of every decision I am faced with is how it will impact the students and families we serve. Starting next week, my staff and I will be meeting with the communities of the schools that meet the criteria for closure or merger. During these meetings, we will discuss what the future could look like for these schools, including what happens to their budgets for the upcoming school year. We will ask our communities what is unique about their school; what do the students, families and staff need if the school were to merge or close; and what support can we put in place to make any transition as smooth as possible. I am grateful for the opportunity to be in community and at these meetings, please know I will be there to listen to you. 

In addition, I want to provide some brief updates on related topics: 

  • On Thursday, Oct. 10, we hosted a virtual town hall. Thank you to those who joined live, and please know that the recording is available online. At the town hall, I shared updates on our budget crisis, proposals to eliminate our structural deficit and retain local control of our schools, and our initial thinking about why closing or merging some schools could result in a better educational experience for students. We are planning for two more town halls in the next few weeks, so stay tuned for updates.
  • This week we published a new detailed set of Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs), which we will continue to add to as we receive more questions. Please continue to check back here for current information.
  • SFUSD is committed to transparency and accountability. On Tuesday, Oct. 8, we published an incorrect list of composite scores for each school. We have since corrected the composite score list and it has been validated by our third party researchers. We apologize for publishing an incorrect list, and want to assure the community that the change to the composite scores did not result in any change to the schools that met the criteria for closure or merger that we shared on Tuesday, Oct. 8. You can learn more about the composite scores here.
  • I want to again apologize to the John Muir school community for sending a letter that was only meant for them to SFUSD. We are deeply sorry for any impact that this error has caused. 

Every school community in SFUSD is meaningful to the students and families it serves. As we navigate the difficult decisions ahead, I remain committed to working in partnership with you to honor the perspectives and lived experiences of our communities. Thank you for being part of SFUSD.

 

Sincerely,

Dr. Wayne