School Beat: Electing San Francisco's Board of Eduction

by Lisa Schiff, Beyond Chron (reposted)

Thu, Oct 5, 2006 7:52AM

Some of the hardest jobs in the San Francisco Unified School District (SFUSD) are up for grabs this November. On election day, three individuals will take their seats on the school board. Only one incumbent is running, meaning that at the very least we will have two newcomers joining the Board of Education (BOE). That's a whole lot of change on a seven seat body.

These positions carry with them tremendous responsibilities, great possibilities of achieving significant accomplishments, and more than anyone's fair share of heartache. The opportunities and costs each of these board members will confront affect us all, so it is only right that we ourselves seriously consider what we think is most significant before we fill out our ballots.

The winning candidates will have four years in which to influence the district. Given current circumstances, we have little room for error and little time for experimentation. All of the issues this board must grapple with right now have long-term consequences, for good or ill.

More
http://www.beyondchron.org/news/index.php?itemid=3751#more

§School Board Candidates Struggle to Step Out of the Pack

by Paul Hogarth, Beyond Chron (reposted)

Thu, Oct 5, 2006 7:53AM

With 15 candidates running for the School Board this November and only three positions available, last night’s forum sponsored by the League of Women Voters felt like the lightning round of an old TV game show. “This is the first time that I have met many of you,” said Dan Kelly to the other candidates. For 90 minutes, the candidates scrounged up on a very crowded panel and gave one-minute answers to four questions on a school district that educates over 60,000 students a year.

As the only incumbent running for re-election, Kelly had to defend the School District’s performance against 14 challengers, six of whom can be considered “serious” candidates. “The San Francisco Unified School District (SFUSD) has tremendously changed from the SFUSD from 16 years ago,” he said. “The district runs better, and children are taught better.”

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http://www.beyondchron.org/news/index.php?itemid=3746#more

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