SFUSD superintendent defends closure and merger plans as he meets with upset parents
SAN FRANCISCO (KGO) -- San Francisco Unified School District Superintendent Matt Wayne was at San Francisco Public Montessori Tuesday night defending his plan to close that school to parents on campus.
Those parents, along with their kids, held a rally outside before the meeting with the superintendent.
"Don't merge our school, don't merge our school!" chanted the elementary school children.
If the plan is approved, the kids would then go to Rosa Parks Elementary in the city's Western Addition neighborhood.
"I really love the school and I don't want the school to close down," said one 3rd grader.
"There really wasn't much of a plan," said Gerald Kanapathy who is a parent of two kids.
VIDEO: SF Mayor London Breed slams SFUSD superintendent over school closure and merger plan
In fact, that thought is now echoed by San Francisco's most powerful political figure, Mayor London Breed.
She didn't hold back regarding her thoughts on Superintendent Wayne.
"I have lost faith in the superintendent's ability to facilitate the school closure process, Mayor Breed said. "Information has been provided to me on one day and changed the next. It has been mishandled, it has been a frustrating process."
ABC7 News gave Superintendent Wayne the opportunity before, during and after the meeting to talk about what the mayor said, but instead, his office sent us a statement.
LIST: Which SFUSD schools might face closure or mergers
In it he says:
"I must ensure that the district continues to improve education outcomes for all 49,000 students entrusted in our care. With Severe budget cuts imminent, continuing with the status quote in SFUSD is unacceptable and not sustainable."
There are only 105 students at the Public Montessori school and Wayne referenced those numbers in the meeting Tuesday night. The plan is to merge those students with the 328 students at Rosa Parks. According to the district, that's a facility that can handle five classrooms per grade versus three per grade at the Montessori location but parents beg to differ.
"There are two floors that are being unoccupied," said Bertha Argumedo who is a parent.
Parents and students alike hoping the school board won't approve the plan when they vote on it later this year.
MORE: Where did it go wrong? Here's how San Francisco Unified's issues led to school closures
Here is the Superintendent's letter he sent out Tuesday:
Dear SFUSD Community:
During my two and a half years as superintendent of SFUSD, I have visited each and every one of our 100+ schools, talking to families, teachers, students, and our school leaders. I have seen incredible joy in our school communities, as well as heard deep frustration with stagnating low reading and math proficiency scores, a deteriorating budget, and unacceptable operational challenges. It is my responsibility to ensure that SFUSD can be the best possible school district for each and every one of our 49,000 students. Without having the courage to make deep changes and difficult decisions, we cannot expect to meaningfully improve student outcomes.
Last week, my team announced which schools meet the criteria for closure or merger, ensuring that our efforts to improve literacy and math instruction remain on track while we continue to address our structural deficit and resolve operational issues.
It is undoubtedly difficult for our school communities to face these potential changes. Over the next two weeks, I will spend time with the students, families, and staff of each of the 13 schools that meet the criteria for closure or merger, listening to their questions and concerns. I know there is nothing that will make those conversations easier. At the same time, I must ensure that the district continues to improve educational outcomes for all 49,000 students entrusted in our care.
With severe budget cuts imminent, continuing with the status quo in SFUSD is unacceptable and not sustainable. We must keep the best interests of all of those we represent at heart, particularly our students. Since I joined SFUSD, my team has consulted experts, implemented best practices, and deeply examined the mounting challenges within SFUSD that have been the result of more than a decade of status quo decisions. As the educational leader of San Francisco, I have put forth my initial best thinking to address these challenges, informed by other school districts from around the country, as well as from extensive community input. I look forward to being with our students, families, and staff in these coming days to again hear directly from them.
In this pivotal moment, we must act with both courage and compassion, knowing that our decisions today will shape the future of our students and the communities we serve.
In community,
Dr. Wayne
