Just a few items of note on the agenda for last Tuesday’s Board meeting (sorry it’s taken me so long to find time to write a recap):
- The Community Advisory Committee for Special Education presented its annual report. As a member of this committee for several years prior to running for the Board of Education, it’s always important to me to make sure the Board hears from this committee regularly and acts on its recommendations. I am very grateful to this group of parent volunteers for the work and the advocacy that they do for students with disabilities in our schools. The group reminded us of its guiding principles, including the fact that 75 percent of our students with disabilities are served exclusively in general education, that parents are an integral part of each and every Individual Education Plan (IEP) team, and that the “I” in IEP stands for Individual. This year, the CAC will focus on monitoring staffing levels and vacancies at all school sites; broadening implicit bias considerations to include students with IEPs; improving evidence-based interventions for improving reading and writing, among other priorities. On October 27, the CAC will host a candidate information night to interview candidates on their views on improving special education (more information at www.cacspedsf.org).
- The Board adopted a series of revisions to our conflict of interest code, to clarify our rules regarding soliciting of campaign donations and required financial disclosures, and align them more closely to the City’s rules.
- Affirming our current Board Policy banning all but law-enforcement officers from carrying firearms on district-property.
- We heard public comment from parents of students in a particular classroom at Sunnyside Elementary whose teacher has not been present at work since the beginning of school. This is a very difficult personnel issue and I regret that I or district officials cannot be more forthcoming with parents. Rest assured that I am monitoring the situation closely and pushing for a resolution.
Rachel Norton 
It seems like there are so many teachers on special assignment. Perhaps one of these teachers would be interested in the Sunnyside position.
Thank you for mentioning the Sunnyside Elementary School’s 5th grade teacher situation. The students have completed almost 25% of the school year without a teacher. The parents and administration have no reason to believe the teacher will miraculously show up next week and teach the class. How can we say this is still a personnel issue? This is a quality of education issue, the students don’t have a clear leader in preparation for middle school. I find it hard to believe that the SFUSD Administration has no control over assigning a credentialed permanent teacher to the class through the end of the school year. Take the bureaucracy out of the class room and give the students a teacher while they still have time to catch up on their learning!
Banning all but law enforcement officers from carrying weapons on district property is a nice standpoint