FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
October 1, 2004
Press Contact: Wanda Whitaker
(415) 760-7751 / wandawb@...
SF School Board of Education Election Public Forum with Candidates in
Bayview Hunters Point
SAN FRANCISCO - A public forum with the candidates on the ballot for the
2004 San Francisco School Board of Education election will take place on
Friday, October 1, 2004 from 6:30p.m.until 9:30p.m in Bayview Hunters
Point at the Southeast Community Facility, Alex Pitcher Community Room
(1800 Oakdale at Phelps Street).
The forum is part of the effort of several Bayview Hunters Point youth
organizations who are trying to make a difference by ensuring quality
education for the youth that they serve. The event will be moderated by
Michael Denny and broadcast live on KPOO-89.5FM. The program will
feature all of the slated candidates providing them with an extended
period of time to communicate their platforms to the general public and
the San Francisco listening audience followed by a question and answer
session.
In the Bayview Hunters Point district of San Francisco, 91% of the
population are people of color and unemployment is 250% higher than the
rest of the City. Bayview Hunters Point has the highest percentage of
homeowners in San Francisco and the highest number of youth who reside
in the neighborhood. It has been reported by the San Francisco grand
jury that high school students living in Bayview Hunters Point have an
average GPA of 1.84 (D+) and 38 percent drop out of high school before
their senior year. Most of the residents have an income level
significantly lower than other parts of San Francisco or the Greater Bay
Area. Nearly 30% of Bayview Hunters Point residents have an income below
$15,000 versus 19% Citywide.
Current Superintendent Arlene Ackerman's solution has been converting
three public schools in the Bayview (Charles Drew Elementary,
Twenty-First Century Academy and Gloria R. Davis) into Dream Schools.
Dream Schools are designed to give children greater educational
opportunities and better quality of life experiences with an emphasis on
tutoring, college and career planning, and extracurricular activities.
Some school board members have been in opposition of Ackerman's vision
and other SF School District initiatives. The forum will provide an
opportunity for many citizens residing in and outside of the Bayview to
become more informed before voting in the upcoming November election.
ENDORSERS: Infusion One, SF Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, Center for
Young Women's Development, United Educators of SF, SEIU Joint Council,
SF Democratic Party, SF Green Party, SF Women's Political Caucus, Bay
Area Union Labor Party, Black American Political Association of
California, SF Black Chamber of Commerce
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