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Parents at Harvey Milk school demand turnaround plan, cite teacher turnover and PTA friction
Summary
A group of parents representing more than 100 signees urged the board to intervene at Harvey Milk Civil Rights Academy, citing high teacher turnover, substitute shortages, declining enrollment and resistance to forming a PTA; they requested a district turnaround plan and immediate support.
Parents and community members from Harvey Milk Civil Rights Academy addressed the board Nov. 18 with a petition and multiple speakers outlining persistent problems at their school: chronic teacher turnover in upper grades, lack of substitutes, declining local enrollment and repeated faculty votes against forming a PTA.
Parents described the practical effects on students: long stretches without permanent teachers, inconsistent substitutes and fundraising shortfalls that they say disproportionately harm the least advantaged kids. One parent said 70% of residents in the school attendance area chose not to list Harvey Milk on application lists, a figure used to illustrate eroding community confidence.
Why it matters: Speakers argued that the district needs to partner with families to develop a turnaround plan addressing staffing stability, school leadership and family engagement. They asked the district to convene parents, teachers and assistant superintendent staff to craft a comprehensive corrective plan.
Board response: Superintendent Carranza acknowledged receipt of a petition and arranged for Deputy Superintendent Guadalupe Guerrero and Assistant Superintendent Richard Kerchie to meet parents after the meeting to discuss next steps; a board member requested a memo on PTA formation procedures to clarify whether parent groups can form PTAs and what constraints exist.
Outcome: The petition will prompt direct meetings between district staff and parents; commissioners indicated they would seek fact‑finding on PTA policy and staffing supports but took no immediate vote on a formal turnaround plan that night.
