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Board unanimously renews Gateway High School charter after staff recommendation and broad community support
Summary
The San Francisco Board of Education voted unanimously Dec. 9 to renew Gateway High School's charter through June 30, 2014, following a positive staff review and extensive public testimony from students, teachers and parents urging renewal.
The San Francisco Board of Education on Dec. 9 voted unanimously to renew Gateway High School's charter for the five-year term beginning July 1, 2009, after district staff presented a favorable review and members of the Gateway community urged approval.
Mary Richards, the district's director of charter schools and small schools, told the board that SFUSD staff had completed a final review of Gateway's renewal petition and found the school met the Ed. Code criteria for renewal. Richards read the superintendent's recommendation that the board grant the charter renewal for the period 07/01/2009 to 06/30/2014 and require an annual memorandum of understanding between Gateway and the district.
Gateway students, teachers and parents filled the public-comment period to urge approval. Michael Flor, assistant principal at Gateway High School, called the school a partner of the district and said it serves students citywide. Several students described Gateway as a ‘‘family’’ and credited the school with boosting their academic confidence. Parents and staff emphasized Gateway's academic outcomes, college-going statistics and the school's capacity to serve diverse learners.
Commissioners who had served on the curriculum and budget committees cited Gateway's academic results and the school's financial reserves. Board members praised the school's work on equity and small-school instruction and noted the curriculum and audit reviews presented to committees. President Mark Sanchez closed the discussion and the board carried the motion by roll call; the vote was recorded as unanimous.
The board directed Gateway to negotiate and execute an annual memorandum of understanding with the district and to comply with applicable local, state and federal laws for charter schools. No amendments or contested votes were recorded in the transcript for the renewal action.
The board cleared the room after the vote to allow Gateway students and staff to leave early, thanking them for their attendance and testimony.
