Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Charter Renewal topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Parents, students and KIPP leaders speak in favor of five‑year renewals at SFUSD hearings
Summary
At initial hearings, strong turnout of KIPP Bayview Elementary and KIPP San Francisco College Prep supporters described academic gains, community partnerships and supports for students with IEPs; staff will post analysis by Oct. 10 and decision hearings are scheduled for Oct. 28.
The San Francisco Unified School District held initial renewal hearings for two KIPP schools serving Bayview Hunters Point families, where parents, staff and students testified about academic gains and school culture.
At the hearing for KIPP Bayview Elementary, assistant principal and principal‑in‑residence Ali Sirleaf and principal Jess Wood described KBE as a predominantly Black, Latinx and multilingual school serving a high proportion of socioeconomically disadvantaged students; Wood told the board the school saw a 41 percent decrease in chronic absenteeism and improved early‑grade literacy, and emphasized inclusion for students with IEPs. Parents and students in the audience described individualized supports and community partnerships such as Faces SF and Open Door Legal that the school uses to help families.
KIPP San Francisco College Preparatory staff and students also presented a five‑year renewal case. Greg Chen, managing director of schools for KIPP SFCP, summarized comparative SBAC and college‑matriculation data and noted a 96 percent AP participation rate for seniors; students and alumni described college‑preparation supports that shaped their postsecondary plans.
Chris Armentrout, district liaison to charter schools, told the board staff will release the written staff report no later than Oct. 10, and the decision hearing is scheduled for Oct. 28, at which commissioners may ask additional questions and vote on the renewals. The board did not take action at the initial hearings.
Supporters urged the board to consider the schools’ outcomes and community role; opponents and advocates in virtual comments asked the board to weigh charter expansion carefully against investments in district public schools. The board reserved substantive questions for the staff report and the decision hearing.
