Issue Position: Ensuring All Kids Have Access to Great Public Education

Issue Position

Nothing is more important for the future of California than making sure our public schools are properly funded and that they provide high-quality education to all children in all communities. Public education is personal for me. I attended public schools K through 12, as did my sister, my parents, my grandparents, my aunts, my uncles, and my cousins. My nephews are currently in a public elementary school in New York City. My mother was a public school biology teacher in Philadelphia, and my aunt recently retired after a career teaching math in a public school.

Every child in San Francisco and San Mateo Counties deserves to have safe community schools that are fully staffed with the most qualified teachers, nurses, counselors, and other education professionals. Good schools not only prepare our children for the future, but they create the next generation of leaders for our communities and are the foundation on which our democracy is built.

Increased Funding for Public Schools

I'll fight for increased funding for every single school in San Francisco and San Mateo Counties. I worked to protect teacher salaries by fighting efforts to water down Proposition 98, and I will continue to champion education spending. Yet, some schools need more support than others, and I'll explore many ways to increase funding to the schools that are most in need. Every single child has the right to a great school, no matter where it is located. I'll work with legislators, the governor, and school policy experts to find any and all sources of funding that can improve the district's underperforming schools. We also need to ensure that our schools are well run, with good oversight.

Expanding After-School Programs

I strongly support broad access to high quality after-school programs and obtained funding for these critical programs. After-school programs are vital for students and parents. For students, they provide an opportunity to expand the learning day by providing academic support and enrichment. For parents, after-school programs provide a safe and supportive environment for their children. After-school programs mean a working parent can drop off their child at school in the morning and pick him or her up at the end of the work day with no work interruption. After-school programs can literally make the difference for families living on hourly wage jobs. I will fight to expand high quality after-school programming statewide.

Universal Preschool and Increased Childcare Options

Every child deserves a strong start. That's why I support universal early childhood education for all kids before they enter kindergarten, including restoration of funding cuts during the recession.

Support For Science Technology Engineering and Math Curriculum (S.T.E.M.)

Our public schools must offer rigorous STEM education, and I've advocated to that end. For example, when the San Francisco Unified School District proposed eliminating 8th grade algebra I, I vocally opposed that decision. STEM education is crucial to achieving our shared goal of ensuring our kids are able to participate in the Bay Area's job growth and access good-paying jobs. In Sacramento, I will champion STEM curriculum throughout our state's public schools.

Improved Access to School Nutrition and Drinking Water

Without proper nutrition, students struggle and cannot achieve to the best of their abilities. This especially affects lower income students who rely on our school breakfast and lunch programs. I've fought hard for funding for school nutrition programs, including by sponsoring the soda tax, which would have dedicated nearly $20 million annually to expand school lunch in our public schools, as well as to expand after school and physical education programs. I secured funding for water bottle filling stations in our public schools and school lunch vending machines that expand the capacity of schools to provide students with nutritious meals.

Keeping Kids Safe at School and on Their Way to School

Our schools aren't just about education, but also about keeping our kids safe. I'm a strong supporter of the Safe Routes to School Program, which allows our kids to walk to school safely. As a member of the Metropolitan Transportation Commission, I've consistently supported funding for this critical source of pedestrian safety investment. I also authored a resolution putting San Francisco on record in support of Senate Bill 277, which requires vaccinations for kids to go to public school, an important measure to protect the health of all of our children.

Funding for More Paraprofessional Positions at Schools

We all know it takes more than just teachers to make a great school. Schools need librarians, nurses, guidance counselors, and countless other support staff to ensure the best school environments for our children. I will make sure that school funding not only goes to teachers and facilities, but to these very important community members as well.

Support Community and Neighborhood Schools

I support a school assignment system that allows people to attend schools near their homes. To make neighborhood schools a great choice for everyone, we need to invest both programs and funding in schools that are experiencing challenges. Having outstanding schools in every neighborhood is the only way to ensure that a neighborhood school assignment system works. Local schools are the backbone of our neighborhoods. They create a sense of community, and neighbors can grow up together and get to know each other and experience different cultures firsthand. Schoolchildren should be able to easily travel to their neighborhood school, including walking and biking. This is good for the environment, in addition to building community. Also, neighborhood schools will increase the diversity of our public education system. San Francisco's current school assignment system makes it unnecessarily difficult for parents to receive a school assignment and to access schools near their homes, and it needs to be reformed. I support a school assignment system that improves schools and increases diversity by allowing people to attend schools near their homes.

Support for Bilingual and Immersion Programs

San Francisco and San Mateo counties have been destinations for immigrant communities for over a century. Our counties' diversity is what makes the region so economically valuable and culturally vibrant. I strongly support allowing communities to maintain their own cultural traditions, and also giving them and their children the tools to succeed, including English-learning programs. I support both bilingual programs and programs that are taught in a native language, with the goal of getting children up to speed in English as quickly as possible. I will work toward increased funding of these programs in our school districts.

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