Principals of School Reform

UESF

PRINCIPLES FOR SCHOOL REFORM

Sustainable school reform can only be achieved with the full collaboration of all stakeholders: parents, students, educators and administrators. There is no single blueprint for school reform. Each diverse school community should decide which reform model fits best, and adjust it to most meet its communities’ unique needs. We therefore offer the following principles for creating successful schools for all SFUSD students.

Consultation and Collaboration Among All Stakeholders:

· Historically, reconstitution has failed to transform at-risk schools. It removes valuable stakeholders – educators – from the reform process. NO RECONSTITUION or teacher reapplication.

· All stakeholders -- parents, educators, students and administrators -- must be active participants in school design and reform.

· Both current parties to the Consent Decree – SFUSD and the NAACP – should consider UESF a partner in meeting desegregation and academic achievement goals.

· Research on effective reform must be reviewed and utilized.

· District-wide data on student achievement must be reviewed by SFUSD, UESF and other key stakeholders BEFORE implementation of any site-level reform effort.

· The SFUSD-UESF contracts should outline protocols regarding school site redesign

Sufficient Resources and Support For a Healthy School Community:

All sites need adequate public funds for:

· appropriately credentialed teachers and paraprofessionals; literacy, technology, art, music, health and PE teachers

· nurses, social workers, counselors, librarians, and core substitutes

· books, supplies and the maintenance of a safe and inviting environment

· programs to meet the needs of all students, including: early intervention, GATE, AP, remedial, vocational and elective classes

· release time for collective planning and collaboration

· quality childcare, parenting classes, translation services and adult education

Accountability For All Stakeholders:

Sustainable school reform is built on respectful relationships. For each school site an open process with clear timelines and definitions of responsibility among stakeholders is necessary, including:

· SFUSD central administration should:

o honor the will of the educators and parents at each site

o use date other than high stakes testing to assess school and student success

o provide the resources necessary to each site

· The Board of Education should provide clear policy direction to school administration.

· Educators should implement standards-based instruction to meet the needs of all students.

· Students should take responsibility for their own learning.

· Parents should be accessible partners to their children and to teachers in the learning process

Adopted by UESF Assembly April 20, 2005