Why Run for School Board?
I am a proud LGBT (bi+ and trans) parent with deep ties to the public school system. I was born and raised in San Jose, Ca, and have been a lifetime resident of the San Francisco Bay Area. Raised by a single mother, I have three siblings who have since spread out across California and Oregon where my mother finally retired.
I attended exclusively public schools through middle school, and multiple public high schools including Abraham Lincoln, Gunderson and after moving around during my freshman year I finally ended up at Prospect in Saratoga, CA. When I finally went to college I attended Berkeley City College due to their Program for Adult College Education (PACE) since I was already a working adult at the time and I finished my baccalaureate at New College of California. I went on to earn my master's degree in Jewish Studies through the Richard S. Dinner Center for Jewish Studies (CJS) at the Graduate Theological Union. I had career goals of becoming a rabbi, but then after some deep consideration I decided to run for the San Francisco Board of Education instead.
I have considered running for the San Francisco school board since my daughter began kindergarten, it was then I realized that the system was a shambles, while going through The Assignment Process for the first time. My wife and I called it the parent hazing and the moniker has remained throughout the three times that we have gone through the process. I support revamping the broken assignment process, and through that addressing the root causes of the Achievement Gap, assisting in the timely implementation of the Digital District Plan, and looking at ways that we can support algebraic learning in middle school within the Common Core State Standards.
I would also support revisiting a Gifted and Talented Education (GATE) Program that will truly engage neurodiverse students and bring those families that have left our school communities back to the public schools. I want to support educator salary increases and assist in building solutions to rising housing costs across San Francisco. I also want to create avenues of engagement and communication between faculty, students and parents, and work towards clear communication of positive trans and gender non-conforming policies, including bathroom signage and student rights district-wide.
I hope that you will join me in bringing common sense ideas and progressive values to the San Francisco Board of Education!
I attended exclusively public schools through middle school, and multiple public high schools including Abraham Lincoln, Gunderson and after moving around during my freshman year I finally ended up at Prospect in Saratoga, CA. When I finally went to college I attended Berkeley City College due to their Program for Adult College Education (PACE) since I was already a working adult at the time and I finished my baccalaureate at New College of California. I went on to earn my master's degree in Jewish Studies through the Richard S. Dinner Center for Jewish Studies (CJS) at the Graduate Theological Union. I had career goals of becoming a rabbi, but then after some deep consideration I decided to run for the San Francisco Board of Education instead.
I have considered running for the San Francisco school board since my daughter began kindergarten, it was then I realized that the system was a shambles, while going through The Assignment Process for the first time. My wife and I called it the parent hazing and the moniker has remained throughout the three times that we have gone through the process. I support revamping the broken assignment process, and through that addressing the root causes of the Achievement Gap, assisting in the timely implementation of the Digital District Plan, and looking at ways that we can support algebraic learning in middle school within the Common Core State Standards.
I would also support revisiting a Gifted and Talented Education (GATE) Program that will truly engage neurodiverse students and bring those families that have left our school communities back to the public schools. I want to support educator salary increases and assist in building solutions to rising housing costs across San Francisco. I also want to create avenues of engagement and communication between faculty, students and parents, and work towards clear communication of positive trans and gender non-conforming policies, including bathroom signage and student rights district-wide.
I hope that you will join me in bringing common sense ideas and progressive values to the San Francisco Board of Education!
Martin Rawlings-Fein
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