Lisa Weissman-Ward

• Office: Board of Education
• Election Date: November 8, 2022
• Candidate: Lisa Weissman-Ward
• Due Date: Friday, August 19, 2022
• Printable Version

Thank you for seeking GrowSF's endorsement for the 2022 Board of Education election! GrowSF believes in a growing, beautiful, vibrant, healthy, safe, and prosperous city via common sense solutions and effective government.

The GrowSF endorsement committee will review all completed questionnaires and seek consensus on which candidates best align with our vision for San Francisco and have the expertise to enact meaningful policy changes.

We ask that you please complete this questionnaire by Friday, August 19, 2022 so we have enough time to adequately review and discuss your answers.

Table of Contents

• Vision
• Short-form questions
  • Education
• Long-form questions
  • General
  • Instruction and Curriculum
  • Policy
  • Personal
• Thank you

Vision

GrowSF believes in a growing, beautiful, vibrant, healthy, safe, and prosperous San Francisco. And we believe that great public schools are necessary for a great and prosperous society.

This section of our questionnaire seeks to help us gain an understanding of your alignment with our vision for San Francisco.

1

Short-form questions

Please mark the box that best aligns with your position. You may explain any position if you so desire, but this section is designed to be a quick overview of your view of the city's problems and what solutions you might propose.

Education

In general, is it too hard, just right, or too easy to…	Too hard	Just right	Too easy
Attend a school of your choosing	x
Transport children to school	x
Hire good teachers
Fire bad teachers
Set public education curriculum	x
Access special needs instruction	x
Access advanced instruction	x
Adequately fund public instruction	x
Ensure adequate instruction is available to all students	x

If you want to explain any positions above, please feel free:

Tell us one thing you think needs to change about education in San Francisco that the average voter wouldn't know about.

Public education is woefully underfunded by the State. Many of our funding formulas and allocations are set by the State. For example, our funding depends in large part on the "average daily attendance" rate. If students are not physically sitting in seats in classrooms, the District loses money.

Long-form questions

General

Please explain why San Francisco's Board of Education members Alison Collins, Gabriela López, and Faauuga Moliga were recalled.

Prior members were recalled because the community, including many parents, lost trust in the District and in the Board of Education's willingness, desire, and commitment to center the needs of our students. This loss of trust was particularly acute given that it occurred during a pandemic, when many of our students and our families were already suffering unimaginable loss and experiencing unprecedented levels of stress.

In what ways are we succeeding in public education?

There are a number of amazing things about SFUSD that are not discussed enough.

First, we have an amazing and brilliant pool of educators at SFUSD. Not only do we need to celebrate and appreciate and fairly compensate them, we need to support them and create space for their own continued growth and development. I don't think it is a coincidence that we are seeing elevated rates of both students and educators leaving the district. It is cyclical. When teachers aren't sufficiently supported, the students aren't either. The opposite is also true: when students aren't sufficiently supported, the teachers aren't either. My hope is that by increasing the rate of teacher retention, we will also increase the enrollment of students.

Second, we have an amazing set of programs and schools, including, but not limited to dual language pathways, academies, and community schools. I believe we need to do more to tell the story of the success of these programs and to recruit additional students to participate, helping increase enrollment.

Third, we are educating our children in a city where the electorate overwhelmingly supports bond and parcel tax measures which directly benefit our schools. This support is not commonplace and I think it is important to elevate and further cultivate the relationship between the school district and the community at large.

In what ways are we failing in public education?

*I should note that I am thrilled with our selection of Dr. Matt Wayne as Superintendent. I am optimistic that with him at the helm and with a commitment from the Board to focusing on governance and centering our desire to improve student outcomes, these concerns will soon be in the rearview mirror!

1. Lack of student-centered focus: We have not focused on tools, programs and staff that will actually improve student outcomes. We must hold ourselves accountable by using metrics for our goals and measuring our performance. We must work with experts and learn from other school districts that have student-centered strategies which have

resulted in improved literacy and math levels. The opposite of this is the centering of adult-centric performative politics and decisions. The Board has a history of this and our students are being harmed.

2. Lack of inclusion of diverse and informed voices: One wonderful thing about SFUSD is that it is made up of diverse communities with incredible knowledge and expertise. We have created a system where 555 Franklin Street and the podium and microphone in the Boardroom are the only place to provide feedback. This is woefully inadequate and exclusionary. It also doesn't allow for actual dialogue as Commissioners are not allowed to respond to public comment.

3. Inadequate Fiscal Leadership: See below response for more details. SFUSD has a structural deficit which I believe is in large part due to our lack of alignment of the priority to our student outcomes and a lack of measurable outcomes to hold the District accountable.

Why is SFUSD facing a budget crisis? Please explain the nature of this budget crisis.

I joined the BOE while the District was facing a significant structural deficit with a projected $125 million shortfall for Fiscal Year 2022-23. There are a number of actions/decisions that I believe created this crisis. First, we are experiencing a significant loss in student enrollment numbers. With this loss of student enrollment, our state funding decreases significantly. Second, the District has not been strategic with its use of one time versus ongoing funding sources. The use of one-time funding money may give an initial appearance of the budget being stable, but it is temporary at best, and often results in future deficit funding or having to make hard cuts later. Finally, we have not done a strategic job of directing our funding to programs that will provide meaningful improvements to our District's delivery of public education.

I am proud that my colleagues and I have passed a balanced budget. When we adopted our 2022-20223 budget, our projected shortfall for the unrestricted general fund was a $21,972,186 shortfall with zero dollars in our unassigned balanced fund. Our revised budget has now brought that shortfall (for the unrestricted fund) to $1,427,402 with an additional $20,544,783 in our unassigned balance fund. Our projected budget for 2023-24 shows a surplus of $14,031,251!

While we are in a much better position than we were last year, we continue to be at risk of deficit spending and face a continued structural deficit if we are not more strategic and intentional with our spending. We must ensure that our budget aligns with our priorities and that every line item

can be explained as it relates to improving student outcomes and closing the opportunity gap. We must also ensure that the budget is transparent and makes sense to not only the Board, but the community. Additionally, I am thrilled that we will be able to expand our community schools model thanks to the State's separate (and additional funding) and I am excited to support the

Student Success Charter measure, which will allow us to recover excess ERAF funds and put them towards improving student outcomes and supporting the "whole child" model.

Instruction and Curriculum

What is your understanding of the results of SFUSD changing the math curriculum in 2014? Should San Francisco reintroduce middle school algebra in public schools? Why or why not?

I believe in providing more, not fewer opportunities for our students to receive excellent education. Unfortunately, with the removal of algebra from middle schools, those students who were interested in pursuing algebra and had the means to hire private tutors did so. Those students who were interested in pursuing algebra and did not have the means to hire private tutors didn't. This exacerbates inequity and expands the opportunity gap. A child who is interested in learning algebra should have the opportunity to do so irrespective of socio-economic status and extra disposable income.

It is also important to flag that it is incumbent upon the district to provide more and better opportunities for all of our students to feel comfortable and advance in math starting from kindergarten. Fortunately, there are ways to do this! We saw exciting and significant improvements in math rates for all students, but specifically for African American students at John Muir Elementary School following the use of a different teaching strategy called "Teaching Through Problem Solving." The particular curriculum was focused on math, but, not surprisingly, students showed impressive gains in literacy as well. This fall, this same strategy will be used in three new locations: Malcolm X Academy, Leonard R. Flynn Elementary School, and Sanchez Elementary School.

SFUSD student performance is low, with many students being left unprepared for high school and college. How and why are we failing our students?

For far too long, we haven't set specific goals with measurable outcomes. This means we lack accountability and are not in a position to know what is working and what is not working until it is too late. As it specifically relates to college and career readiness, we are seeing a significant discrepancy between our graduation rates and our college/career readiness rates, with the former being higher. This means that the skills that our students are learning are insufficient. I believe that the root of the answer goes back to the lack of preparedness that we are seeing when students move from elementary school to middle school and again from middle school to high school. For example, it is no surprise that many of our high school students are leaving the District unprepared when many actually entered high school unprepared: our three year pre-pandemic average for 8th graders being "high school ready" is only 60%.

What needs to change to improve SFUSD's poor student performance?

The Board needs to set its governance on centering student outcomes and creating meaningful metrics by which to evaluate how well we are providing excellent and equitable education for our children.

We also need to listen to those who possess expertise in pedagogy and curriculum and instruction and learn from school districts that are actually doing it well!

What is your understanding of special needs education at SFUSD, and what could be done to improve it?

Our SPED programs are underfunded and understaffed. I also do not believe that we are doing sufficient screenings earlier on to identify how we can provide early interventions and support. I believe that State funding changes are important to recognize the importance and value of well-funded and well-staffed SPED programs. After speaking with parents of children with IEPs and 504 plans as well as educators, I also believe that we need much more training and support for both our Special education and general education teachers.

What is your understanding of advanced education at SFUSD, and what could be done to improve it?

Excellence and equity in education go hand-in-hand. You can't have one without the other. For far too long, these concepts have been pitted against one another and it has resulted in adults fighting and students getting further harmed. I believe that all students, no matter what their background, have the capacity to be excited and engaged learners who can thrive in school. Students not thriving is not the fault of the students, but is the fault of the systems in place.

As an academic myself, I appreciate research driven solutions where outcomes can be measured. I believe we must listen and learn from experts who have proven strategies about how to improve literacy and math levels. Students must be pushed no matter where they are. In some cases, it means a student advancing from behind grade level to at-grade level and in another case, it might mean advancing from above grade level to even further above grade level.

For example, when it comes to high schools, we must develop opportunities that meet the needs of all our students and ensure they are all productive when they graduate. For some this might be rigorous "traditional" academic programs. For others it may be arts or creative STEM programs or trades and apprenticeship focused. We must commit resources to all pathways for our students.

What are these programs lacking which the Board of Education could rectify?

See earlier response re: lack of centered student outcomes and accountability.

Policy

Now that we know where you align and differ from our vision for San Francisco, we'd like to get some details about how you intend to use your elected office to achieve your goals.

Why are you running for Board of Education?

About me: I am a bi-racial mother of two SFUSD public-school children, a daughter of educators and a civil rights advocate, a twin-sister (to a doctor specializing in addiction medicine and trans healthcare), and a spouse (to a labor and workforce development advocate). That's to say that I've grown up with-and chose- to surround myself with people who, like me, are committed to improving the lives of others. I am bringing this commitment to my work on the School Board.

I am the product of public schools – from kindergarten through college and law school. I understand and have personally benefited from quality public education.

I am an attorney and an educator. As the Associate Director of Stanford Law School's Immigrants' Rights Clinic, I have two roles. Wearing my attorney hat, I represent individuals facing deportation, asylum seekers fleeing persecution, and undocumented individuals who are limited in legalization options. Wearing my educator hat, I supervise and mentor law students who are participating in a clinical (practical learning) experience. Working under the supervision of my law license, students have an opportunity to represent clients before the immigration courts and the asylum office. I teach and model the value of a growth mindset. I teach about how to engage in critical discourse, negotiation, and consensus building, and how to interview clients with a cultural humility and trauma informed lens. My work has allowed me to value the concept of meeting each individual where he/she/they are and the importance of starting conversations from a point of commonality rather than a point of difference.

It was an honor to be appointed to the School Board in March by Mayor Breed. I joined the School Board becauseI know (and experienced first hand- as a parent) how badly the trust was broken between the School Board and the public. That's why I have been focused on

student-centered outcomes to rebuild that trust and promote equity and excellence for all SF United students.

In four short months, my colleagues and I have:

• passed a balanced budget,

• rescinded teacher and staff layoff notices,

• hired a student-centered new Superintendent,

• helped bring new revenue to the District,

• created a transparent and community-driven framework to improve high schools citywide, and

• engaged in intensive work to improve our processes and governance structures so that we can focus on improving student outcomes and closing the opportunity gap.

SFUSD is at a crossroads. Since I was appointed to the School Board, my skills have helped contribute to the progress that my Board colleagues and I have made. These are the skills that will move us forward toward the quality education that all our students deserve. I look forward to continuing to do the work and it would be an honor to have Grow SF's endorsement.

What is your #1 policy goal?

Addressing the work of the Board with a student-centered laser focus on equity and excellence.

How will you build the coalition and political capital to enact your #1 goal?

In working towards this goal, we must first acknowledge the systems of harm and oppression upon which the education system is built. After acknowledging the role of the systems of power, the next step towards achieving equity and excellence for all students requires obtaining and allocating resources to students to address educational inequities in ways that are culturally responsive and take into account the decades of oppression and systemic barriers. In addition to obtaining and allocating resources for students, it is also important to allocate resources to our educators and those who support our educators to work towards the goal of equity and excellence for all students. Finally, we must ensure that there are accountability measures in place to assess whether we are moving towards these goals.

I am a consensus builder who has expertise in negotiation and working in community (where there is support, opposition, and general uncertainty). I will use my professional skill sets to navigate the challenging, but important conversations and move us forward to improve student outcomes. I will seek to avoid and redirect when the conversations become focused on adult-centric arguments.

Will the power of the office of Board of Education Commissioner be enough to achieve this goal?

Yes. However, it is important to acknowledge that we need a collective commitment from all of the commissioners to engage in student-centered governance practices. I have enough humility to know that not one single individual can create all of the necessary changes, but a single individual can lead through example and provide encouragement to others to keep our commitments to one another.

What are your #2 and #3 policy goals?

2. Building trust through accessible, clear and transparent communication: I am committed to working to build and rebuild trust in SFUSD. In order to do this, I have been listening and learning and soliciting information and expertise from all of our stakeholders, including students, parents, teachers, unions, advisory committees, and community partners.

3. Creating financial stability for the School District: I joined the BOE while the District was facing a significant structural deficit with a projected $125 million shortfall for Fiscal Year 2022-23. I am proud that my colleagues and I have passed a balanced budget. While we are in a much better position than we were a few months ago, we continue to be at risk of deficit spending and face a continued structural deficit if we are not more strategic and intentional with our spending.

Will the power of the office of Board of Education Commissioner be enough to achieve these goals?

See earlier response re: power of the office of the Board of Education

What is an existing policy you would like to reform?

As I described above, I am committed to changing our governance structures in order to ensure that we can focus the Board's conversations around policies and practices that directly impact student outcomes. Fortunately, our current Board Leadership is pushing for these changes. My colleague, Lainie Motamedi, has been chairing our Ad Hoc committee on governance and is also doing incredible work to support these reforms.

What is an "out there" change that you would make to state/local government policy, if you could? (For example: changing how elections work, creating a Bay Area regional government, etc.)

This is a very interesting question and I am not sure that I have an answer at this point. I am focused on the School Board and what policies we can implement and support to provide the quality education that our students and communities deserve.

Personal

Tell us a bit about yourself!

Do you have any children who are currently enrolled in an SFUSD school(s)? Which school(s)?

I have two children, Desmond and Lennon. They attend Clarendon Elementary school and are in Fifth grade and Second grade, respectively..

How long have you lived in San Francisco? What brought you here and what keeps you here?

I moved to San Francisco in 2006, immediately after I graduated from law school and took the Bar exam. I came for a fellowship position doing deportation defense work at an immigration law

firm. While I only intended to stay for two years (the length of the fellowship), I fell in love…with the city and with my future spouse. I created a community of professional contacts and deeply personal friendships. I remained at the firm for seven years- well beyond the two years I committed to. For the last nine years I have been working my dream job at the Stanford Law School Immigrants' Rights Clinic, supervising and teaching law students.

In addition to my professional commitments to the city (Bay Area), we are raising a family here. My children were born at Kaiser (Geary) and are growing up in the Mission District. After nearly a decade living in a rent controlled apartment, we were fortunate enough to buy our own home in the Mission.

What do you love most about California and/or San Francisco?

San Francisco: I appreciate the energy and the enthusiasm for new ideas. I also appreciate the diversity of the city. I love that San Francisco is an urban city that feels accessible and small "enough." I also love the stunning geography that one can reach within just 20-30 minutes in any direction. I am impressed by the wild microclimates that one can experience by walking just a few blocks!

What do you dislike the most about California and/or San Francisco?

San Francisco: The political vitriol and the unwillingness of many to engage in thoughtful discourse. I am also saddened and frustrated by the exceptionally high levels of homelessness and the dysfunctional politics that have prevented the building of more affordable housing.

Tell us about your current involvement in the community (e.g., volunteer groups, neighborhood associations, civic and professional organizations, etc.)

I was on the Board of Directors for Dolores Street Community Services for six years (two terms of three years, which was the maximum). I am a member of the National Lawyers Guild and the American Immigration Lawyers Association.

Thank you

Thank you for giving us your time and answering our questionnaire. We look forward to reading your answers and considering your candidacy!