William Walker
- Office: Board of Trustees
- Election Date: November 8, 2022
- Candidate: William Walker
- Due Date: Monday, August 29, 2022
- Printable Version
Thank you for seeking GrowSF's endorsement for the November 8, 2022 general 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 Monday, August 29, 2022 so we have enough time to adequately review and discuss your answers.
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.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Enroll in City College | X | ||
| Hire good teachers | X | ||
| Fire bad teachers |
If you want to explain any positions above, please feel free:
I think the enrollment system has glitches and prevents people unfamiliar with bureaucracy to enroll and we lose students.
Hiring good teachers that reflect the diversity of the student body is a challenge.
I don't know that there are bad teachers at CCSF. But many teachers have a challenge supporting students of color. I took 6 years to complete a two year course pattern. I wasn't supported. But teachers aren't bad.
Budget
| In general, is City College budgeting too much, just enough, or too little on… | Too much | Just Enough | Enough, but badly | Too little |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Facilities | X | |||
| Extracurricular activities | X | |||
| Teacher salaries | X | |||
| Administrative salaries | X | |||
| Support for students like tutoring, scholarships, career counseling, etc | X | |||
| Classes which count toward degrees | X | |||
| Classes or programs which don't count toward degrees | X |
If you want to explain any positions above, please feel free:
A more effective and inclusive program review process that distinguishes state funding from local funding would help in redistributing funding to prevent cuts like the recent layoffs.
Why is City College facing a budget crisis? Please provide a short answer here, and a longer answer in the "Long-form questions" section.
Support programs were underfunded and required transfer courses were impacted, causing 30,000 students to leave between 2000 and 2010. The accreditation jeopardy of the 2010s and the colleges inability to market why students should come to CCSF caused another 40,000 to leave. The pandemic created another 15,000 student loss. With 85,000 gone, enrollment is a major factor. Layoffs, 10 chancellors (CEOs) over an 11 year period, and not partnering with local nonprofits and employers to grow enrollment are also factors.
Instruction
Tell us about the quality of education available at City College, and what should be done to improve it, if needed.
I transferred from CCSF to UC Berkeley. Of 100 units, 93 transferred. I counseled myself. I proved that anyone from CCSF can go anywhere. I had a 0.9 high school GPA. None of my instructors believed I could transfer to Berkeley. They said go to SF State, a great school that didn't have my degree until my 4th year at CCSF.
Part of what could improve instruction, is if the college provides faculty professional development to update their curriculums so they are able to teach in more than one discipline. Having faculty in several disciplines would allow flexibility in deploying each to other departments if there weren't enough teaching staff to cover student demand in the most popular courses.
CCSF took on transitional studies to teach students who have dropped out of SFUSD. CCSF is the official adult education provider for the county. This function is typically held by the county school district office in most California counties. Understanding whether CCSF receives state funding for this function could help understand why transitional studies is threatened with cuts every budget cycle. I would explore this as a board trustee.
I stand by lifelong learning. But often lifelong learning historically ar CCSF, was supported when English 1A sections were not available at the college in the early aughts. This may no longer be the case the past ten years, but the college managed to lose 50,000 students since 2012. I want to grow the programs that serve the community. We should explore how that can be done with city funding. Growing enrollment in credit courses term after term will increase the CCSF budget. Exploring programs that will help meet employer demands, such as expanding the CCSF Associate Degree in Nursing, introducing a data science program to compete with the hack reactors of the world, and reinstating ARCH 28, Intro to City Planning to truly discuss how to implement better housing and transportation policy as crafted by students from communities most impacted by this changing City, that often morphs without asking its working class residents their opinion.
Tell us one thing you think needs to change about City College that the average voter wouldn't know about.
The registration system should facilitate increasing enrollment. Most voters are unaware of the hurdles one must overcome to be registered at the college.
A half unit counseling workshop, which is done at many community colleges statewide, could introduce students to the college, its curriculum, and spend the final hour of class ensuring everyone is enrolled in their desired classes for the term. Educational plans could also be developed in this orientation to college voters. It could be modified to also serve students that are not persisting from term to term and that are at risk of being disqualified academically.
Long-form questions
General
In what ways is City College succeeding?
CCSF succeeds in transferring students to four year universities.
CCSF has great language programs.
CCSF has several campus locations.
CCSF has great career and technical education opportunities.
CCSF offers great transitional studies courses for high school and adult school learners.
In what ways is City College failing?
CCSF fails because its transfers Black, Latinx, Southeast Asian and Pacific Islander students at rates below the college average for all groups.
Most language courses are taught by part time faculty making it difficult to gain higher proficiencies.
CCSF fails to program campuses to serve the needs of the community in which they are placed, which affects enrollment rates, keeping them down.
CCSF has not built partnerships with employers and nonprofit organizations to grow their career and technical education programs.
CCSF has not found ways to grow high school enrollment by providing courses at high school campuses. CCSF should also determine if SFUSD should be funding its adult school courses.
Instruction and Curriculum
What can the Community College Board do to improve student performance at City College?
I developed a program at Foothill College to improve persistence rates for students term to term in STEM courses. I pulled data on every student in the physical sciences, math and engineering division with a C-or below, or a W or NP (withdraw, no pass) grade. I identified 6,000 students. I established a mini counseling services office in the math department. I provided services to students for one term, and demonstrated with my data, that I needed two additional full time staff to support my program.
Each student was:
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invited to see a counselor in the STEM tutoring center
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invited to our peer mentor club led by students
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encouraged to use the expanded tutoring center hours, extended to 9pm (from 7pm).
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Sent three emails per quarter to inform them they were identified as an early alert student in danger of failing their course, to schedule an appointment to see a coordinator and/or counselor, and to check in one more time before the drop deadline to see their progress in the course
We were able to improve student persistence rates and overall grades.
Are students graduating with the skills necessary to obtain a good job? Why or why not?
My best friend graduated from CCSF and is a nurse for Lucile Packard Children's Hospital. He already had a BA before enrolling.
I attended ten years before fully matriculating at UC Berkeley. But I had 20 years of work experience upon starting upper division courses at Cal.
There are thousands of students who graduate CCSF into wonderful careers. And others who are stymied. Held back because their last class before graduating was full. Their courses didn't completely transfer. They never talked with a counselor.
As for job skills, community college students are more job ready than UC students. There are programs at CCSF that are applied. Most curriculum at the UCs is theoretical. If students graduate without job skills, it's likely because they didn't have a proper foundation upon first enrolling at CCSF.
What is the City College curriculum lacking which the Community College Board could rectify?
If Prop O passes, there might be three different tax revenue set asides for City College of San Francisco, assuming there are no challenges. Considering curriculum is generally set by curriculum committees at community colleges, consisting of a provost/Vice President of Academic Affairs or chief instructional officer, a Dean from the department, and members of academic and student senates, although students are not included if the matters being discussed are of a nature that cannot be disclosed to students. The Board can work directly with the designated chief instructional officer to make suggestions to the curriculum committee on the Board's behalf.
More on curriculum approval here: https://www.asccc.org/sites/default/files/Effective%20Curriculum%20Approval%20Process_0.pdf
There is a serious need in the healthcare field to have more trained workers, whether nurses, care assistants, or analysts responsible for processing data. Our city is in dire need of experts in housing and transportation planning to ensure the city has the proper jobs housing balance for residents to live here affordably and happily. Our students of color with few financial resources need access to educational programs like Hack Reactor, but at the price point of Free City College.
My recommendation within my first 100 days would be to recommend that the Academic Senate study what it would take to:
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expand existing allied health programs including nursing, community health worker, many others. determine the cost to expand (staff time, upgrades to facilities), whether this cost could legally be absorbed by funds other than credit enrollment funds, and what the projection on student growth might be.
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Develop partnerships with UCSF, SFSU, USF CSU East Bay, Stanford and Santa Clara; each should be willing to either donate lab and classroom space or take on admitting CCSF students to complete their studies and/pr internship
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Determine the feasibility of reinstating the Architecture Department ARCH 28 Intro to City Planning course and developing a certificate in City Planning that meets CSU/UC transfer requirements prepares students for internships in planning firms or local planning departments
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Explore the feasibility of developing more modular course patterns where a student could complete 12 units toward one certificate or degree through intensive 3-6 week courses offered in sequence from term to term, beginning with a computer science department pilot that could emulate a Hack Reactor data science intensive program
Important to note that any board action related to curriculum must come to the board in the form as a report from academic affairs to ensure Board members are not infringing upon the academic freedoms of faculty and Deans to perform their duties.
Budget
Why is City College facing a budget crisis? Please explain the nature of this budget crisis.
City College has failed to partner with organizations and employees in San Francisco that need new employees. UCSF, Salesforce, City and County of San Francisco, the State of California and Pacific Gas & Electric are just a few of the many San Francisco employers that have been short employees the past two years.
What hard choices must City College make to fix its budget crisis?
Determine whether the college can grow enrollment enough to operate all of its campuses
Audit every job role at the college to determine if staff are functioning like their peers in other college districts locally and of similar size
Identify areas where the college might be willing to shrink if enrollment cannot be stabilized.
Determine how to retain employees; can CCSFafford increasing staff and faculty salaries if revenues are declining?
What courses or programs should City College cut to improve its budget situation?
It's very challenging to know what to cut at CCSF because the budget is not transparent. Compare these:
San Francisco Community College District Budget:
https://www.ccsf.edu/sites/default/files/2022/document/Adoption-Budget-Presentation-08122021-1.pdf
Foothill-De Anza Community College District Budget:
https://business.fhda.edu/_downloads/2021-22%20Adopted%20Budget.pdf
The college in the past has held courses at campus centers on certain days to ensure the buildings are only brought to full power, staffing and utilization when there is a critical mass of students present. Reducing the building utilization when courses are not happening and allowing the workforce in that building to either work at another campus or work remotely would allow for staffing levels to be distributed where resources are needed most, which is where students are.
Cutting any special allowances to administrators, such as housing or car allowances. Because of the fiscal situation the college has faced, any costs that aren't paramount to delivering courses to boost enrollment should've reduced. Consolidation of administrative positions should also be considered. Department deans in the past were assigned to campus center to supervise student services and activities there on top of curriculum and enrollment management. Until student FTES increase, this method may also need to be relied upon.
Because of the recent layoffs from the previous fiscal year, I do not believe that more layoffs are necessary. The college is operating with a skeletal crew. But if more staff of faculty reductions need to be considered, asking administrators to severely reduce their salaries could support keeping union members from being laid off or experiencing salary reductions.
What new revenue streams might City College tap into to address its budget crisis?
CCSF could lease classroom space when sites are not being used. A number or nonprofit organizations in Daly City rent space directly from the Jefferson Union High School District. Development of a nonprofit management certificate that after completion allows students to rent spaces at the college as co-working space. This arrangement could also be considered cooperative work experience, generating both rent and credit enrollment revenue.
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 Community College Board?
I want CCSF to grow and to serve all the communities that have relied upon it for 85 plus years. Completing my BA wouldn't have happened without my AA from
CCSF. My BA doubled my earnings. I want the same for all San Franciscans struggling to make rent, lining with their mom at 40. It doesn't have to be that way. Let's get our students educated. At a younger age. With courses that can give our students life changing skills.
What is your #1 policy goal?
Enrollment growth.
How will you build the coalition and political capital to enact your #1 goal?
Partnering with local employers, community organizations and the CCSF community (faculty, staff, students, administrators) to determine together which programs should grow at which campuses.
Will the power of the office of Community College Board be enough to achieve this goal?
No. CCSF has needed a village approach for decades.
What are your #2 and #3 policy goals?
Identifying pilot programs to boost enrollment, such as a data science intensive (a la Hack Reactor) and city planning.
Increase completion rates for groups impacted by the achievement gap: Black, Latina/e/o/x, Southeast Asian, Pacific Islander, and other underrepresented groups.
Will the power of the office of Community College Board be enough to achieve these goals?
The Board will always need to collaborate with other offices to help achieve its policy goals. The Board of Education, the Mayor; state and federal legislators for higher education policy reform, and the Board of Supervisors for bridge funding.
What is an existing policy you would like to reform?
The Student Course Repetition Guidelines
This policy penalizes students who have the least preparation for college from retaking courses to ameliorate poor GPAs. It keeps students with learning challenges from ever being able to boost their GPAsnd move forward in their lives.
Rather than preventing students from repeating courses, colleges should create environments where students can succeed in their courses the first time. Wraparound services to prevent student failure is much more effective than policing a student after the fact.
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.)
I'd like to see BART, Caltrain, ACE, SMART and the Capitol Corridor merge into one rail system to create the BART system as was originally intended. This would be a regional transportation body, that would likely merge with the existing MTC. It would be directly elected. It could also merge with CASA and work on RHNA and housing policy. Maybe the name of the new body would include the word climate to highlight coordinating all of these could only help our climate goals.
Personal
Tell us a bit about yourself!
What is your professional background?
I grew up organizing to make change for underrepresented groups in California. As a high schooler, I participated in two youth councils: Coleman Advocates' Youth Making a Change, and the ACLU of Northern California's Youth Advisory Council. Our work helped to establish the San Francisco Youth Commission, beacon centers in SFUSD schools, wellness centers at SFUSD high schools, a crisis hotline for and led by youth 16 to 24 years of age. For nearly three decades, I've worked at the intersection of public education, public transportation, nonprofit administration, civil service and radio production. I'm a trained urban planner, audio producer, teacher, community organizer, and council or commission clerk. I've worked at all levels of government, local (San Francisco city and county, San Mateo and Santa Clara counties), state (California Governor's Office of Planning and Research) and federal (census enumerator and outreach worker). I've served on the boards of the ACLU, Coleman Advocates and KPFA-Pacifica Radio. I've also served on CACs for a half dozen city departments and Caltrain. Most importantly, I served as an elected student leader at CCSF, even for one term on the College Board, for three years.
I'm now a substitute teacher for schools in San Francisco and San Mateo counties. I'll begin a long term Spanish class assignment next month at Lincoln High School in the Sunset.
Are you currently or formerly enrolled at City College, and/or do you have any children who are currently or formerly enrolled at City College?
I attended CCSF for over a decade at three different points in my life. I transferred to UC Berkeley after 6 years of studies at CCSF. After Berkeley didn't let me matriculate for not having a calculus course, I didn't return for another six years. By the end of my time at CCSF, I had served five years in student clubs and government, including one year with the College Board as the student non-voting trustee the year the college almost lost its accreditation in 2012 and 2013. I became the liaison between the 80,000 member student body, the Board, and the college employees (staff, faculty, administrators). I became a huge champion for the college, leading rallies and marches, and bringing together several parts of the Bay Area and California community to save our college. I transferred back to Berkeley and finished my BA in urban studies in 2019. My mom attended City College to pursue a child development certificate. Like many Black students, she never finished.
How long have you lived in San Francisco? What brought you here and what keeps you here?
I was born and raised here. Born at St. Luke's Hospital. Moved to Los Angeles from 2006 to 2011.
What do you love most about California and/or San Francisco?
When I leave home, I miss our hills, our multimodal transit system. I miss the sea breeze. I only miss the fog if I'm returning from like Arizona or Thailand.
I love both NorCal and SoCal. You can like LA and hate the Dodgers. I do.
What do you dislike the most about California and/or San Francisco?
I dislike how unfriendly San Francisco has become. I used to be able to say hi to just about anyone, since riding the bus to school in second grade. People fear me sometimes. It makes me sad. This is not universal. But I miss the what many might call a midwestern feel. It was like that here too once upon a time.
Tell us about your current involvement in the community (e.g., volunteer groups, neighborhood associations, civic and professional organizations, etc.)
For the past year I've been building capacity in Black led food pantry and human services nonprofits based in Bayview Hunters Point. From The Heart and Unites In Love. I was very active in the redistricting task force and I am a transportation equity advocate, having worked for the San Francisco Transit Riders and the National Association of City Transportation Officials. I am also a member of the Transportation Equity and Environmental Justice Advisory Group for the UC Davis Center for Regional Change.
Thank you
Thank you for giving us your time and answering our questionnaire. We look forward to reading your answers and considering your candidacy!
If you see any errors on this page, please let us know at contact@growsf.org.