News & Resources
How can we improve our schools? What will help our children learn? Read about innovations in education and what they mean for your school, your children and your community.
Non-citizen SF parents win voting rights in school board elections
Even as many immigrant rights groups are reeling from the results of the national election, San Franciscans turned out at the polls to deliver a local victory for immigrant parent voting rights. Proposition N, a measure to a allow non-citizens with children in San...
Updated Report: Top Bay Area Public Schools for Underserved Children is Available Online
Our 2016 Top Bay Area Public Schools for Underserved Students has been updated! Since the state released an updated data file that includes previously missing information about low-income student performance in districts across the Bay Area, our analyses show that 47 Bay Area public schools had the top results for low-income African American and low-income Latino students. Read our updated report to learn which schools are narrowing the opportunity gaps we see across race/ethnicity and income in the Bay Area.
What is Math Tracking and Why is it Important?
Is your child being tracked in math? If so, what will that mean for your child in the future?
Your Education Voter Guide
Do you care about education? On November 8, voters have the chance to weigh in on several important education issues – here’s what to look for on your ballot!
Celebration of Top Bay Area Schools for Underserved Students
Join us in celebrating the public schools across the Bay Area that are showing what’s possible.
Community Organizing & Parent Leadership Training for New Bay Area Leaders
Do you want to work with other parents to improve education in your community? Join us for a day-long training.
SFUSD Candidate Forum Tonight!
Please join the entire San Francisco education community for an evening with the candidates campaigning to be your next school board member!
An eye-opening year for a first-generation college student
One young woman’s story offers a road map for first-generation college students and their parents before they get to college.
New Report: Top Bay Area Public Schools for Underserved Children
Top Bay Area Public Schools for Underserved Students will be available online this week! Stay tuned to learn which local schools are showing that it is possible to narrow (and even close) the opportunity gaps we see across race/ethnicity and across income in the Bay Area. This annual report highlights 41 Bay Area public schools that had the top results for low-income Latino and African American students on the latest state tests.
7 things to do to support your child’s college dream
Rocio Guerrero admits she didn’t know what to do to help her son get into college until it was almost too late. She thought everything was fine until she was called to the school and told Danny was being placed on athletic suspension and was in danger of not...
The long ride to a good education
More parents are willing to spend hours on the road to ensure their child is in a school that really meets their needs. How far would you go?
Are you first in your family to go to college? Here’s where to get help!
College is a tough transition for all students – especially if you’re the first in your family to go to college. You’re not alone – here are some resources to help!
Parents Tell CA State Board of Education to Improve Its Accountability System
On Thursday, the California State Board of Education voted to approve the state’s new accountability system. This marks a major shift from publishing a single one-number rating for every school - the Academic Performance Index (API) - to a multicolored report with...
Montalvin and Verde: What’s your plan?
Read last week’s post introducing Eric and Katherine Acosta-Verprauskus and their schools, Verde Elementary and Montalvin Elementary
“I think once you believe that every child can learn, but it’s up to the adults to get it right to make sure that happens, that changes everything,” says Eric Acosta-Verprauskus, the principal of the long-struggling Verde Elementary in North Richmond.
Fact Check: How are Oakland Charter Schools Really Doing?
Contrary to recent claims that Oakland charter schools are less effective than district schools in educating students, on average, charter schools in Oakland still perform better on average than traditional district schools in OUSD.
Montalvin and Verde: Two Richmond schools see huge challenges and opportunities
Two years ago, Eric Acosta-Verprauskus told his wife he was interviewing for a job as principal at Verde Elementary. The school had a reputation as an incredibly tough place to work. The last four principals had lasted an average of less than two years. “All the terrible things you hear about rough public schools were true here,” says Mr. Acosta-Verprauskus.
Latest CA Test Scores Show the State is Failing African American and Latino Students
The latest California state test scores show that while schools and districts have made gains overall, wide gaps in student achievement persist between low-income, African American and Latino students and their peers. Overall, proficiency rates are up 5% in English and 4% in math statewide. However, scores still show huge achievement gaps. In English, just 37% of Latinos and 31% of African American students have reached proficiency compared to 64% of white students and 76% of Asian students.
How to Read Your Child’s Test Results: Interpreting 2015-16 CAASPP Student Score Reports
CAASPP Student Score Reports seem complicated — here’s how to figure them out and understand how your child performed on the state test.
How to help your child be the first to go to college
Is your child starting 9th grade this year? This is a critical time for you to make sure your son or daughter is on track. Even if you didn’t attend college yourself, here’s the info you need to make sure your child is on track and gets support from the school.
The Achievement Gap in Action: How Top Students End Up in Remedial Classes
Mar Y Sol Alvarado, who grew up in East Palo Alto, got straight As in high school, but when she got to college, she still wasn’t prepared. She’s not alone – nearly half of college students end up having to take remedial classes.