"Re-Alignment Initiative"

“Realignment Initiative” with one cartoon announce that Schools Closuers and Mergers

If someone were to ask me what "comunidad" (community) means to me, I would say it’s about value, equity, and trust. You build a community by valuing people's time, effort, and energy; providing equity by being fair and ensuring everyone has access to opportunities and resources; and fostering trust through reliability, care, and awareness.  

As a caregiver and SFUSD alum, I can relate to the experiences of families in public schools. I know what it's like to be a part of that system, and joining an organization like this has been eye-opening.  

For the past two months, I have been attending community sessions focused on the upcoming school closures and mergers. At these meetings, I imagine my mother—when I was 8 years old—who faced language barriers and had no formal education, as her priority was always my schooling. Not to mention myself, currently, with all my education and certifications! I take notes at every meeting, and I've observed a lot of inconsistency, confusion, and blank faces among the audience. When attendees express their concerns, the answers they receive often seem superficial, some expressed openly they feel unheard. I've noticed that the slide presentations are often filled with jargon that seems to confuse rather than clarify. When parents raise valid concerns, it appears to me they are often not addressed in a meaningful way. Translation/Interpretation services issues are just one part of the problem. Not only are the language translations/interpretation services inadequate, but there also seems to be a lack of consideration for people with disabilities. This adds to the barriers that many families face when trying to engage in the process.  

As someone who enjoys technology, I was particularly interested in how tech was used to engage participants. However, I noticed that some sessions failed to inform the audience about resources like laptops for completing surveys, and even when they did, it felt like there nearly enough to go around, which could impact the surveys in the end. The pace of some sessions was so rushed that many parents expressed they felt like their voices weren't being heard. I remember one parent saying, "If I do the survey, they already know which schools they want to close, so what's the point?" I also asked about where questions and responses would be documented if not at the meetings, and the response I received was, "We will post online." While there are Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) on the SFUSD website, however I have not seen the specific responses to the questions answered in the Townhall or Community Sessions posted yet.  

I wonder if that will ever happen.  

In some meetings, they provided paper surveys for attendees to fill out, which were later incorporated into the broader survey responses. However, not all meetings had this option. This lack of uniformity in collecting feedback could affect the quality and comprehensiveness of the community's input.  

Overall, my experience in these sessions has been challenging. We have heard from families who report that the lack of clear communication, meaningful engagement, and equitable resources has left many parents feeling disconnected and undervalued. As someone who is passionate about community, it's disheartening to see these issues.  

I hope we can work toward a more inclusive and responsive approach. It’s our kid's future we are talking about not just any subject matter placed on a meeting agenda. 

-Jay