Public education is at a crossroads in San Francisco
and throughout the state and country. This is particularly poignant
for the thousands of Asian students who are presumed to be Model Minorities
who do not need supportive programs or assistance. CAA is committed
to advocating for educational reforms that meet the needs of those most
denied equal opportunities in education, especially immigrant and language-minority
students who will soon comprise the majority of our public school population.
CAA also advocates for maintaining integrated schools—not at the sacrifice
of quality education, but as a necessary component of a quality education
that prepares all students to be productive members of the new California.
State-wide Advocacy:
Debunking the Model Minority Myth
CAA had an increased presence in Sacramento in 1999.
In the state government arena, Asian Pacific American voices have been
scarce and CAA has taken the lead in important education issues such as
how the statewide high school exit exam will affect limited-English proficient
students. CAA has been an essential link between the community and
the state capitol. In the wake of Proposition 227, CAA has been relentless
in ensuring that the interests of LEP students are well-represented in
state education policy. |
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Applied Learning and Linkages:
Preparing Students for the New California
In its fourth year at Galileo Academy of Science and Technology,
the Applied Learning and Linkages (ALL) Program continues to make an impact.
An innovative school-to-career initiative, started with funds from the
United Way, ALL seeks to provide students with opportunities to apply classroom
learning to practical hands-on career experience. In 1999 ALL
staff established industry partnerships between Galileo and local businesses
such as Western Public Radio, PC World, |
A Galileo H.S. student tests the water at the EPA's "Mega Day,"
a career exploration event arranged by CAA"s A.L.L. Program. |
Environmental Protection Agency, and Asian
Neighborhood Design. Through a combination of guest speakers, job
shadowing, internships and mentorships, Galileo students are now required
to fulfill 45 hours of career exploration in their chosen pathway of study. |
| In the spring, ALL coordinated Galileo’s largest
ever career fair, with 84 speakers from 59 Bay Area companies. Over
40 youth employment organizations participated, offering Galileo students
opportunities for internships, part-time and summer jobs, volunteer positions
and other opportunities. Out of this career fair, a speakers’ bureau
was established as a resource for teachers to invite expert guest speakers
to lecture classrooms on specific topics. Newly established in the
1999-2000 school year is the Power Lunch series in which speakers are invited
to have lunch with a small group of students and chat informally about
their professions. Speakers participating in the Power Lunch program
have included an environmental consultant, a biotech engineer, an online
editor, and a vice-president of Sybase.
ALL is establishing itself as a vital component of Galileo.
ALL has recently received funding from the Goldman Fund to continue its
important work and establish itself as a model of school reform for the
diverse population of San Francisco public schools. ALL is a partnership
between CAA and Community Educational Services. |
| Quality Education Requires Diversity and Inclusion
Despite discouraging national trends discounting the need
for integrated public schools, CAA continued to advocate on behalf of diversity
within San Francisco and California.
CAA opposed a settlement reached by the parties in the
school desegregation case for its failure to take into account the needs
of San Francisco’s most under-served students—language minority and immigrant
children. Although this group makes up over one-third of the student
population, it is not represented by any of the parties to the San Francisco
lawsuits. Under the settlement, which tentatively terminates the
Consent Decree at the end of 2001, the parties agreed that mandatory integration
of San Francisco’s schools would be eliminated and that parents would no
longer be required to provide racial and ethnic data regarding their children.
Continuing to take the position that a quality education must include a
diverse education, CAA has been active in monitoring implementation of
the settlement; staff have attended every Board of Education meeting to
sound the voice for diversity.
In the wake of Proposition 227, limiting bilingual education
services in California public schools, CAA coordinated the Language is
Power Coalition, a coalition of educators, parents, and community organizers
committed to addressing the educational needs of California’s large immigrant
and bilingual student population. |
| Student Voice on Affirmative Action and San Francisco
Assignment |
| CAA co-sponsored a public forum with the Television
Race Initiative, KQED, and Intergroup Clearinghouse to solicit comments
from students in response to the national debate about affirmative action
and the settlement of the local desegregation case. The forum, attended
by over 100 students and community members, was informative and inspiring.
Students from Galileo Academy of Science and Technology, Lowell High School,
and Mission High School represented diverse perspectives and engaged in
provocative conversations. |
A high school student panel discusses affirmative action at
a public forum sponsored by CAA, Intergroup Clearinghouse, Televesion
Race Initiative and KQED.
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