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WHEREAS, the San Francisco Unified School District ("SFUSD") Board of Education ("Board") has successful language development programs for English speakers and English language learners and a long and positive record of support for its Language Academy, bilingual education, and other programs; and WHEREAS, the Board has long supported second language acquisition in San Francisco, and parents and students actively seek admission into two-way bilingual education programs; and WHEREAS, bilingual skills are essential for all students, required for admission in institutions of higher education, and are highly valued skills in the work force; and WHEREAS, the Board firmly believes that there are many different approaches to instructing English language learners in both content and English language acquisition that can result in mastery of the subjects, depending on the needs and abilities of a particular child; and WHEREAS, the Board firmly believes that each individual child has a different pace and style of learning; and WHEREAS, the Board has joined a broad-based coalition of educators and bi-partisan leaders in opposing Proposition 227, known as the "Unz Initiative," for its narrow and ill-conceived "one size fits all" approach to English language acquisiton and content instruction; and WHEREAS, the Board has long implemented the concept of data-driven accountability for all of the schools in SFUSD and has insisted on annual district-wide improvement in its multiple language development programs; and WHEREAS, Proposition 227 has regrettably been passed by the voters and threatens the continued existence of many of the district's programs for its English language learners, including its bilingual education programs; and WHEREAS, implementing Proposition 227 will needlessly and harmfully disrupt the education of its English language learners and will deny these students equal and effective access to age- and grade-appropriate content area instruction; and WHEREAS, implementing Proposition 227 will disrupt school administration and cost San Francisco's and California's taxpayers millions of dollars that would otherwise be available for the productive education of its students; THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED THAT the Superintendent of Schools is hereby instructed to take all appropriate and necessary steps to lawfully ensure that all possible and proper challenges to Proposition 227 are exhausted in order to preserve the richness, continuity, and effectiveness of SFUSD's instructional programs for both English speakers and English language learners. Specifically, these steps should include but are not limited to informing parents of all possible alternatives for their children; joining coalitions of educators and others in opposing the implementation of Proposition 227; drafting and sponsoring corrective legislation and regulations; seeking waivers of law and regulation; providing expert advice and testimony; participating in litigation; and wherever possible, assisting others in their efforts to prevent the initiative's implementation. Waldemar Rojas Superintendent of Schools
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