Dear Potrero Parents & Neighbors,

We have been working hard to do all we can to keep Daniel Webster open and wanted to update you as to where we are, where we go from here, and what you can do to help.

We’re encouraged and optimistic because this issue is no longer invisible thanks to our continued drum beating. Thanks to everyone who volunteered to help with this effort. We are doing our best to inform the Board and those who represent us that the demographic in Potrero Hill has changed dramatically over the last five to seven years. They are just now learning about the existence of the PHPA (Potrero Hill Parents Association) and the over 200 families who are a part of it - most of whom have preschool age children and many of whom would like to send their children to public school right here in this neighborhood.

Daniel Webster has been a troubled school in the past, but under the guidance of new principal Linda Anderson and the work started six years ago by Adelina Aramburo (the former principal), Annie Prozan (the Instructional Reform Facilitator) and an incredible, dedicated, hard-working staff, it’s moving in the right direction with improved test scores and greater integration among kids who speak different languages. There are parents in our group who want to get involved with Daniel Webster NOW, several years before our kids are ready for kindergarten, so that by the time they are ready, it will be a desirable and flourishing school.

But we can’t do it if there isn’t a school to go to.

A few of the highlights:

• SF Examiner 12/23 article ‘Supervisors want say in school closures‘ focusing on the frustration city leaders are experiencing because of a “decision-making process that will affect their constituents, but over which they have little control.” The article states that our supervisor, Sophie Maxwell, agrees “that more should be done to communicate with local members, but also school communities and local residents … ‘No one has spoken to me … they told my staff about the closures, but as far as a dialogue or discussion, no.’ Maxwell said she even tried to call Board of Education President Eric Mar to get some answers, but found him ‘very defensive.’ ”
• savewebster.com website launched with easy to navigate instructions on what you can do to help. Visit the site to read our mission statement, get updates about the campaign to save the school, and see what you can do to help
• Numerous merchants, realtors, and developers on the Hill writing letters to the School Board with copies to our political representatives.
• Letter hand delivered to Director of Mayor’s Office on Youth, Children & Families with copies to our political representatives
• Former SF Mayor and longtime Potrero Hill resident Art Agnos advocating via direct contact with individual School Board members
• Close to 500 signatures collected on petition (located at Good Life, Klein’s, Farley’s, and Ganim’s)
• School Board President Eric Mar visited Daniel Webster and met with concerned parents
• Potrero Hill Neighborhood House director Ed Hatter thinks Daniel Webster is a poor location for county hub continuation school for several reasons and will write letter of support (letter will be posted here)
• Flyers distributed throughout neighborhood to residences and businesses

IMPORTANT DATES:

• January 6th, 7PM: Regional Community meeting at Thurgood Marshall High School (45 Conkling Ave. off Silver). This meeting will only last one hour and emcompasses SIX schools on the closure list
• January 12th: School Board Vote
• January 13th: Elementary School application deadline

ACTION PLAN:

• A Potrero Hill only meeting with one or more members of the School Board to be scheduled
• Continue and expand letter writing campaign via residents, merchants, realtors, and developers
• Continue discussions with various news and media outlets to spread the word about the impact of the closure
• Continue distribution of flyers throughout neighborhood

WHAT YOU CAN DO:

• Let us know if you are willing to attend a meeting with School Board Members. No matter how old your kids are and whether or not you’ve decided where to send them to school, we need to show the Board that there are parents here who VALUE public education, who WANT to integrate Daniel Webster and who are WILLING to invest time and/or money in its future to ensure that it continues to move in the right direction. We hope to have this meeting sometime next week.
• Visit www.savewebster.com for sample letters and contact information for the Deputy Superintendent, members of the School Board, and our local politicians. Write letters, call, voice your concern.
• Buy a SAVE WEBSTER t-shirt and wear it around town.

Thanks to all of you who have helped so much already - particularly Mike Lin for designing and printing the flyers, and creating the website and t-shirts; Wendy Owen & Nadav Savio, Yoel & Tina Crane, Melissa Millsap and Elisa Lee for their invaluable help compiling contact lists; Avery McGinn, owner of Klein’s, for posting the petition and contacting fellow restaurant owners; Farley’s, Good Life, and Ganim’s for also posting the petition. And most especially, Art Agnos for guiding us through the political maze and helping us strategize. In addition, many thanks to all of you who signed the petition and sent letters to the School Board and our representatives. We need to keep the letters going so please let us know if you have time to spare. We need more volunteers!

We have a rare and beautiful community of committed, open minded families here in Potrero Hill….wouldn’t it be a dream come true to send our kids to school together right here on 20th & Missouri? Help us keep Daniel Webster open and then make it the best school it can be - please contact either of us with any questions or suggestions.

Happy Holidays,

Jennifer & Dena

This entry was posted on Wednesday, December 28th, 2005 at 11:44 am and is filed under Uncategorized. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.