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Everything is Relative in UC Admissions

Special Education II

Who gets placed in Special Education?

Districts with Higher SBAC Scores Are Not (Necessarily) Better

Trash Cans and Math Policy

Whether Standardized Tests Add Value Depends on What Question You're Asking

Math Vision Based on Fuzzy Math

High School Class Sizes

IMPACT / WHO WE ARE

The San Francisco Education Fund advances equitable education through learning acceleration programs, mental wellness initiatives, enhancing community engagement, and providing transformative financial resources to students, educators and schools.

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In 1978, Proposition 13 decimated funding for public education, moving San Francisco among the highest-funded school district in the country to among the lowest-funded, drastically shifting the trajectory of public schools and their programming for years to come. While the immediate effects of the proposition’s passing was devastating for many schools, teachers and students, it stirred up community support led by individuals who were eager to find solutions to bring back money and support to local public schools.

Community activist Glady Thacher strongly believed that the community needed to “reach out to the private sector and inject money and care into the schools.” She first took action by setting up a meeting at Grattan Elementary School – crossing through picket lines – to speak directly with the teachers and faculty. According to Glady, “I said in a very small voice, ‘Would anybody have a proposal to improve the public schools?’” This sparked many ideas, including from one teacher who said she wanted to create an outdoor education program for the school. Glady got to work, and – with the support of a citizen committee, the Superintendent of the school district, and the Board of Education – founded the San Francisco Education Fund in 1979.

The San Francisco Education Fund was the first explicit third-party intermediary in the Nation whose sole focus was to benefit local public-school teachers, students, and their schools. The Ed Fund began with a grassroots approach: raising money from private and corporate sources to be allocated to specific programs like theater performance studies, a solar greenhouse, a cultural center, and an after-school computer tutorial program at William de Avila School, “which will cost just $1,950 and may put some youngsters out in front of the computer age,” according to a Wall Street Journal article published in August 1980.

With significant initial operating funding coming from the S.H. Cowell Foundation, the Ed Fund quickly grew into an established organization that placed tens of thousands of dollars in grants into the hands of teachers across the district. At the time, Superintendent Robert Alioto said, “We are delighted to have this tangible link between schools and community. The [Ed] Fund… demonstrates that all San Franciscans have a stake in public schools.” By the end of her eleven-year tenure as the Executive Director of the Ed Fund, Glady had worked with local foundations and philanthropists to establish an endowment that would ensure teachers would have access to grants into the future. As of 2022, the organization has given over $15 million to students, teachers and schools in SFUSD.

Glady and the founding Ed Fund team were committed to mobilizing the community to bringing critical resources into public schools, and that mission has never wavered throughout the 40+ years of the Ed Fund’s history.

In 2009 the San Francisco Education Fund merged with San Francisco School Volunteers, an organization founded in 1963 by Gretchen de Baubigny to place community members in classrooms to support teachers and students.

School Volunteers merged with the San Francisco Education Fund, keeping the Ed Fund name while maintaining the essence of both organizations.

The Ed Fund took on a new project championed by then-Mayor Ed Lee: Circle the Schools (CTS). A partnership between sf.citi, the San Francisco Education Fund, and the San Francisco Unified School District (SFUSD), CTS cultivates our corporate community as champions and stewards of our schools.

Over the years, CTS has exposed thousands of students to the world of work – connecting them with experiences and role models that open their eyes to the careers available to them right here in San Francisco. In addition, corporate partners work with their school’s principal to identify and address needs that require concentrated resources and/or people power – like hosting a book drive to gather over 500 books to fill in the gaps in a school’s library–that are hard for individual schools or community members to do on their own.

The Maisin Scholar Award joined the San Francisco Education Fund, offering us a way to support San Francisco public school students who might not otherwise attend college. The award program was launched by The Alexander M. and June L. Maisin Foundation in 2000, distributing the first 50 scholarships of $4,000 each for the Class of 2001.

As of September 2023, the Maisin Scholar Award has transitioned to 10,000 Degrees. For more information,  click here .

When the COVID-19 pandemic started, the Ed Fund and SFUSD understood that families were hit hard and many were struggling more than ever to meet basic needs. In partnership with SFUSD, the Ed Fund solicited community donations to create a “COVID Relief Fund” for families identified by school site leaders as severely impacted by the pandemic. Families were able to use the funds at their discretion, increasing their flexibility around paying rent, buying groceries, or purchasing the next size of clothes, shoes or supplies for their children.

Simultaneously, staying home was impossible for thousands of essential worker parents, and a solution was needed to ensure their children had a safe and supported place to learn online each day. In partnership with DCYF, the SF Recreation and Parks Department, community-based agencies and other City departments, the Ed Fund implemented the Community Hub Initiative. This citywide, neighborhood-based strategy provided support for students in grades K-12 who were utilizing SFUSD’s Distance Learning curriculum, and prioritized children and youth with high levels of need. Read more about this nationally recognized accomplishment in, “Showing Up While Everything Is Shutting Down: A Story of Cooperation in San Francisco” written by David Phillips and Carolyn Gramstorff.

As schools began to plan for the return to in-person learning, SFUSD data confirmed that elementary students experienced lower literacy gains in 2020-21 than needed, so too many of our youngest students started the 2021 school year academically behind. Tutoring – particularly high-impact tutoring that occurs at regular intervals – emerged as one of the most effective intervention approaches to accelerate learning, stay in school, and graduate from high school. Knowing that access to tutoring was vital to combating unfinished learning resulting from the pandemic, the Ed Fund partnered with SFUSD and BookNook to initially provide 2,000 students with FREE virtual literacy tutoring 3x/week with qualified tutors. In only one year, 42% of participants caught up to grade proficiency. Since its inception in 2021, the Ed Fund’s tutoring initiative has helped 6,000 students and counting. Read the original SFUSD press release here .

Additionally, in order to ensure high-quality summer program options for all SFUSD students navigating a new pandemic “normal”, The Ed Fund joined a coalition of community organizations, nonprofits, businesses, and city departments partnering to offer free in-person learning experiences for SFUSD students. Through the Summer Together Initiative in 2021 and 2022, the Ed Fund helped to facilitate $4.5M in funding for 4500 low-income students to attend fee-based summer camps for free.

The San Francisco Education Fund channels corporate and community volunteers and financial resources into schools to achieve its goal of improving student success in the San Francisco Unified School District.

We envision a future where San Francisco public school students have equitable access to quality education so that they can engage and enrich the community.

COMMUNITY-CENTERED

We actively involve and engage community members in decision-making processes, fostering collaboration and addressing challenges in ways that respect and reflect the values and diversity of the community. We work to create a sense of belonging, shared responsibility, and mutual support in everything we do.

TRANSPARENT & ACCOUNTABLE

We are committed to openness, honesty, and responsibility in our actions and decisions. Together, transparency and accountability contribute to trust-building, ethical behavior, and a culture where actions and decisions are made with integrity.

EQUITABLE & INCLUSIVE

We work to eliminate racial, economic, gender and cultural disparities by ensuring that everyone, regardless of differences, is actively involved and represented in order to improve outcomes for everyone.

JOYFUL & CARING

We know we can go further and longer together when we look out and care for one another. Our work is done in a warm and empathetic environment that fosters positive relationships, celebration, and psychological safety.

The Ed Fund’s staff members bring passion and experience in education, civic engagement, social issues and more to make a difference in the lives of our city’s young people.

LEADERSHIP TEAM

PROGRAM TEAM

DEVELOPMENT & OPERATIONS TEAM

These incredible Board members are the fiduciaries who steer the Ed Fund towards a sustainable future by adopting sound, ethical, and legal governance and financial management policies, as well as by championing our mission in the larger community and making sure we have the resources needed to achieve our goals.

The SFEF Leadership Council is a group of outstanding community leaders who champion the organization’s mission to advance equitable education in San Francisco. The Leadership Circle acts as an advising body to the Board and organization, and also provides generous financial support.

The San Francisco Education Fund Young Leaders Council (YLC) is a cohort of community members under 40 who are passionate about supporting youth and families in San Francisco and committed to bringing equitable access to education for every one of the city’s 50,000 public school students. The YLC brings awareness to the Ed Fund’s mission and advances its efforts in the areas of fundraising and community engagement. The YLC sets out to raise visibility of the Ed Fund’s work and events, namely, the Back to School Gala in the Fall; and to develop a broader and more diverse base of funders for the Ed Fund by leveraging existing connections in the SF Bay Area.

Click here to learn more

Applications are now closed. The recruitment process for the next YLC cohort will begin in summer 2024. Please email [email protected] with any questions in the meantime.

We believe the Bay Area is stronger when we work together which is why we are proud to have thought partners in these organizations across the city and beyond.

We also collaborate with SF-based corporations to bring talent and resources to our schools. Together we work to close the equity gap by offering our students and schools opportunities to reach their full potential.

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Graduate College of Education

Welcome to the Graduate College of Education.

Come here to  be a teacher  at any level. Become a specialist  or  speech therapist  who helps children and families. Advance your career to serve communities through our  graduate programs .

This is a very important time to be an educator, and the children in our region need you. If your dream and conviction is to change lives and build an equitable society, this is your college. Our  faculty  are extraordinary educators and scholars, ready to welcome you in our classrooms and in our partner schools and clinical settings.

We invite you to attend an  Information Session  to learn more. View our  GCOE Scholarships  to see what’s available for you. And  connect with us  to see that our community is here for you.

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The SF State Graduate College of Education offers the following undergraduate programs, such as the Communicative Disorders B.S., Elementary Teacher Preparation pathways, Education Minor,  Special Education Minor and the Metro College Success Program.

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Within the GCOE, a range of educator preparation programs are offered that include preliminary credentials for teachers in elementary (Multiple Subjects), high school (Secondary), special education (Education Specialist) with traditional and intern teacher program options.

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The GCOE at SF State offers several options for master’s degrees and graduate certificates.

Master’s degrees include the Master of Arts in Education (M.A.), Master of Arts in Special Education and the Master of Science (M.S.) in Communicative Disorders.

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The Graduate College of Education at SF State offers two doctoral programs, one a  Joint Ph.D. Program in Special Education  and the other an  Ed.D. Program  with dual focus in P-12 education and post-secondary education systems.

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• Five lesser-known, on-campus study spots at SFSU The Golden Gate Xpress recently penned an article highlighting less familiar study spots at the SF State campus. Among these…
• Monday’s Eclipse and College Meeting – “With Knowing Comes Caring, with Caring Comes Change” The GCOE held its second College Meeting of the semester on Monday April 8. About 45 faculty and staff joined us in the Libr…
• SPED Graduate Certificate in Autism Studies – New Name Approved This week in Academic Senate, the former Graduate Certificate in Autism Spectrum got a new name: the Graduate Certificate in…
• Apr 24 PK3 ECE Information Session Wed, April 24, 04:30 pm Online Event
• May 01 SPED Information Session Wed, May 01, 04:00 pm Online Event
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The Undergraduate Advising Center (UAC) is the primary location for all undergraduate students seeking academic advising. We are committed to supporting you and meeting your advising needs. We encourage you to meet with us to support your overall transition, wellness, and success at SF State. Some of the common services we provide include, degree planning, choosing/registering for classes, major exploration, academic success strategies, and policy clarification and appeals.

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The Department of Secondary Education prepares reflective practitioners and leaders with strong grounding in equity and social justice to work in our San Francisco Bay Area public schools to inspire all students to learn.

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'All Political': SF Board of Education President Gabriela López on the Recall Effort Against Her, 2 Other Board Members

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This article is part of a series of interviews  KQED has conducted with all three San Francisco school board members facing recall elections in February.

For the first time in nearly 40 years, a recall is headed to the ballot in San Francisco .

Voters will be asked whether to keep or oust San Francisco Board of Education members Alison Collins, Gabriela López and Faauuga Moliga in three separate questions on a Feb. 15 special election ballot. If any are recalled, Mayor London Breed would choose their replacements.

The other four members of the board were elected last November, and therefore are not eligible to be recalled based on city elections rules.

Getting any recall on the ballot is tough, but a school board recall is an especially difficult proposition in normal times.

“The average voter doesn’t even think about the schools,” said Larry Tramutola, an Oakland-based political consultant who’s spent decades working on education-related campaigns. “You could stand on any corner in San Francisco, and despite San Francisco being highly educated, highly politically aware, if you ask 100 people who their school board members are, I’ll bet three can tell you who they are.”

But these are hardly normal times. The California School Boards Association said there are roughly 60 recall attempts this year. “This is far beyond anything that’s ever been seen in California before,” said CSBA spokesperson Troy Flint.

That’s in part because parents, forced to become more active participants in the educational process during distance learning, started paying more attention to school boards and didn’t like what they saw, whether it was delays in reopening schools for in-person learning, mask mandates or teaching critical race theory and ethnic studies, “even in California,” Flint said.

Many of these recall efforts have already failed or are likely to fail. But in San Francisco, critics argued the board prioritized initiatives to rename schools and overhaul admissions procedures at Lowell High School rather than what they called the far more pressing issue of reopening classrooms.

The grassroots momentum that created, plus some big donors, made for success. “When the recall ball starts rolling down the hill, it collects issues,” Tramutola said.

Now, opponents of the effort are preparing to mount a defense. The group NoSchoolBoardRecall has begun collecting donations, and Commissioner Moliga has launched his own campaign. Meanwhile, United Educators of San Francisco President Cassondra Curiel said the teachers union will stay focused on educating voters for now.

KQED education reporter Vanessa Rancaño spoke with San Francisco Board of Education President Gabriela López about the recall effort against her and her colleagues.

This interview from Oct. 25 has been edited for length and clarity.

Vanessa Rancaño: Do you draw a distinction between yourself and Collins and Moliga? And do you think voters should draw distinctions?

Gabriela López : That's a good question, and I really believe that they should view us as a board, because it really is a recall against the school board. There's a part of me that knows if they could do all seven they would have. There's been talks and attempts to do that as well. So in remaining united as we have been, considering the year we've had, that's important for voters to view as well because this is really part of a larger issue — on trying to take over school districts and school boards — that we're seeing across the country.

Mayor London Breed was pretty vocal about wanting schools reopened. She was openly critical of this renaming effort. How do you think about her role in this recall, as the official who would appoint a potential replacement? 

I think the underlying issue is that fact: the amount of control that the city and the mayor would have over these positions. And I completely understand the area around reopening schools and the issues that that created. But what people fail to remember is during that time, at the beginning of this year, it wasn't even that long ago, we still weren't in a place where people had access to vaccines, where we were out of the tier that allowed us to be in-person and to be safe, and that we weren't ready to put people in that situation when it wasn't clear yet. Once that opportunity opened up in April, then we began to do that work, understanding that younger learners, who were the most impacted, should get priority.

But this sense of just returning to return because of the pressure that people were giving us, or the fact that the city sued the school district — which I still disagree with — and trying to push these efforts to appease a voter base that honestly wasn't impacted by the pandemic in as many ways as other communities were who didn't want to return, is all political. The fact that people keep pointing to the renaming issue is another, for me, excuse to kind of point to that fact. And I say that because the renaming work had begun before members were even on the board. It was passed by a previous school board a couple of years back, and work had begun on a topic that hadn't been finalized yet.

But it didn't take away from the planning that was occurring already to [reopen schools]. The fact that we had been meeting and organizing and getting all of the information ready for our families — it didn't take away from that. So in fact, the response to the renaming and using that as an excuse of us not focusing on [just] one thing was what created the distraction, in my belief, because we were still doing all of that. We hadn't taken a break over the summer before, like we do in regular years. We've been meeting almost on a weekly basis. ... In fact, [it] was all people were doing seven days a week.

What role do you think race plays in this recall push?

Obviously that's an important question, and I'm not going to say that we're not noticing that this is a recall against people of color, and it's against people who have also been doing a lot of work to support those communities across our city who are often not in these spaces. So, I do believe if it wasn't someone with my background, and I'll speak for myself, my experience, my understanding or cultural understandings, I don't think I would be getting as much pushback as I am now.

[This recall] is aligned in many ways with other issues that are happening across the country. ... People might disagree, but I think a lot of the issues that we're facing have to do with who's in a position of power right now, who isn't usually.

One of the criticisms that I am hearing again and again from the recall proponents is this idea of prioritizing politics or ideology over kids. Some people say that the reopening delay hurt disadvantaged kids in the district the most, and that the board was posturing — doing these ideological things like renaming, and Lowell — rather than focusing on reopening, which they argued was the most concrete thing that could have been done to support the most vulnerable or marginalized kids in the district. What do you make of that?

What I certainly know is many of the criticisms that we're hearing I don't believe were on the ground in the communities most affected. When the pandemic started, a group of us in the Latino community formed the Latino Task Force, and a lot of our work was how do we support Latino communities who we know are most affected, least able to access resources, least able to take two weeks off if they get infected? And seeing that struggle ... I was surrounded by that every day just being on the ground, helping families navigate the tech platforms, hosting classes and being in their space, helping families sign up. I was seeing the real fear of being in a space that wasn't ready for them. I still hear about it, even though we're back now.

So to be told by a community of people who I know are privileged that we're not supporting the most marginalized ... it was honestly hard for me because a part of me knew that they weren't seeing it and living it every day. I heard stories of families who for eight months didn't leave their homes. And this idea of trying to force us to come back when people weren't ready, when the city wasn't ready, when the country wasn't ready, is something I would not be able to stand by.

[Returning to schools] was not safe until maybe April. And even then the schools weren't designed to support us in this way. And we have a prime example right now: One of our school sites — Buena Vista Horace Mann — is operating under horrible conditions that we've been learning about over and over, and families have that understanding. So to be told that we are returning to school buildings that aren't in the best conditions, but that we're going to be safe, especially during a pandemic, is really hard for people.

Do you see any validity in the anger expressed in this recall effort?

I, of course, do. I know that we are living through a horrible, stressful time, and to feel like your concerns aren't heard and the issues aren't being resolved, is infuriating. And I completely, completely understand that and believe that. My response to people who have been in that position has always been to be as open as I can, to be available to communicate, have conversations, maybe even explain further to get through what's being either miscommunicated or not communicated during our board meetings.

I think one thing that I keep hearing is, I don't listen to parents — and that's far from the truth. Part of my daily routine is talking to at least one parent. And those have just become habits that have grown in the position that I've created for myself in this role, and continues to be even when people are frustrated with our actions.

What have you found are the biggest obstacles to doing the sort of equity work you care about?

For me, it's really trying to educate people to see what we mean by this work, why we're pushing this work, why it's important to see who is affected, what they're telling us that the people aren't hearing during our meetings, and changing that. But I hear a lot of hate in the response. It reminds me of why I'm doing this work and why I need to keep pushing, but it's also very toxic and frustrating and tiring. That balance to keep going is really tricky.

Do you have greater political aspirations? Would you run again for the board? What's next?

To say it plainly, no, no, no. Obviously I've learned a lot. When I first began, I remember saying I was very, very grateful to be in this position. As soon as I became president, and this year and everything that came with it happened, that started to shift. ... It was just kind of a clear indication of why people say politics is dirty and why regular people — I consider myself to be a regular worker, an educator who really wanted to make an impact at a policy level — get drained out. When I ran, it was because people were supportive and encouraged me and motivated me to do it. And the reason why I kept doing that work is because of those people.

I never have [and] never will have aspirations for higher office, even though I know this position is set up for that. If you take a look at our Board of Supervisors, even the many who are in those positions now running for higher office, that is far from where I ever see myself being. My world is in education. ... I'm currently applying to Ph.D. programs to pursue a different part of this work. And this isn't going to change that or take away from that.

So, no, I don't have any aspirations for higher office. I'm not sure at this moment if I'll run again next fall for a second term. But I do fear that this experience is going to deter other people from doing that.

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Environmental education program

SF Environment provides free year-round environmental education programs and curriculum to all PK-12 public and independent schools in San Francisco. Programs can be offered in English, Spanish, and Chinese (Mandarin/Cantonese).

Founded in 2007, our School Education team’s mission is to provide equitable environmental education and access to nature for all youth throughout San Francisco. The program connects youth to themselves, the world around them, and empowers them to take climate action to create the future they want to see.  

We offer live in class programs and field trips to best suit your students. SF Environment also provides ongoing support to teachers seeking to create project-based, solutionary environmental curriculum. Print or make Zero Waste Signs with your students. Contact us for presentation set-up or curriculum development support.

Presentations offered

Introduction to zero waste (k-5).

Students become waste auditors in this program by investigating to solve the mystery to solve the mystery of landfill waste in San Francisco with the 4R's and the power of composting with the FBI (fungi, bacteria and invertebrates). Students explore the waste in their own homes and create solutions towards zero waste.

Visit the Environmental Education microsite for a self-paced guide to teach about Zero Waste at home or school. 

Our Common Future: Creating a Zero Waste Future for All (6-12) 

People, Place, and Fair Share: This program teaches students how these three concepts are interwoven. Students will engage with what it means to be an environmentalist, how to disrupt environmental injustice, and create a better future for all by striving for Zero Waste and Zero Toxics. 

Visit the Environmental Education microsite for a self-paced guide to teach about Zero Waste and environmental justice for all.

Save Our Water (K-12)

Plunge into a transformative experience with SF Environment’s program, Save Our Water, developed in collaboration with SFPUC. Explore with us through the diverse landscape that supplies San Francisco’s amazing water. Discover the art of water conservation, a crucial legacy we forge for present and future generations. Join us on an adventure to safeguard this precious resource, ensuring a sustainable and bountiful future for all.

Visit the Environmental Education microsite for a self-paced guide that teaches about water conservation and creating healthy water systems.

Protect Our Bay (3-5)

Dive into a world of discovery with SF Environment’s program, Protect Our Bay, developed in collaboration with SFPUC. Embark on a journey alongside students as they explore the intricate web of water pollution, unraveling its origins from diverse sources. Uncover the power of prevention through simple and ingenious solutions that pave the way for healthy waterways. Join us in safeguarding our aquatic treasures, ensuring a future where the beauty of our waters remains a source of joy and wonder for generations to come.

Field trips

Bring your classroom to nature with one of our field trips! We partner with Recology's Environmental Learning Center and Garden for the Environment to offer tours and additional curriculum. To learn about our field trips, register by completing this form or contact via email at [email protected] .

Recology's Student Transfer Station Virtual Tour

Visit the Transfer Station, where all of our waste goes for one day before it gets recycled or composted.

Garden for the Environment Virtual Field Trip

Dig in to San Franicsco's beautiful Garden for the Environment with this virtual field trip.

Get started with our Take Climate Action Facts !

Connect to Nature throughout our City each day while you are learning remotely. During the global health emergency, when you do venture outside, please remember to follow the public health orders and guidelines issued by state and local officials.

Education Programs offered by our Community Partners

Zero Waste Support at School: Recology explains why being “Better at the Bin” is Better for Our Future! Join one of Recology’s live virtual presentations to learn the benefits of recycling and composting, see firsthand what happens to materials you put into each of your three bins, and understand how you can personally fight climate change every day.

Print and share San Francisco recycling, composting, and landfill signs for your school or home.   

Make custom signs with our  Signmaker tool .

Register for presentations and field trips year-round

For any additional support email The Environmental Ed Team

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U.S. Bank Magnolia Place Financial Education Center welcomes people looking to boost their financial acumen

The U.S. Bank Magnolia Place Financial Education Center is designed to provide a welcoming environment for individuals and families with limited access to financial education and services who are looking to expand their knowledge and work toward financial stability. 

“The U.S. Bank Magnolia Place Financial Education Center embodies the bank’s commitment to financial inclusion and access to financial services,” said Flory Martinez, who works in community outreach for U.S. Bank and is based at the center, which is in downtown Los Angeles. “We not only educate and empower individuals but also actively work to remove barriers to financial services and provide opportunities to achieve financial stability and prosperity.”

Located in the Children’s Bureau’s Magnolia Place Family Center building, which provides a variety of health, educational, economic and social services, the financial education center serves a low- to moderate-income community – the majority of whom speak Spanish as their primary language.

The centralized location allows the financial education center to reach the many visitors who come to the building for other services and also may benefit from financial workshops and coaching.

Covering topics such as building emergency savings, budgeting, using credit wisely, homebuying, establishing banking relationships and more, the programs the center offers are designed to empower individuals and families to break the generational cycle of poverty, plan for the unforeseen and make the financial system easier to understand.

Participants can build upon the knowledge they gain through workshops by scheduling one-on-one coaching sessions as well.

“People really value the opportunity to receive personalized guidance tailored to their own circumstances and goals,” Martinez said. “It helps simplify complex financial concepts and strategies.”

The center opened in 2018, as the Union Bank Magnolia Place Financial Education Center, when a Union Bank employee who lived in the area recognized the bank could provide valuable services to the local community. After the acquisition of Union Bank, U.S. Bank saw the value of the center and rebranded it to the U.S. Bank Magnolia Place Financial Education Center.

While the financial education center doesn’t process banking transactions, Martinez is able to connect community members who are interested in acquiring banking products and services with U.S. Bank employees at nearby branches.

Martinez said she also has forged strong relationships with nonprofit organizations that serve the same community – including from the same building.

When nonprofit LIFT-Los Angeles , which also is located in the Magnolia Place building, started a Community Business Academy in 2022 to help emerging entrepreneurs get their businesses started, she quickly connected with LIFT staff to collaborate on workshops and provide information to participants who have questions about banking products and services.

“We’re both in the trenches serving the community. We complement each other,” said Carlos Vasquez, director of entrepreneurship at LIFT-Los Angeles. “There are individuals who want to open a bank account and we don’t offer banking services, so we let Flory know. She can come in and talk to them and connect them to the right individuals.”

Haven Neighborhood Services serves individuals and families experiencing financial and housing instability and frequently works with the U.S. Bank Magnolia Place Financial Education Center on programs and activities designed to boost their financial acumen and work toward their financial goals.

CEO Erika Toriz said she appreciates the spirit of collaboration and commitment to helping the community through activities like recruiting volunteers to help families file tax returns.  

“It’s important to have someone who really understands the community and the work being done on the ground, and is passionate about going beyond their duties,” Toriz said of Martinez.

With more than 50 financial workshops and coaching sessions completed in 2023, Martinez said she is witnessing the positive impact these programs have in the community. She sees more people setting and following budgets, saving regularly and using credit wisely, as well as using banking services that may have seemed inaccessible in the past – benefiting individuals, families and the community as a whole.

“The center has played a pivotal role in fostering a sense of empowerment within the community,” Martinez said. “As families become more financially secure, they are better positioned to support one another, invest in local businesses and contribute to the community's economic development."

While the financial education center has only carried the U.S. Bank name for a relatively short time, the bank has a long history with the facility. In 2008, U.S. Bancorp Impact Finance (then called U.S. Bancorp Community Development Corporation) invested $7.02 million in New Markets Tax Credit (NMTC) equity to finance the 46,000-square-foot Magnolia Place Family Center building where the financial education center is located. NMTCs encourage private capital investment in underserved urban and rural communities, supporting business growth and job creation. 

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Sfusd, spark* sf public schools announce 2023 annual report, press release details, press release message.

San Francisco (January 31, 2024) - The San Francisco Unified School District (SFUSD) and SFUSD’s non-profit organization, Spark* SF Public Schools, announced the release of its Fiscal Year 2023 Annual Report, reporting a total of over $123 million invested into the district’s highest priority initiatives and programs since it was established in 2015.

Spark is the critical conduit to channel community, business and philanthropic contributions to a broad spectrum of district-led programs driving improved student outcomes. Since 2018, Spark has contributed $51.6 million into SFUSD priority, multi-year Strategic Initiatives. The recently released Fiscal Year 2023 Annual Report showcases significant impact addressing learning, equity, technological access, innovation, educator talent, and wellness. A few highlights include:

• The establishment of new Wellness Centers at SFUSD middle schools expanding critical access to mental health services, in partnership with the Department of Children, Youth and Families (DCYF)
• Creating conditions for Black student success in rigorous STEM courses through the Black Star Rising initiative with over 84% of dual enrollment students receiving a passing grade and 42% with an “A” letter grade in 2022-23

Since the Salesforce-SFUSD STEM Leadership Initiative began in 2013:

• SFUSD saw a 41% increase in Math attendance among middle schoolers after the partnership's 6th year 
• Demonstrated a 3x increase in the number of students passing the AP Computer Science exam
• Increased equitable access to computer science - the number of female students taking computer science has almost doubled (up from 25% since 2014-15) and underrepresented students of color (African American, Latinx, and Native American) make up 35% (up from 8% since 2014-15)
• Established access to computer science courses to 100% of SFUSD students

“Spark’s impact is undeniable in its depth and breadth,” said SFUSD Superintendent Dr. Matt Wayne. “On behalf of our students and team at SFUSD, thank you to Spark* SF Public Schools’ community partners for their steadfast commitment to excellence in public education.”

“As we navigate the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead, together, with our community, we are committed to strengthening Spark's role as a pillar of support for SFUSD’s highest priorities for student success,” said Ginny Fang, President of Spark* SF Public Schools. “Spark is not just an organization; it is a community united by the shared belief that education is the key to unlocking a brighter future.”

Read the Fiscal Year 2023 Annual Report .

About SFUSD and Spark* SF Public Schools

Serving approximately 50,000 students across 119 schools, SFUSD’s mission is to provide every student the quality instruction and equitable support required to thrive in the 21st century. The district, along with its non-profit organization​ Spark* SF Public Schools ​, is committed to helping all students develop strong academic knowledge and skills, as well as the dispositions and behaviors to increase their curiosity and engagement, activate their full potential for learning, and prepare them for life, work, and study beyond their secondary school years. 

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Rising to the Occasion

By Emily Clemenson

Vanessa Winn, professor in the Department of Teacher Education , is one of the faculty members who teach a course that introduces students to the profession of teaching, a requirement that many teacher education majors take during their first year.

Students in this class do a literature review and write a paper, and the students in Winn's sections turn that work into a poster presentation for UD's annual Stander Symposium.

The Stander Symposium at the University of Dayton is an opportunity for undergraduate and graduate students to showcase academic excellence through faculty mentored research, scholarship and artistic accomplishments. 

"It's really important to get young people out in front of an audience, believing that they have something to say," Winn said. 

Winn's students, many of them in their first year at UD, are intimidated at first. Winn helps them each step along the way, from choosing a narrow-enough topic on which to focus their literature review to finding papers that are easy enough to comprehend.

"I just think it's helpful to put people in positions and let them rise to the occasion," Winn said. "And they do."

Kyle Wood is a first year student from Akron, Ohio. He is a teacher education major with a concentration in high school mathematics. He chose a topic — homeschooling in the United States — but he wasn't sure how to turn a lit review into a poster.

"As I was writing my paper and researching my project, I saw a few big ideas start to emerge that reassured me that I would be able to make a poster in a way that would present my findings well," Wood said.

When the Stander Symposium came around, Wood felt prepared to talk about his project with the people in attendance. 

"From this process I was able to learn about how to synthesize a large quantity of research into a few main points that held depth behind them that could be explained if people inquired about it," Wood said. "I am interested in presenting at Stander again in the future with my other interest of math."

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04-22-2024 Wyoming Education Trust Fund For Innovative Education Grant

The Wyoming Department of Education distributes funding to support innovation in education through the Wyoming Trust Fund for Innovative Education Grant. Districts must apply for this grant by midnight on June 2.

The grant was established to provide funding for districts to create innovative and improved educational opportunities at all grade levels. Funding is available for initiatives that advance education in the following areas:

• Curriculum development activities. 
• Operational initiatives. 
• Administrator and staff development and improvement programs. 
• Acquisition of technological equipment. 
• Applied science and technology programs. 
• Technical preparation programs.
• Evaluation programs. 
• Public early childhood programs. 

Successful districts will be notified by June 24, and funds will be distributed by July 31, for use until June 30, 2025. At least one qualifying grant will be awarded, if possible, in each of the following classifications: 

• Classification I – Less than 500 ADM.
• Classification II – 500 but less than 1,000 ADM.
• Classification III – 1,000 but less than 2,000 ADM.
• Classification IV – 2,000 or greater ADM. 

Grants are for one-year to any public school district. Districts may also apply in conjunction with other districts or educational institutions. Approximately five to seven grants totaling $250,000 will be awarded.

For more information, contact Dustin Brown,Student Placement and Mental Health Program Manager, at 307-631-5377 or [email protected] .