Downtown Education Task Force

August 7, 2008

The task force thanked Jennifer Cheatham and welcomed her replacement, Chuck [missed his last name].  The new Washington Elementary principal, Janie Wardlow, was introduced.  For the past 5 years she was principal of Tierrasanta Elementary School, where enrollment has been increasing.

The Financial Committee reported that the School Board approved moving forward with a bond measure that includes funding downtown educational facilities and updating technology in all schools (including Washington).  The School Board also approved investigating a joint parking agreement at Washington that would involved public parking in the evening and on weekends.  At the Board meeting, the superintendent expressed interest in adding 2 schools downtown, possibly including a school in the Marina district.

A Building Information Modeling (BIM) Storm charette to consider how to build a school with teach housing, etc. will probably be held in November.

The Facilities Committee reported that contracts for the Washington Elementary facelift are in place.  Improvements won't be in place by the start of the Fall semester, but progress is being made.

The Programs Committee reported that converting Washington Elementary to a K-8 school will require a fresh round of community support.  A lack of principal continuity and the restructuring of the district to no longer include area superintendents have set back the K-8 conversion.  The committee is preparing for phase 2 of the survey: "What programs are desired for pre-K - 16?".  The survey is intended for September or October and will include partnering with the district.

The Outreach Committee reported that the Education Fair will be combined with the Multi-cultural festival next year.  A likely location is the Children's Park (where the grass mounds were).

Planning for the Education Summit continued.

The task force was advised that the task force may not advocate for a bond measure. The task force may educate about the measure and non-paid members of the task force may advocate independently.

The catalog of schools that has been developed should be placed on the web.  The Outreach Committee will look for an appropriate site.

June 5, 2008

Washington Elementary presented their plans for improvements.  Principal Suarez introduced the leadership team and one of the teachers made the presentation.  They are expanding their public presence, including attending meetings, creating a website, being active with the Little Italy Association and a presence in the Mercato newsletter.  They plan to make greater use of resources downtown and in Balboa Park.  They are continuing to assess test scores and student needs.  The Downtown San Diego Partnership is helping with banners and brochures and $2,000 has been donated to the foundation.

The Financial Committee reported that approximately $9 million of redevelopment monies are available.  A placeholder is in the tentative bond for providing expanded downtown educational opportunities (e.g. a new school).  Final consideration of the bond will be August 5.  A presentation for the School Board is needed by July 1.  There was interest in the idea of a joint parking agreement at Washington Elementary.

The Facilities Committee reported that phase I improvements for Washington Elementary (repainting, banners, entry gate) now have a timeline through December.  Phase II (landscaping, a new entry through the existing principal's office, fencing) extends into next year.  Four or five downtown sites are being considered for a future school.

The Outreach Committee reported that the Education Fair was considered a good opportunity for networking.  Ideas for next year include combining with another event and moving to earlier in the year.  City College was praised for their role in making the event go smoothly.  A downtown education webpage may be created.  The committee is working on articles and looking forward to an Education Summit in Autumn.

The Programs Committee has a new chair - Jennifer Cheatham, the Executive Director of Curriculum and Instruction at SDUSD.  A public opinion research company has been hired - Competitive Edge Research & Communication (CERC).  CERC will be approaching the research in two phases.  The first phase is to evaluate the need for a new school in time to report to the Board of Education regarding the likely bond measure.  The second phase will yield more information about what programs would be desired.Urban Discovery Academy reported their approval from the Board.  Their goal is to have 130 students this fall.  They are looking at 2 locations - one in East Village that would have a five year lease and one beyond the CCDC boundaries that would have a much shorter lease.  They are in competition with another, larger charter school for both locations.  The school will start as K-6 and expand to K-8.  They have $22,000 of the $100,000 needed by July 15 and are making progress on financing the remainder.

May 1, 2008

Several members of the task force, including Nancy Graham, met with Superintendent Grier during the week of April 7.  Dr. Grier was positive toward the idea of creating a new downtown school that would draw from the wider community and has had a similar experience with a Montessori academy in his past district.  A mixed use project that includes affordable housing for teachers could be an interesting possibility.

The Outreach Committee is making final preparations for the May 10 Education Fair that will be held from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m. on the Gorton Quad at San Diego City College. The fair will highlight existing downtown schools, educational institutions, organizations and activities, ranging from preschool level through adult education. There is no cost to attend the fair.

The Facilities Committee has been investigating potential school sites.  The existing post office is an intriguing site, but would be very expensive to turn into a school.  A couple of other lots in East Village are also under consideration.  The precedents for vertical mixed use schools are being investigated.

The Finance Committee continues to work on bond issues.

The Museum School has received approval for expanding to K-6.  The spots are filled and they are hiring teachers.

April 3, 2008

The Finance Committee is working on the details of being included in an upcoming bond measure.

The Facilities Committee is turning to site selection.  The Washington Elementary improvement designs were well received at the community meeting.  As part of a design competition, graduate students provided a site design for 2 charter schools and an affordable housing project on a downtown block, including financial analysis.  With several assumptions, including that a public entity covered the cost of the land, the facility cost spread over 30 years would be more than $4,000 per student per year and perhaps as high as $5900.  The figure does not include any operating costs.  (For a sense of the magnitude of the figure, total operating costs per pupil at Washington Elementary in the most recent year for which data is available were $7,216 per student.)

The Programs Committee is putting out an RFP to select a research firm to conduct the education programs survey.

The Outreach Committee has developed a logo and is preparing an Educational Fair to be held May 10 from 10am to 2pm on the City College campus.

The next meeting will be May 1.

March 6, 2008

The Community Outreach Committee reported plans to hold an educational fair, including local schools and places with summer programs.  The location and date are TBD.  Progress is being made on the Washington Foundation and marketing.  An application for an "Urban Discovery Academy" charter school has been submitted to the district.  The downturn in the real estate market may encourage families to stay downtown.

The Facilities Committee will be holding a public forum at Washington Elementary on April 1 at 5pm to show plans for renovations, discuss program improvements, and solicit input.  A site selection subcommittee has been formed to consider potential sites for a new school downtown.  An inventory of existing downtown education facilities has been produced.

The Programs Committee is making progress on producing a survey.  Enrollment of area schools has been considered.  The situation at Washington has been given great attention.

The Finance Committee notes that projects to be included in an upcoming bond measure need to submitted to the district in the coming months.  The total cost for a school (excluding land) exceeds $400 per square foot.

January 30, 2008

The first meeting of the Education Programs Committee was held January 30, 2008 at the Eugene Brucker Education Center and led by the new chair, Dorothy Harper, Associate Superintendent for Parent, Community & Student Engagement. The Programs Committee is a foundation for the work of all other committees.

The history and future of Harborside School becoming financially inoperable and integrating into Washington Elementary as a program were discussed. The number of students currently in the K-5 Harborside Program is ~70, with ~55 having come from the private school. Total Washington enrollment is ~330. With few exceptions, classes throughout Washington are under-enrolled, with an average class size of ~18.

Parents attempted to express the defining qualities of the Harborside Program, including an emphasis on achievement and collaboration between teachers (with students attending classes of other grades in some subjects), but agreed that they may never know exactly what makes the program so desirable. Parents also agreed that the teachers in the program are fundamental to their students' enrollment. Given that all of the teachers in the Harborside Program are members of the union with low seniority, the school is under-enrolled, and a 10% budget cut may be coming, the future of the teachers' positions is uncertain. Teacher contract issues need to be investigated.

Parents are trying to decide where to place their children this Fall and the lack of details on the future of the Harborside Program is causing many to consider alternatives. The deadlines for some of those alternatives have come.

No legal or technical difficulties with continuing the Harborside Program as a distinct program (without consideration of which teachers would be associated with the program) with existing students articulating and additional space filled by lottery are known. The IB program at SD High was mentioned as an example of a distinct program within a larger school. Social issues of having distinct programs are seen as the primary obstacle to maintaining a distinct program. Long time Washington parents see the campus as "their school". The program is listed in the district's guide for next year but has only been approved for the current year. The Board determines whether to continue the program. A detailed description of the program would need to be presented to the Board for consideration and the earliest that could occur is March 11. Dorothy Harper is looking into the process for recommending programs for Board Approval.

The need for a "script" for anyone who answers the phone at Washington, clearly and accurately describing the current state of affairs was emphasized.

A subcommittee will be meeting to begin work on the public opinion survey that is a task of the Programs Committee.

The next meeting will be Feb 27 from 9-10:30am. The location is TBD.

January 18, 2008

On January 18, Task Force Chair Phil Bona and consultant Bruce Husson presented an overview of task force activities to the Downtown Plan Monitoring Committee, chaired by Councilmember Kevin Faulconer.  Parents were also present, stressing the need for positive resolution to the short-term issues at Washington Elementary.  Though somewhat off-topic for the committee, members did voice support for applying resources to help with the situation.  Kim Kilkenny pointed out that although a large pool of funds for capital improvements is available, operating funds are insufficient.  He also noted that the state provides incentives for urban development, recognizing the many quality of life benefits for all Californians that come from focusing on urban areas.  He suggested requesting our state representatives push for a higher rate of operating funds per daily attendance for schools in urban/redevelopment areas.  With respect to Community Plan/PDO/Zoning issues, Phil Bona expected the Task Force to have more specific input on a potential sites for additional schools in the Fall and Mike Galasso suggested excluding schools from FAR calculations (allowing a developer to include a school without reducing the allowable building area for other purposes) and allowing schools in zoning that might not currently be considered consistent (such as in certain areas of the Core). All members of the Committee were very supportive of educational opportunities for downtown families.

January 10, 2008

The Facilities Committee presented concepts for improving the exterior and entrance to Washington Elementary.  The main gate would be replaced with an aesthetically pleasing gate that meets security needs.  Part of the principal's office (adjacent to the main gate) would be converted into an entry area.  The sun shade columns would be removed and sunscreens would be installed on the building.  Improved landscaping, including trees, would be placed between the sidewalk and building.  The building colors would be updated with fresh paint.  In the long term, larger windows are desired for the second floor.  Decorative banners would be added to the building along State Street.

All committees agreed the Educational Programs Committee is fundamental to this process and meetings of that committee are very much needed. Jodi Smith, the SDUSD Chief of Staff, has agreed to chair the Programs Committee. That committee will be leading the effort to conduct a survey regarding the interests of downtown parents, students and other community members regarding educational program offerings for current and future schools.

Plans for an Education Summit later this year continue.

A representative of the King/Chavez Academies (charter schools) presented information on the schools and expressed a desire to found a charter high school in downtown.  He explained that the schools have gone from 75 children in 2000 to 5 schools serving 1300 children.  The schools now serve K-8 emphasizing academics, athletics and the arts, “doing it from ‘the foundation of love'.”

December 6, 2007

The Community Outreach committee reported an initial foundation goal of providing enrichment activities at Washington Elementary.  More goals will be established based on additional parent feedback.  The tensions at Washington were discussed.  Delfino Aleman reported that as part of reaching a successful resolution, two former principals have been brought to facilitate, additional funds will be injected, and class size issues are being addressed.

A formal survey regarding downtown education is intended for the coming months with the results helping to form the agenda for a "Downtown Education Forum".

Laurie Mitchell brought the perspective of the Children's Museum Board concerning the displacement of the Museum School.  The museum seeks to help schools meet California arts standards and provide preschool and "mommy and me" programs.  The Board feels it has insufficient space and resources to support a charter school while achieving its core mission.  Though the designated school portion of the building was planned to be only 13% of the total space, the students would be using other parts of the museum as well.  CCDC staff reported that there is no legal leverage to force the Board to change its decision. The Museum School presented needs assessments for a new facility under 3 scenarios: 3rd-6th grade, K-6th, and K-8th.  As the school had planned to make use of museum space during periods of low attendance, a new site would need to be much larger than just the space required for the classrooms.  Facility sizes for the 3 scenarios ranged from 16,000 to 22,000 square feet.  The rent for that much space downtown presents a significant challenge.  Options are being investigated.

The next task force meeting will be January 10, 2008.

November 9, 2007

Committee reports presented at the November 9 meeting show the Task Force has moved from organizational matters to substantive progress.  The Facilities Committee presented a photo mosaic of their tour of Washington Elementary and a dozen items that could further invigorate the campus.  Items include ensuring necessary facilities are available for the upcoming K-8 program, improving entry and perimeter aesthetics, updating play equipment, improving traffic flow, and increasing computer resources.  The district already plans to install air conditioning, beginning in April.  The Finance Committee has received a chair from San Diego Unified.  He received a very warm welcome following his positive response to the Facility Committee report.  The Community Outreach Committee has established goals, including establishing branding and a campaign, holding a forum with Washington teachers regarding the entire school, and fund raising.  The task force received a presentation regarding the Children's Museum and associated Museum School.  All hope to see the school included in the museum as previously described.

September 6, 2007

The task force established a mission statement, high level goals, and ground rules for the task force and its subcommittees.  Members of the public are encouraged to participate as committee members.  The committees are Educational Programs, Educational Facilities (chaired by Michael Galasso), Community Outreach (chaired by Nancy Scull), and Financial Resources.  If you are interested in serving on one of the committees, watch the calendar for upcoming meetings, contact the committee chair, or email mail@sd-fun.org.

August 23, 2007

Chair Phil Bona explained that most of the work will be done by subcommittees which will report back to the main group.  A Design Subcommittee, chaired by Michael Galasso, will consider changes to existing facilities.  A Business Outreach Subcommittee, chaired by Nancy Scull, will seek ways to partner with the business community.  The Education Subcommittee will consider educational programs, such as whether to expand Washington to include grades 6-8.  The school district may provide a chair for that subcommittee.  Todd Ruth joined the task force as a downtown parent.  (Contact Todd with comments and questions at mail@sd-fun.org.)

Area Superintendent Delfino Aleman described the paradigm shift at the district - to still follow policies but to do so in a manner that quickly responds to needs.  Washington's new principal, Nestor Suarez introduced himself and gave an update on the school.  He explained the Harborside Program, that teachers from the old Harborside School are becoming teachers at Washington, and that trust is being built.  He has worked at San Diego city schools for 25 years.  He is struck by the similarities between the Harborside Program and the existing Washington school.  He pointed out that both are focused on constructionist educational philosophies, believe in development of the individual, and provide positive teachers with small class sizes.  Of the 130 students that were attending Harborside School, 104 are moving to the district, with 6 going to middle school and 98 going to Washington Elementary.  (A later clarification seemed to indicate almost half of the 98 are in preschool.)  Principal Suarez described the program as being well integrated, including the integration of the existing Washington PTO with the foundation being formed to help support the Harborside Program.  Like the rest of Washington, the Harborside Program will not include grades 6-8 initially, but the district is open to the idea of adding a grade each year.

The old post office site will be for sale within the next couple of years.  The site is already slated for a park in the current community plan.  The idea of locating a school adjacent to the park was raised for future consideration.

Jim Watts gave a presentation on existing public schools in the downtown area, including locations, grades served, 2006-2007 enrollment, capacity, and 2006 Base API.  Information on the sources of enrollees will be provided at a future meeting.  The district generally intends that elementary schools serve a 3/4 mile radius.  A complete list of all area schools is being compiled.

The group made significant progress toward setting a mission statement and providing supporting text.

June 10, 2007

The design subcommittee met for its first workshop on June 9, 2007 at 9am at Cafe Italia.  Attendees toured the Washington Elementary site, including the area where pedestrian access across Front Street to a lot currently owned by Caltrans is contemplated.  A brainstorming session for the site followed back at the Cafe.  Ways to better integrate the school with the community were considered, including the incorporation of facilities shared between the school and the community and decreasing the "fortress" appearance of the State Street facade.  Goals were listed and ideas were sketched on a map.  The results of the meeting will be summarized at the CCDC Real Estate meeting on Wednesday June 13 at 9am.

June 7, 2007

The task force met June 7 at 8am at the CCDC offices.  The next meeting will be June 28 and 8am.  A design charrette for improvements to the Washington Elementary site and adjacent land was announced for Saturday June 9 at 9am, meeting at Cafe Italia.  A tour of Washington was announced for Thursday June 14 at 1:30pm.  (Contact the Downtown San Diego Partnership at 234-0201 to RSVP.)  Interaction with the parents in attendance included concerns about Washington.  Mike Galasso, a member of the task force, pointed out that Washington suffers from poor PR, including an inadequate website.  With respect to test scores, a school district representative pointed out that Washington's scores have been improving and have reached 758, nearing the state target of 800.  The plans to make Harborside a program within Washington were mentioned.  The remainder of the meeting focused on concepts for adding a school to downtown.  This was prefaced by the caveats that the downtown student population is not large enough to require another school and that even if it were, the process to add a non-charter school takes approximately five years.  Washington has at least 100 empty seats.  California has a certification process for buildings to be used as schools, requiring review during the design of a building and inspections during construction.  This makes use of an existing building challenging and adds complications to possible mixed use projects.  The presentation for the day was "Urban School Issues & Examples".  A rough sketch of mixed use project including a school on half of a downtown block was presented and generated discussion.  Such a project is believed to be unprecedented in California, but no legal difficulties with such a project are known.

Join the Discussion

At the first "Coffee with Nancy" (2/2/07), CCDC President Nancy Graham fielded a question on expanding downtown schools.  She explained that CCDC has started a conversation with the school district, but the school district reports that schools in the area are experiencing declining attendance, making new school construction undesirable from their perspective.  She left open the possibility of creating a charter/magnet school and emphasized the need to get people involved in making Washington more attractive.  She encouraged anyone interested in participating in an upcoming discussion with Washington to contact CCDC.