Social Policy Positions

Objectives of this position:

1. We strongly support the San Francisco Police Department’s primary role of law enforcement and crime prevention. The Department should continue to improve the technologies which will assist in this standard role.
2. Strengthening the relationship with the many communities within the city is vital to this primary objective.
3. We encourage outreach and communication with the public in order to foster this relationship. This should include personal contact, visibility, public meetings, meetings with officers, access to Department information and activities via the internet as well as methods for those who do not have access to the internet.
4. Although educating and mentoring is of vital importance in the community, it is important to relate resources to the budget realities. Efficient and cost effective programs such as awareness of crime, intervention in disputes, anger management, and rehabilitation services should be addressed primarily by community leaders with SFPD support to the extent possible.
5. All personal data collected should receive the privacy deserved, for example, financial disclosures of officers, or personal data or DNA of residents.
6. Demographics of the department should generally reflect the community though quality of the employees and sworn officers must be maintained.

Objectives of this position: Support a public schools system that meets the educational needs of all students.

Community, parents, students and educators should formulate district education goals. Similar groups at the local school site should determine specific objectives. Both groups should have the responsibility of ongoing monitoring and evaluation of these goals.

The San Francisco Unified School District (SFUSD) should develop and implement a master plan for continuing comprehensive and well-coordinated School Improvement Programs for all kindergarten through 12th grade students. The Board of Education should see that necessary funds are obtained to carry out this plan. The master plan should be evaluated regularly to make sure its objectives are being obtained.

The Board of Education should:

1. Retain the power to establish school attendance areas;
2. Improve communications between it and the public;
3. Publish its policies;
4. Evaluate its program periodically.
5. Evaluation of administrative job performance should be strengthened.

The following criteria should be given greatest weight in determining budget priorities for the selection of program:

1. Coordination of programs to avoid duplication and to promote the most effective use of money available;
2. Academic effectiveness of programs;
3. Promotion of effective career training related to marketable job skills.

Evaluation of programs should be improved by:

1. Training of principals, teachers and parents involved at the school site
2. Implementing the SFUSD Board of Education policy which enforces results of program evaluation;
3. Employing professional staff trained in evaluation procedures to administer program evaluation.

The following social programs are considered legitimate functions of the school:

1. Nutrition programs (breakfast and lunch);
2. Driver education (classroom education and vehicle training)
3. Military Science (ROTC) is not considered a legitimate function of the school district.

The following programs should not be limited to students of economic or special physical need (whether or not the program is administered by the school district):

1. Nutrition (breakfast and lunch)
2. Driver education (classroom education and vehicle training);
3. After-school athletics (team sports and after school playground activities);
4. Children’s centers.

Social programs should be funded in the following manner (whether or not the program is administered by the school district):

1. Nutrition: federal, state, parent fees on a sliding scale;
2. Driver education: state;
3. After-school activities: city;
4. Children’s centers: federal, state, city, parent fees on a sliding scale;
5. Military science (ROTC) should receive no funding.

LWVUS Positions:

1. Equality of Opportunity; Support equal access to education, employment and housing. 

LWVC Positions:

1. Education; Support a comprehensive pre-kindergarten through twelfth grade public education system that meets the needs of each individual student; challenges all students to reach their highest potential; develops patterns of lifelong learning and responsible citizenship.