San Mateo-Foster City educators seek input on community school initiative

“The district can and must do better. Shared decision making is key. This would be more successful if we included the teachers and staff,” said Gabriel Alegre, a fifth-grade teacher at Sunnybrae Elementary School. 

The San Mateo-Foster City School District is in the second year of implementing community schools at five campuses — Fiesta Gardens International School, Laurel Elementary, Lead Elementary, San Mateo Park Elementary and Sunnybrae Elementary. 

Steering committees were established at each school and tasked with surveying their respective communities, particularly typically marginalized voices, on what they felt their campuses needed. A separate districtwide steering committee was also established this year. 

In the first year of the implementation process, the groups held 30 community input meetings and 35 steering committee meetings with more than 830 people in attendance. And 12 surveys garnered a total of 1,100 responses. 

Just months into the second year of the implementation plan, an additional 532 have attended meetings held across the five campuses since September and 1,150 survey responses have been gathered. Trends indicate that parents at each of the five schools want to see expanded after school and academic activities and support, community school resource centers with community school leads and parent workshops meant to empower families and increase the share of leadership on campuses. 

The goal of the program, Superintendent Diego Ochoa said, is for underserved groups, particularly communities of color, to have more of a say about the makeup of each campus. 

“What they bring to the table as communities of color is often taken or ignored, and not recognized by school systems including ours,” Ochoa said. “That was the case historically and it continues to be the case now and we’re doing a lot to try to change that and shift that over time.” 

With a clear vision, the district can begin applying for implementation grants offered by the state. But staff argued the success of the programs will need buy-in from staff who have not felt well represented on the committees or well-informed on the implementation process. Lisa Mejia Sandoval, a community service specialist at Sunnybrae, said some parents have also called for better communication and transparency from the district including next steps. 

Trustees shared their support and appreciation for the work already conducted by staff and steering committees while also acknowledging the concerns raised by educators. 

Trustee Maggie Trinh underscored the importance of ensuring families who have already dedicated time to the process feel their voices are heard and the implementation process is clearly understood. Trustee Shara Watkins noted “bumps” will occur when developing new programs and questioned whether there may be an opportunity early in the new year to help educators and staff feel more engaged in the process. 

Similarly, board President Alison Proctor said she recognized how disappointed staff may feel about not being included more in the development of a new exciting program. She thanked staff for bringing their concerns to the board and encouraged the district to better engage with employees on the issue so they can become advocates for families who may ask questions or raise concerns of their own. 

“It’s kind of frustrating when you want to be part of something,” Proctor said. “We’re here for students but we’re also an employer. We have to make sure that people who work here feel valued and feel like they’re included and they're part of the community.” 

sierra@smdailyjournal.com 

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