San Francisco Public Education Vision 2025: Re-Imagining Public Education for a New Generation
Schooling in America will be transformed over the next decade, yet there is not yet a compelling or widely shared depiction of the future we want for students in San Francisco. While our City has a vibrant history characterized by opportunity, creativity and diversity, as a global epicenter for innovation and technology, San Francisco is currently experiencing rapid growth and change that affects all facets of life in the region. Many wonder whether we can undergo such transformation without undermining the very values and spirit that have so long defined the city of St. Francis.
Those of us who work in and support public education know that the quality of our education system will play a huge role in nurturing the soul of the city and in defining the future of San Francisco. Under the leadership of Superintendent Richard Carranza, we believe the time is right to create a transformative and comprehensive new vision for our students—and for the adults who will educate, mentor, and employ them in the San Francisco of 2025. We are working with a broad cross-section of the community to develop a vision in which innovation, community, family, leadership, and social justice are seamlessly integrated into the experience of public education in San Francisco.
Discussing new models of education. San Francisco Public Education Vision 2025 began with an exploration of the social, political, technological and economic forces shaping San Francisco over the next decade. We examined the types of jobs most likely to dominate the Bay Area landscape ten years from now—many of which, if recent history is any indicator, we can hardly begin to imagine. We then turned to our current students, teachers and parents (and to outside experts with ties to San Francisco) to define the qualities, knowledge and skills that will be most valuable for the SFUSD graduate of the future.
The vision and financial plan that result will define opportunities for investment partners, traditional and new, to help us make our vision for SFUSD graduates a reality. It will identify clear ways to align the use of public and private dollars to build and maintain the premier school system of the future. In the meantime, we will continue our commitment to building a culture that values accountability for results, reflection and improvement.
We want our Vision to include input from all stakeholders involved; so far we have heard from students, educators, parents, board members, and education experts – join us, have your voice heard, and help us co-create Vision 2025 by participating in community conversations hosted on our Facebook page and on Twitter under the hastag #InnovateSFUSD.