Voters in San Francisco overwhelmingly supported the recall of three school board members Tuesday, in a vote many have deemed a rebuke of the board’s priorities during the pandemic.
Gabriela López, the board’s president, was recalled along with fellow board members Alison Collins and Faauuga Moliga in an election that saw more than 70 percent of voters supporting their removal. Although the reasons for their removal could be plenty, the fact it occurred is a sign that discontent over handling of the pandemic is alive and well in some Democratic strongholds like San Francisco.
The three ousted members, who served on a seven-person panel, supported a controversial plan to rename 44 San Francisco schools named after people the board said, “significantly diminished the opportunities of those amongst us to the right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.” They helped move the plan forward in January 2021, as San Francisco students were attending remote classes out of concern for the spread of the coronavirus.
San Francisco Mayor London Breed, a Democrat, denounced the plan in a statement at the time.
“What I cannot understand is why the School Board is advancing a plan to have all these schools renamed by April, when there isn’t a plan to have our kids back in the classroom by then,” she said. “Our students are suffering, and we should be talking about getting them in classrooms, getting them mental health support, and getting them the resources they need in this challenging time.”
Last March, a judge ordered the board to vacate its renaming plans and dissolve its renaming advisory committee, or show why it shouldn’t be compelled to do so at a hearing weeks later. The board ultimately voted to put its renaming process on hold.
After receiving the recall results Tuesday, Breed said voters “delivered a clear message” that the school board must focus on the “essentials of delivering a well-run school system above all else.”
There were also signs the recall election could have been rooted in anger over the board’s approval of a plan to change the admission system for Lowell High School, a prestigious school in the district, in order to make it more accessible. The board previously approved a plan to switch Lowell’s admissions to a lottery system rather than a system relying heavily on test scores, a move that was overturned in court and disputed by a number of school board meeting attendees. And on top of all that, Collins, the board’s former vice president, had come under fire for tweets questioning why Asian Americans — who make up 36 percent of San Francisco’s population — weren’t doing more to support Black people subjected to racism. Although some Asian Americans came to her defense, Collins faced widespread condemnation from others for her comments. Whatever rationale you use to justify their recall, the San Franciscans who voted to remove the three members signaled their power in setting the board’s priorities, and established consequences for those who don’t fall in line.
Ja’han Jones is an MS NOW opinion blogger. He previously wrote The ReidOut Blog. Recommended
