After six months of interviewing applicants nationwide, San Francisco Schools district has filled its top position. Carlos Garcia, Vice President of Urban Markets for McGraw-Hill (educational publishers), has been selected as the next Superintendent of San Francisco Schools. Board members have been seeking a replacement since January after interim Superintendent Gwen Chan announced that she would not return to the post in the fall.
Garcia was voted in due to his experience in San Francisco Schools, strong results as Superintendent of other districts, and good reputation as a fiscal manager. Garcia served both Fresno, California and Clark County, Nevada as Superintendent. From 1988-91 Garcia was principal of San Francisco Schools Horace Mann Middle School. During his tenure the school improved its achievement scores and received recognition for its accomplishments.
According to Board President of San Francisco Schools, Mark Sanchez, “ We chose Mr. Garcia because of his past experience with San Francisco, his strong track record as a superintendent and his understanding of the challenges that our district faces.” The San Francisco Schools have dealt with issues like declining enrollment over the past few years, as families leave for better districts and private schools. Initiatives like the small schools program are one of many that the San Francisco Schools are implementing to reverse this trend. This change in leadership may bring some of these programs into question, although the school board seems confident that Garcia is in line with their priorities.
Thirty applicants were interviewed since January in an attempt to find a new leader for the San Francisco Schools. Garcia’s credentials includes a B.A. from Claremont Men’s College in political science, a M.A. in education from Claremont Graduate school, and an administrative degree from California State University at Fullerton. Parents in San Francisco Schools provided input to the hiring process in the form of both community meetings, and over a thousand surveys, to determine the criteria for their next leader.
Leadership of the San Francisco Schools will have a strong impact on financial spending and program funding. Given pressure to meet national No Child Left Behind standards, administrators in San Francisco Schools are constantly making decisions about how best to allocate funds. California’s poor reputation on educational priorities and spending was recently highlighted by a think tank study that claimed that the state’s educational priorities are in such disarray that the whole system needs an overhaul. While San Francisco Schools leaders may agree with the study, they still need state funding to run their districts.
The fact that Garcia led one of the nation’s largest districts, Clark County, gives the San Francisco Schools reasons to hope that he will use the same financial wisdom in this district. Six of the seven board members voted for Mr. Garcia’s appointment, with the seventh asking for more time to decide. Garcia will begin serving San Francisco Schools on July 16th, 2007.
Related Articles
Looking for Balance in San Francisco Schools
By: Jason Thomas | 31/07/2007 | Education
Educators in the San Francisco Public Schools are frustrated by the lack of balance in education. The recent focus on mandatory testing has moved schools nationwide away from holistic education.
San Francisco Schools Fight Fat
By: Patricia Hawke | 04/09/2007 | Education
Childhood obesity is at alarming levels in this county. Children in the San Francisco Schools are no exception. Too much television and video games, and too little time spent playing outside has led to an epidemic of juvenile health issues.
Baltimore Schools Try to Grow Their Own Teachers
By: Patricia Hawke | 20/06/2007 | Tutoring
Baltimore Schools mirror the rest of the nation in a shortage of qualified and available teachers. The most recent recruitment attempt involves a “grow-your-own” method that is slowly cropping up around the country.
Orange County Schools: Closing the Gap
By: Patricia Hawke | 26/06/2007 | Education
Recent education reforms in the state of Florida have shown to be of benefit to the students in Orange County Schools. The reforms have hit their intended target – low-income minority kids.
St. Louis Schools Sensitive to Needs of Alternative Students
By: Jason Thomas | 02/07/2007 | Education
The efforts of St. Louis Schools to serve the needs of its alternative schools are admirable. Through the implementation of new summer schools programs, a virtual school, and 3 new alternative campuses, the district of St. Louis Schools strives to serve all students throughout the city.
Dismal Drop-out Rates for Detroit Schools
By: Patricia Hawke | 10/07/2007 | Education
A 2006 newspaper report and a 2005 Princeton study spell costly problems for the students and residents of Detroit Schools. In 2006 USA Today reported on a study funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.
Transforming Ohio Schools
By: Patricia Hawke | 24/07/2007 | Education
Ohio Public Schools have undergone significant changes since 2004 due to the Ohio High School Transformation Initiative (OHSTI). This is a plan that replaced the Ohio Schools’ massive and ineffective high schools with almost 60 smaller schools.
San Antonio Schools Address Nutrition Problem
By: Patricia Hawke | 31/07/2007 | Education
Every day children show up to school tired and hungry. I’m not talking about homeless or abused children. But kids from loving homes near the San Antonio Schools whose parents don’t understand the impact of nutrition and a good night’s sleep on a student’s ability to focus and learn. Good nutrition is a necessity of life.
Got a Question? Ask.
Ask the community a question about this article:
Q&A Powered by:
Latest Education Articles
How to Find Someone With Just an Address
By: Chad Kiser | 25/07/2008
Let's start with how to find people by address. That is the solution to this problem. Some sites that allow you to do this are listed in this article.
The Vedic System Of Education
By: Victor Epand | 25/07/2008
A Gurukul provides a type of education that ranges from how to live a life, to cooking and to running a business, among other things.
What Are Student Loans and Where to Find Them
By: Daniel Millions | 24/07/2008
There are basically two places where you want to actively look for student loans. The first would be the federal government and the second would be private lenders. In order to be considered for any of the loans given out by the federal government, you are first going to fill...
The Chickasaw Language
By: Jacob Lumbroso | 24/07/2008
The Chickasaw language is derived from the Muskogean family and is spoken by Chickasaw inhabitants of Southeastern Oklahoma. It is one of the less common Native American languages, as only about 1,000 individuals speak it today.
Disadvantages of Public Schooling
By: Uchenna Ani-Okoye | 24/07/2008
When we consign our children to public schools, we feel satisfied that they are receiving 'quality education'. But, are we really getting our money are worth?
Nazi Jews:a Historical Paradox
By: Brian Cuban | 24/07/2008
Would it surprise anyone to learn that there were upwards of 150, 000 soldiers of partial Jewish descent serving in the Nazi army during World War II?
Homeland Security: The New Age of Counterterrorism
By: Henley-Putnam University | 23/07/2008
After the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks on the United States, it became clear that much more needed to be done to protect America's freedoms and interests - both at home and abroad. The US Government, in response, created the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) over five years ago and...
Hypnotherapy Training Course
By: Khurram Zeb | 23/07/2008
Some things to keep in mind if you want to become a hypnotherapist.
More from Patricia Hawke
Dropout Rate in Detroit Schools Needs to be Addressed Now
By: Patricia Hawke | 17/05/2008 | Education
Students at Detroit schools are leaving before graduation at a disturbing rate. Depending on which estimate you believe, the number ranges from 34 to 68%. Whichever number you decide is the right one, these levels are still far too high.
Dallas Schools Get Failing Grade for Teacher Ratings
By: Patricia Hawke | 17/05/2008 | Education
There is a problem with the system being used to rate the performance of teachers at Dallas schools. Due to errors in coding or otherwise, some teachers are being rated based on classes they didn't teach or students who weren't assigned to them. This issue at Dallas schools needs to be dealt with immediately.
Cleveland Schools Need to Deal With Problem of Violence
By: Patricia Hawke | 17/05/2008 | Education
The latest statistics on violence in Cleveland schools indicate that incidents are on the rise. Recent incidents involved an assault on a teacher and a principal getting injured while trying to break up a fight. It really shouldn't be all that surprising that violence acts are being committed in Cleveland schools when violence is so prevalent in our society as a whole.
Charlotte Schools Can't Bully Employees
By: Patricia Hawke | 17/05/2008 | Education
Officials at Charlotte schools recently sent their 18,000 workers a form asking that each employee consent to a rigorous background check or be fired.
Baltimore Schools Students Will Benefit From Local Alliance
By: Patricia Hawke | 17/05/2008 | Education
A new initiative at Baltimore schools provides yet another glimpse into the possibilities that a public school system can throw up for its students, if it only makes the effort. Baltimore schools have tied up with MedStar the Columbia based health care system, to offer students an opportunity to intern at health facilities.
Arizona Schools Must Fund English Programs Now
By: Patricia Hawke | 17/05/2008 | Education
In Arizona schools, it is estimated that 130,000 students have a language other than English as their first language. These youngsters are not fluent in English. Unless their English-language skills are brought up, how can they be expected to get a good education?
Virginia Schools Introduce Kids to Award-winning Author
By: Patricia Hawke | 10/09/2007 | Education
Middle school students attending two Virginia Schools have had the opportunity to meet an award-winning author. Sharon Flake has written a work of fiction about a 13-year-old African American girl who struggles to fit in with her peers.
Texas Schools Set an Example
By: Patricia Hawke | 10/09/2007 | Education
Texas school districts are enjoying a revival, and how! In recent years, the state’s schools are finding increased success meeting all the measures of a school’s success- motivated well performing students, and schools and teachers who set the bar higher for themselves.
Education 
