February 12, 2019
Good Tuesday morning.
For the first time in four years, California released a list of its 781 lowest-performing schools as required by the federal Every Student Succeeds Act. 15 San Francisco schools appeared on the list.
The following schools were listed for “comprehensive support and improvement” and are to receive federal funding based on poor performance: Visitacion Valley Elementary School, Paul Revere Elementary School, Bret Harte Elementary School, William L. Cobb Elementary School, Tenderloin Community School, Mission Education Center, One Purpose School San Francisco, Visitacion Valley Middle School, Willie L. Brown Jr. Middle School and James Lick Middle School.
The following high schools were listed for having graduation rate averaging less than 67 percent over two years: Thurgood Marshall High School, San Francisco International High School, Ida B. Wells High School, Independence High School and Five Keys Independence High School, a charter school operated by the San Francisco Sheriff’s Department for inmates.
Assigned by Mayor London Breed to investigate numerous claims of sexual harassment within the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency in October, independent ombudsperson Dolores Blanding released a report recommending how the agency should move forward to combat toxic work culture. Findings include training to cultivate a culture of respect, changing the structure of the human resources department, making the human resources department more visible to staff and holding all employees accountable for a safe, productive work environment. She also advised making ombudsperson a permanent position.
Fewer than 10 people qualify for Senate Bill 1045, a proposed homelessness conservatorship plan that would expand The City's ability to involuntarily hold the homeless for mental-health and substance-use treatment. Although 55 people have had enough 5150 psychiatric emergency holds to meet most of the plan’s criteria, the vast majority of potential participants became ineligible because they must qualify for assisted outpatient treatment. Sen. Scott Wiener, D-San Francisco, seeks to change the provision by amending the bill.
With overdose rates involving methamphetamine tripling to 5.6 people per 100,000 in The City over the last decade, Mayor London Breed announced she and District Eight Supervisor Rafael Mandelman will create a task force to combat the drug’s use. The Methamphetamine Task Force, which will consist of leaders and specialists, will observe the impacts on residents in high-use areas, look for ways to increase treatment and rehabilitation options and expand current prevention and law enforcement programs.
The task force, which will meet in spring and fall, will release a report with recommendations.
Frank Robinson, the first African-American to manage a team in the Major League Baseball, died on Feb. 7. He was 83. The Hall of Fame outfielder, best known in the Bay Area for managing the Giants from 1981 to 1984, was a 14-time All-Star and two-time World Series Champion. A trailblazer who scored 586 home runs in his 21-year career, he spent more than 60 years working in baseball.
Roxsana Hernandez Rodriguez, a transgender woman who made the journey by caravan from Honduras to the U.S.-Mexico border, died from dehydration and H.I.V.-related complications last May.
Rodriguez’s friend, Charlotte, tells the harrowing tale of their 2,700-mile journey together as openly transgender women.
The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development awarded San Francisco more than $44.5 million in homeless funding grants this year, up $3 million over last year. No city other than Los Angeles received more funding. The bulk of the funds will go toward supportive housing.
Tenderloin
Last week, patrons watched their last flicks at AMC’s Van Ness 14. The operation’s management gave no reason for the closure of the 21-year-old movie house.
Presidio
A pair of Great Horned Owls moved into a red-tail hawk nest to raise their young, giving new life to the Presidio Trust's live stream of the eucalyptus tree. The pair have been nicknamed “Baron” and “Baroness."
Fillmore
"It’s a sign of the times — it was hard to keep up with the changing population." The family-run Bryant Mortuary, which operated for 60 years, shuttered last week after struggling with a predatory loan and changing burial customs. The new property owner will move the historic building to the edge of the property to make room for a housing development.
Excelsior
Last week, Taiepisi Gutu, 18, and a 17-year-old minor were arrested in connection to a violent robbery at the Good Orchard Bakery. The police were criticized for taking four hours to respond to the call for service. Chief of Police Bill Scott has since apologized for the slow response.
Bayview
San Francisco firefighters, paramedics and EMTs joined cat lovers in outrage that Edna, a pet cat at Fire Station 49, was evicted from their premises after an anonymous complaint. Edna’s supporters mounted a social media campaign using the hashtag #ednastays. Edna now needs a permanent home.
Mission
Last week, Maximus Real Estate Partners revealed the latest plans for a 331-unit development at 16th and Mission streets at a rare meeting of the Planning Commission held in Mission High School rather than City Hall.
More than 100 opponents, who have dubbed the project the “Monster in the Mission,” told commissioners that the plan would adversely impact the neighborhood. Some called for a 100 percent-affordable alternative with open space and a community center they are calling the “Marvel in the Mission.”
Mission Bay
The Golden State Warriors have plans to build a 142-room hotel and up to 25 upper-floor condos next to the Chase Center basketball arena on a site already approved for a 24,000-square-foot retail building.
Joe Fitzgerald Rodriguez, On Guard: Father and Daughter Bridge Democratic Divide and Find Good Fortune for the Lunar New Year
Sally Stephens: San Francisco Residents Deserve Equal Fire Protection After a Major Earthquake Hits
Heather Knight, On San Francisco: San Francisco’s Homeless Reconnect with Family with Help of ‘Digital Detectives’
Willie Brown, Willie’s World: Democrats Have a 2020 Problem: Trump is Good at Elections
Phil Matier: SamTrans Buses Need a Place to Park, So San Francisco Loses a Dozen Parking Spaces
This edition was curated and written by Alex Mullaney and edited by David Mamaril Horowitz.The newsletter is designed by Marquee and published on Proof.
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