Cherelle supports Education

I have had the opportunity to teach in various schools in the Bay Area. This includes teaching areas of history, physics, biology, entry engineering & coding classes, and so much more. That being said my journey has allowed me to gain a perspective of the needs of schools not only in District 6 but in the Bay Area. As an educator you come across many diverse schools, and different ways in which they operate. You also see first hand the inequalities, schools that are under resourced, as well as common challenges, and barriers students face while attending school. I also must mention the challenges that the teachers, staff, and administrators face while conducting day to day operations. Overall, I believe that every student should have access to a quality education. I want to also applaud all schools for the amount of work they do day in, and day out. I have had the opportunity to see first hand some schools where academic excellence is upheld, and is definitely the standard.

Diving Deeper: (If you get this far, thank you for reading)

Education Funding:

Supporting the "Back on Track. Charter Amendment is incredibly important for Bay Area schools. While some are concerned with how it will impact other departments/Unions I think it's a step in the right direction with funding schools, developing new programs, and alleviating some of the strain schools have with operations. I believe we can accommodate to protecting union workers while also supporting education.

Education & Paraprofessionals

We know education is important. We must ensure that those with disabilities have the right tools to succeed as well. On site help in classrooms, one on one teaching, and small group alternative approaches can work. Creating inclusive classroom environments are also very beneficial inside the classroom.

The Classroom & Student trauma.

Some students come from impoverished, harsh or unsafe living conditions. When it's time to focus in the classroom, and get work done some tend to meet bare minimum standards, from lacking in literacy skills, or other troubles with understanding curriculum. In well funded schools you will notice counselors, onsite mindfulness activities, one on one, and group outreach programs, and parental programs. In under-resourced schools the systems are strained, parents sometimes are unaware of their students educational progress. Some may know, but aren't able to get involved as much due to keeping up with their day to day household (Work ect.). In efforts, to help with this more funding should be directed to after school tutoring, as well as counselors.

School Infrastructure
Investment:

#School Upgrades

Schools can be amazing places to learn. After a while though the buildings, and classrooms see their fair share of wear, and tear. That being said it's important to address school upgrades. Rebuilding some buildings are necessary, while others may just need a few changes.

I believe that this is something that we can do. It might take time, but I definitely think it's important to address.

Others don't have efficient cafeterias (due to wear and tear), athletic departments, (gyms), auditoriums which can make it difficult for students to engage in extracurricular activities. Which means that some students will miss out on exposure to sports, and athletics. For example, a student might be interested in a specific sport, and maybe want to pursue it in college, but without the right infrastructure it can be difficult accommodate to.

Other types of infrastructure is break rooms, conference rooms for staff, and specifically there are needs such as residing in comfortable private spaces for breastfeeding onsite for Teachers/Staff who need them.

Teacher & Staff Wages

Wages of Teachers/Staff is still one of the most concerning issues that should be discussed. Teachers & other Academic Staff should have a living wage that allows them to live comfortably in San Francisco. This will also help with the shortage. Not only is it fair, but the amount of workload a teacher has to do inside, and outside of the classroom is tremendous, and therefore should be compensated as such.