Date of Award
Summer 6-28-2021
Degree Type
Thesis
Degree Name
Master of Public Administration (MPA)
Abstract
On January 26, 2021, San Francisco Board of Education adopted Resolution No. 211-12A1 to sanction the potential renaming of 44 San Francisco Unified School District schools. This decision was immediately met with public opposition and criticism due to concerns that include, but are not limited to, the timing of the renaming effort, the lack of community engagement, the hasty historical research and decision-making, and the lack of financial consideration. The advantages and challenges to conducting community outreach, applying social justice principles, and performing historical due diligence, and their respective impacts to place naming are discussed in this research paper. A mixed-method approach was used to gather public opinion and feedback from key informants through an online survey and interview questionnaire, respectively. Research findings revealed the perspectives of the San Francisco community and consisted of insightful feedback from Christina Bagatavicius, Co-Founder and Principal at Bespoke Collective. The survey results demonstrated public support for community outreach and historical due diligence; however, the determination on applying social justice principles was inconclusive. Based on the collected data and findings, this study recommends actions, policy changes, and areas for further research to increase the effectiveness of the San Francisco Board of Education’s school naming process.
Recommended Citation
Kwok, Joanna, "A More Effective San Francisco Board of Education School Naming Process" (2021). EMPA Capstones. 181.
https://digitalcommons.law.ggu.edu/capstones/181