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A Dream Deferred:

How San Francisco schools leave behind the most vulnerable students
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Overview
Good Ideals, Bad Outcomes
Choice without Opportunity
Great Jobs, Out of Reach
The Path to Better
San Francisco School Report

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San Francisco has long stood as a place of progressive ideals – a place that not only welcomes everyone, especially the vulnerable, but supports its people and nurtures their individual gifts.

There have always been tensions between this vision and reality.

But rarely has that tension been deeper than today — and nowhere is that clearer than in the city’s schools. San Francisco isn’t the only city where life is hard for working-class and poor people, but it stands out.

The simple, disturbing fact is this:

Among similar districts across California, San Francisco ranks near the bottom in learning outcomes for low-income African American and Latino children.

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Three Contradictions

San Francisco’s educational challenges take the form of three contradictions, which this report explores.

<div class="wpc-box box-green"><!-- [et_pb_line_break_holder] --> <div class="face-one"><!-- [et_pb_line_break_holder] --> <img src="/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/Lightbulb-SF-report-02.png"><!-- [et_pb_line_break_holder] --> <h3 style="font-size:25px;">Good Ideals, Bad Outcomes</h3><!-- [et_pb_line_break_holder] --> <a href="#0" class="show-face-two">More</a><!-- [et_pb_line_break_holder] --> </div><!-- [et_pb_line_break_holder] --> <div class="face-two"><!-- [et_pb_line_break_holder] --> <a href="#0" class="box-close-btn">Close <img id="icon_close" src="https://innovateschools.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/Transparent-placeholder.png"></a><!-- [et_pb_line_break_holder] --> <div class="GreenSummary-container"><!-- [et_pb_line_break_holder] --> <p class="box-summary" style="text-align:center;">San Francisco cares about vulnerable students, but isn’t delivering a good education for them.</p><!-- [et_pb_line_break_holder] --> </div><!-- [et_pb_line_break_holder] --> <a href="/san-francisco-schools-report-2017-home/good-ideas-bad-outcomes/" class="box-read-more">Learn More</a><!-- [et_pb_line_break_holder] --> </div><!-- [et_pb_line_break_holder] --></div>
<div class="wpc-box box-orange"><!-- [et_pb_line_break_holder] --> <div class="face-one"><!-- [et_pb_line_break_holder] --> <img src="/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/X-windows-houses-SF-Report-02.png"><!-- [et_pb_line_break_holder] --> <h3 style="font-size:25px;">Choice Without Opportunity </h3><!-- [et_pb_line_break_holder] --> <a href="#0" class="show-face-two">More</a><!-- [et_pb_line_break_holder] --> </div><!-- [et_pb_line_break_holder] --> <div class="face-two"><!-- [et_pb_line_break_holder] --> <a href="#0" class="box-close-btn">Close <img id="icon_close" src="https://innovateschools.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/Transparent-placeholder.png"></a><!-- [et_pb_line_break_holder] --> <div class="OrangeSummary-container"><!-- [et_pb_line_break_holder] --> <p class="box-summary" style="text-align:center;">The choice system aims to increase access, but there aren’t enough schools delivering for the most underserved students.</p><!-- [et_pb_line_break_holder] --> </div><!-- [et_pb_line_break_holder] --> <a href="/san-francisco-schools-report-2017-home/2017-sf-schools-paradox-choice-without-opportunity/" class="box-read-more">Learn More</a><!-- [et_pb_line_break_holder] --> </div><!-- [et_pb_line_break_holder] --></div>
<div class="wpc-box box-red"><!-- [et_pb_line_break_holder] --> <div class="face-one"><!-- [et_pb_line_break_holder] --> <img src="/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/Reaching-Hand-SF-report-02.png"><!-- [et_pb_line_break_holder] --> <h3 style="font-size:25px;">Great Jobs, Out of Reach</h3><!-- [et_pb_line_break_holder] --> <a href="#0" class="show-face-two">More</a><!-- [et_pb_line_break_holder] --> </div><!-- [et_pb_line_break_holder] --> <div class="face-two"><!-- [et_pb_line_break_holder] --> <a href="#0" class="box-close-btn">Close <img id="icon_close" src="https://reports.innovateschools.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/Transparent-placeholder.png"></a><!-- [et_pb_line_break_holder] --> <div class="RedSummary-container"><!-- [et_pb_line_break_holder] --> <p class="box-summary" style="text-align:center;">This city has lots of great jobs, but they’re out of reach for many students who grew up here.</p><!-- [et_pb_line_break_holder] --> </div><!-- [et_pb_line_break_holder] --> <a href="/san-francisco-schools-report-2017-home/2017-sf-schools-paradox-great-jobs-out-of-reach/" class="box-read-more">Learn More</a><!-- [et_pb_line_break_holder] --> </div><!-- [et_pb_line_break_holder] --></div>

Together, these three realities amount to an indictment of how the district serves its most vulnerable children — and a powerful case for change. Let’s join together to do better for our kids.

San Francisco Unified School District has large gaps in student learning

Percent proficient in English and math, 2016-17

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