FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Youth Question Those Who Want To Run Their Schools!
Youth VOTE Coalition Holds Board of Education Candidate Forum

Members of the Youth VOTE Coalition (students from Youth Making A Change, the San Francisco Youth Commission, and the San Francisco Unified School District's Student Advisory Council) will be leading a Board of Education Candidate Forum on Wednesday, September 25^th from 7:00-9:00 p.m. at Mission High School's Little Theater, 3750 18^th Street.

Youth who attend will be able to question the 9 candidates who are running for the 3 positions on the Board of Education. This forum will provide the youth of San Francisco a chance to get a sense of what the candidates are like. This forum is the only youth-led Board of Education Candidate Forum of the election season and it is part of the San Franciscans for Public Education's series of forums.

Last year, the San Francisco Youth Commission issued a report entitled, "Youth Speak Out on the State of San Francisco Schools". These are only some of the things that Youth Commissioners heard from students: "We have uncomfortable learning environments because of structural problems with the SFUSD schools", "School facilities are not clean", and "The classrooms are overcrowded". The youth have been reported saying, "We have inadequate learning materials", "There is a lack of necessary supplies for students", and "Resources are often inaccessible to students". Youth say that they don't feel safe in their schools because of gangs and weapons and because students threaten other students and get into fights. Youth also say that they have an ineffective curriculum and that the teachers are teaching directly from the text book or that they don't follow the textbook and it doesn't even have anything to do with the subject. Those are just some of the quotes that the youth have made about their schools. This event gives a youth a chance to question the candidates and see what action they will take to address these situations if they are elected to the Board of Education.

For more information contact the San Francisco Youth Commission at (415) 554-6446.