A few steps forward

Going green is not easy, nor is it cost-free, but the SF School District is taking a few steps in the right direction by encouraging schools to be a little greener. Not all of the steps may be feasible immediately. Board member Jill Wynns is right when she says that buying food from small local producers when the district is facing massive deficits will only cause more problems. There are some things that can easily be done, however, and should be done right away. Turning off lights and computers when leaving a room or a building makes sense. We teach our children to do this and teachers and other school personnel should set a good example. Just because SFUSD can't be perfect doesn't mean it should try to take a few steps forward. Even a pale shade of green would be an improvement.

How good are the tests?

San Francisco schools have come up with a mixed message about how well they are doing. According to state standards schools are improving, but by federal standards of No Child Left Behind, our schools are not doing so well. It's difficult enough under any circumstances for parents and the public to understand how good the schools are, but having two different standards of measurement makes the task almost impossible. We are reduced to recounting anecdotes we heard at the supermarket and poring over newspaper comments from people who don't know any more than we do. But gossip isn't going to get us far with improving the school system. It's time for the state to come up with a coordinated set of standards that will enable civic minded people to understand where our schools stand. Then we can push for the reforms needed to make them better.