Community Partnerships
South San Francisco
In the fall of 2022, an unprecedented coalition of community leaders came together to build a bold vision for transforming the outcomes and experiences of all students in South San Francisco.
South San Francisco is a vibrant, culturally diverse city that has evolved from the Industrial City to the Birthplace of Biotech. It’s a community deeply committed to ensuring their children have access to the educational and economic opportunities in Silicon Valley and beyond. As we learned about the community’s conviction to work together and SSFUSD’s will and potential to be an exemplary district, the Bay Ed Fund supported local leaders to convene an unprecedented coalition of community leaders to build a new and bold vision of success for students.
1. Listening and Learning
The Bay Ed Fund supported South San Francisco leaders in a rigorous journey of listening and learning together around what it looks like for every student to thrive.
25 community leaders visited Lindsay Unified, a school district that has transformed outcomes and experiences.
The district hosted bi-lingual community conversations attended by over 200 families.
Multiple cohorts of family leaders came together weekly to build their understanding of the challenges and opportunities.
Staff at every school met to discuss strengths and areas of improvement, and share what the district and schools should focus on.
A visioning team made up of students, educators, union, family, and community leaders came together monthly.
6100+ conversations informed the community-led vision for students from focus groups to surveys, to community conversations.
A Bold North-star vision
The result of the listening and learning experiences culminated in SSFUSD’s Portrait of a Graduate — a promise to each student that they will leave prepared to thrive as adults both in the community and economy.
A Community Action Plan
The district took the Portrait of a Graduate back to the community who identified five priorities and initiatives for the next five years — the result is SSFUSD’s community-led plan. All of the district’s staff, time, and resources will be aligned to the implementation of this plan.
3. Realizing the Community-Led Vision and Plan
Now that the community coalition has a shared vision and plan, the Bay Ed Fund is supporting implementation through funding, technical support, and access to best-in-class partners and expertise.
Investments in leadership
The Bay Catalyst Fellowship provides middle level administrators, principals and other district leaders a two-year cohort opportunity to build their expertise with the goal of creating a more robust talent pipeline in the district.
On-the-ground Instructional support
In line with community priorities, the Bay Ed Fund provides implementation support through change management coaching and best-in-class partner organizations that help build skills and deliver exceptional instruction.
To foster a culture of learning and accountability, the Bay Ed Fund supports families, district leaders, and community members in analyzing data, reflecting on setbacks, and sharpening their focus on a clear set of goals. As part of this work, we organize visits to transformative school districts that serve as models of excellence, offering insight and opportunities for reflection. These experiences help leaders gain clarity and conviction around what’s needed to drive meaningful change in their own context.
Donate
Please donate to expand our reach and impact.