Innovate-please do not attend Dec 4 mtg

[ga...@aol.com]

I'm writing you because I wanted you to know the background on Innovate "Public" Schools, I'm urging you not to attend their events. In particular the one scheduled for December 4, 2017. 

SF Families Union just published an Open Letter to the San Francisco community about Innovate.  Please take a moment to read it.

It's quite comprehensive and has lots of useful links. There is a well-researched pdf titled Who is Innovate? and Innovate's Web of Deception. 

Message:

Innovate "Public" Schools is a Walton Foundation (WalMart) funded Silicon Valley organization that's been portraying itself as a SF "parent" organization speaking for Black & Latinx parents. They have been meeting with school board members, supervisors, legislators, non-profit partners and even public school staff.

They are inviting San Francisco VIPs to meetings and then using photos of them to portray support for expanding charter schools. I thought you'd want to know and I'm urging you to not to participate in their events as this might be confusing to voters, parents, and the unions who are working together to protect jobs.

I'm sharing some links below with more info about Innovate, how they operate in San Jose and how they are operating in San Francisco. 

Here's some background on them:

https://cloakinginequity.com/2017/11/14/walton-funded-organization-seeking-organize-and-innovate-in-the-bay/

And a blog from an actual SF parent about a meeting Innovate held at Everett under false pretenses.

https://teachingmalinche.com/2017/11/18/innovate-public-schools-is-coming-to-disrupt-our-community-public-schools/amp/

Innovate has in its own words described its strategy as an “air war” and “ground war”* to create “actionable demand”** for charter schools. Their board is made up of people and organizations whose mission is charter school expansion (see attachment). Innovate supported the KIPP school which was recently denied a charter by the SF BOE. Their most recent report shared inaccurate and misleading data about SFUSD schools, intentionally devaluing SF families, schools and educators. As a San Francisco advocate I don't think you want to be part of their targeted campaign to expand charters in our district (which will result in public school closures in Mission and Bayview districts).  The NAACP has called for a moratorium on charter school expansion.

Again, I'm urging you not to participate in Innovate events and would appreciate you letting other people know about this organization as well, if you have other questions, please let me know. 

Best, 

* Reimagine School Systems Fund – New-profit investments http://www.newprofit.org/our-work/focus-funds/reimagine-school-systems-fund/current-investments/ 

** Notes From the Field: If You Want Great Schools, First Work With Parents to Create ‘Actionable Demand’–The 74 Million

https://www.the74million.org/article/notes-from-the-field-if-you-want-great-schools-first-work-with-parents-to-create-actionable-demand/"