Battle to Save City College Divides Teachers and Administration

By Jamie Goldberg, Mission Local

Over 100 Christmas carolers recently braved a cold  night to sing outside the City College of San Francisco Board of Trustees meeting. The chorus included faculty, staff and students who earlier had lobbied for San Francisco’s Proposition A, a parcel tax touted as a measure to save City College.

But, led by the American Federation of Teachers Local 2121, they sang a different tune, protesting the college administration’s plans for spending that parcel tax money: “We want to serve our students, and retire someday, keep benefits and pay, but they just don’t care what we say!”

Supporters of the eight-year, $79 per parcel tax, which passed with 73 percent of the vote in November, had hoped that the $16 million per year in new revenue would be used to prevent layoffs, offset budget cuts and maintain classes at the financially struggling school — as outlined in the proposition.

Now, however, the college is proposing to put Prop. A funds toward other things, including technology upgrades, facility maintenance, retiree health benefit costs, professional development and shoring up its reserve, said Larry Kamer, consultant and acting City College spokesman. Those items were set forth in a July report by the Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges. The college has until March 15 to show that it’s complying with the commission’s recommendations in order to stay accredited.

Read the complete story at Mission Local.