Thank a Teacher Campaign
This public call to action seeks to thank San Francisco public school teachers for their professionalism, dedication, and work on behalf of our City's young people. We invite you to join us in honoring teachers year-round for the valuable work they do every day in our classrooms.
The San Francisco Education Fund, along with Mayor Edwin Lee and Superintendent Carlos Garcia, is leading this coalition of community-based organizations, civic groups, businesses, and media partners to promote the 2012 Thank a Teacher Today Campaign.
Why It Matters
Research shows that the single greatest predictor of student achievement is teacher quality. Recruiting and retaining quality teachers remains an ongoing challenge facing San Francisco public schools, especially in lower-performing schools. The quality of public education in our City matters to everyone. This campaign provides a way for all members of the community to participate in honoring teachers and helping to improve student academic achievement.
San Francisco Education Fund
The San Francisco Education Fund engages community and leverages financial and human capital to ensure all San Francisco public school students reach their full potential. We do this by enhancing teacher quality, fostering youth engagement, mobilizing volunteers, building strategic partnerships and directing resources where they will have the greatest impact for those who need them most.
Our Programs:
- San Francisco Teacher Residency transforms how teachers are prepared to serve in San Francisco public schools, particularly in hard-to-staff schools and subjects. The Residency combines master’s level coursework at Stanford University or University of San Francisco and hands-on experience with a master San Francisco Unified School District teacher.
- Teacher Leadership and Professional Development Grants Program provides professional development and support to teachers to form communities where they can safely and honestly look at issues of race, class and privilege in relation to their own teaching and overall achievement at their school.
- School Volunteers mobilizes more than 1,000 corporate and community volunteers annually who serve as tutors, mentors, career speakers and interpreters.
- Peer Resources fosters middle and high school students’ leadership skills so they take more ownership of their education and take an active role in creating safe, engaging, supportive, and rigorous learning environments in their schools.
- Postsecondary Success Program transforms how schools utilize student data and leverage partnerships to increase the number of students graduating from high school who are college eligible, college aware and college prepared.