Candidate Name: Laurance Lem Lee
Phone Number: (415)652-5029
Web site: https://www.laurancelemlee.com
E-mail: laurance@laurancelemlee.com
Name of Campaign Manager: Eric D. Roddie
How much do you expect to spend in this contest: Don't know
Major Endorsements: (I didn't include all)
SF Guardians
Fiona Ma, California State Treasurer
Lily Ho, DCCC member
Lanier Coles, DCCC member
Debora Allen, BART Director (District 1)
Matt Gonzales, former President of the Board of Supervisors
Dr. Emily Murase, former President of the SF Board of Education
Eddie Chin, former SF Board of Education Commissioner
Vincent Matthews, former Superintendent
Bill Lee, former SF Chief Administrative Officer
Incumbent whose votes are most similar to the way you would vote: Was Board
President Lainie Motemedi. As she has left the board, current choice is
Commissioner Jenny Lam.
Incumbent who votes least similarly to the way you would vote: Commissioner
Mark Sanchez
1. What is your stance on pandemic safety in the schools? Under what
circumstances might you support instating a mask or vaccine
mandate, or canceling in-person classes? What would be the main
basis on which you make this decision? (e.g., would it be based on
your gut feelings, or whose advice would you listen to?)
The pandemic was tough on so many families, for health reasons, and for
having children fall further behind. We now know that we were too cautious
and kept our kids out of school for too long and we are still working back
from the social isolation. Let's definitely be safe next pandemic and work
in a way to have in person classes, perhaps in an outdoor setting. As a
trained scientist, I agree that mask mandates make sense for highly
transmissible vectors that could further affect family members. Canceling
in-person classes is a big step that we should try to avoid. We should
listen to the state health officials, even if their ideas disagree with
what I wrote above.
2. What is your stance on school closures?
We need to ensure that our students read at grade level, learn algebra, and
are prepared to fulfill their potential after graduation. I opposed the
protracted school closures during 2021, and absent another emergency
situation, our schools should remain open.
3. Do you have practical ideas on how SFUSD can be adequately funded?
We need to balance our $1.3 Billion school budget in order to avert a state
takeover of our public school system. We can achieve this without cutting
important programs, such as language immersion. I have found millions of
wasted money between unneeded consultants, including the EmPower payroll,
and losing lawsuits.
I am a longtime member of the Citizens' Bond Oversight Committee (CBOC) and
due to my efforts, the cost overruns at modernization projects dropped from
~25% to ~10%. I will mind the dollars and see that our limited funds will
be used to help students learn and perform better.
4. How are you currently involved in the SFUSD -- or how were you
involved in the past?
I am a product of the K-12 SFUSD public school system, having attended
Argonne Elementary, Presidio Middle School, and Lowell High. I was a part
of the School Board recall, and am a member of the CBOC, as mentioned. I
owe our public schools a great deal, and decided that it was time for me to
give back.
5. How do you feel about the current school assignment system
(including at Lowell)? Would you make changes, and if so, which
ones?
I supported Lowell High returning to a merit-based system, and would keep
RASOTA merit as well. I support having the lower schools be neighborhood
schools, with some understanding for immersion programs. Our school
assignment system is too cumbersome for sure and I will simplify and speed
up the process so that parents are less frustrated.
6. Some of our schools receive significant funding from parent
fundraising. Are you concerned about the inequality in fundraising
between schools in rich and poor neighborhoods, and if so,
what ideas do you have to make things more equitable?
Parents shouldn't need to fundraise and they probably always will do so,
given how schools are currently funded. I donate to SparkSF, a city-wide,
district-wide effort that focuses funds at schools that could use more
funds. We also can have the district continue to put more funds in schools
in poorer parts of town.
7. Are you familiar with the case of Williams et al. v State of
California? Do you believe that all schools in the SFUSD are
currently in compliance with Williams?
I am familiar with this case, and I know for a fact that certain SF public
schools are in disrepair, and that current Williams reports do not fully
report all the schools' concerns. The number of schools with lead in the
drinking water, including Buena Vista Horace Mann and Bryant Elementary,
are unacceptable. Let's have true Williams reports and have published data
showing how we're addressing the concerns.
8. What is your position on JROTC in the public schools?
JROTC is a good program to provide leadership skills to many low-income
families. It is also funded with federal dollars so that helps the district
budget.
9. Would you support district elections for school board members?
We currently don't need district elections for school board members. It
sounds like a bad solution for San Francisco, given the way the
demographics are spread across the city.
10. Did you support the 2016 Proposition A school bond? Do you think funds were spent wisely? Are you supporting the current bond?
I did support this bond, and when I discovered the complete lack of
oversight on how the money was being spent, I led the effort to restore
Citizen Bond Oversight, and to get new auditors. As a CBOC member, I
currently work with the new auditors and ensure that taxpayer dollars are
put to good use. We've made good progress and have more to do. I have no
position on the current $790 million bond and will support it being spent
on the schools if it passes.
11. What is your stance on allowing noncitizen parents, guardians and
caretakers of students to vote in school board elections? Did you
take a public position on previous ballot initiatives on the
subject?
I support this effort and in fact, helped register dozens of noncitizen
voters for a prior election in which those voters could vote. I didn't take
a public position on these previous ballot initiatives.
12. What are your thoughts on the various non-profit organizations that partner and/or contract with SFUSD?
Many non-profit organizations serve vital needs for families. I am not sure
how these non-profits are chosen or whether they are equally helping
students. We have limited funds so maybe it's time to have better
guidelines on how such funds are given out, with a particular effort
towards helping the students in areas that could help most, in areas like
mental health and high-intensity tutoring.
13. How do you see the role of the School Board in comparison to the
role of the superintendent?
The School Board as a group has the Superintendent as a direct report. They
give the direction and priorities so that the Superintendent can choose how
to execute such plans. With the current way the Board runs things, the
Superintendent has too much leeway and has failed at its own goals of
addressing chronic absenteeism and literacy and math targets. We could have
our Commissioners push harder on the Superintendent at early stages of
planning that the goals are proven and achievable.
14. Do you think that SFUSD currently serves the transportation needs
of its students? Would you make changes to the current system?
While many students are close to their schools, many students travel long
distances to their schools. School buses help, as well as the MUNI system.
I would encourage closer collaboration between the SFUSD and the SFMTA to
have bus schedules help out students more before and after school. I would
encourage safer trips on the SFMTA system.
15. Would you ensure that all San Francisco students have access to a
public pre-K program? If so, how?
Yes, we do have tens of millions in early education funds that can make the
public pre-K program work.
16. Have you read Diane Ravitch's book, The Death and Life of the
Great American School System? What lessons should the District
take from this work? Whether or not you've read the book, what
role do you see for charter schools in the public education
system?
Definitely, it's a seminal work in how good intentions don't work out in
public education policy. Testing of the basics are still important and so
are all the other parts of an enriching curriculum. The District can keep
working on the goals of Student Outcomes and be responsive to what families
need. As for charters, San Francisco isn't at a place where charter schools
will expand much.
17. What do you think of the current requirements that students take
the SBAC test, and what are your thoughts on standardized testing
in general?
I support standardized testing as we have to have metrics that we can
measure and improve upon. I recognize some students are better at taking
tests than others.
18. How can the public schools better address the needs of Special Education students and ESL students?
As a son of immigrants who was diagnosed with a speech disorder at Argonne
Elementary, this area is important to me. We can continue to staff Special
Education and ESL educators as these groups are a key and growing part of
our public education student body. We can do earlier and more comprehensive
dyslexia testing as those groups are also growing and we can have better
diagnoses. We can have proven literacy curricula and teacher preparation so
that we can get these students reading at grade level.