(Correction: Superintendent Richard Carranza served as Deputy Superintendent at SFUSD for three years, not eight.)
SAN FRANCISCO (KCBS) – Building on diversity in the classroom rather than focusing on its challenges is a cornerstone of teaching practices in San Francisco schools. That’s a philosophy the new Superintendent of the San Francisco Unified School District, Richard Carranza, intends to keep in place.
There will likely be very little in the way of a learning curve for Carranza, who spent eight years as the deputy to now-retired superintendent Carlos Garcia before taking the reins himself.
Language immersion programs are a top priority for the district, and Carranza in particular – along with art and music. He describes that element of the curriculum as crucial to a well-rounded education. Still, he acknowledges the difficulty in maintain such a curriculum in tough economic times.
“By far the most talented teaching core of any district that I’ve worked in is in San Francisco,” he declared. “So we have a tremendous asset, our people, that we can build on.”
He also tips his hat to San Francisco voters for approving a 2008 bond measure for financing the recruitment and retention of multi-talented instructors.
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