San Francisco supervisors fly to Japan to learn about math
Two San Francisco supervisors will miss key meetings this week to attend a taxpayer-funded junket in Japan to learn how an institute in the country teaches math.
The details of that word salad of a sentence might seem a bit mystifying for those who realize:
- San Francisco supervisors have no role in deciding how math is taught in the city’s public schools.
- The mayor just announced last month that the city could be facing a half-billion dollar deficit, and trips to Japan wouldn’t seem to rate on the priority scale.
- Algebra hasn’t even been taught to San Francisco’s eighth graders in almost a decade.
- Cherry blossom season doesn’t start until the end of March.
Adding a bit more complexity to the situation, the absences of Supervisors Hillary Ronen and Myrna Melgar from this week’s Board of Supervisors meeting could create hiccups in getting measures on the March 2024 ballot, especially if the return leg of their 5,180-mile trip runs long. Recent history shows it wouldn’t be the first time a supervisor was overly optimistic about returning home in time for an important meeting.
In a phone call last week, Melgar defended the trip, which will include training at Tokyo Gakugei University, by noting that the city gives millions every year to fund the San Francisco Unified School District. After Proposition G passed with 64% of the vote last year, the city will be contributing tens of millions more in the years to come.
