| After six months of interviewing applicants | | | | priorities. |
| nationwide, San Francisco Schools district has filled its | | | | Thirty applicants were interviewed since January in an |
| top position. Carlos Garcia, Vice President of Urban | | | | attempt to find a new leader for the San Francisco |
| Markets for McGraw-Hill (educational publishers), has | | | | Schools. Garcia's credentials includes a B.A. from |
| been selected as the next Superintendent of San | | | | Claremont Men's College in political science, a M.A. in |
| Francisco Schools. Board members have been seeking | | | | education from Claremont Graduate school, and an |
| a replacement since January after interim | | | | administrative degree from California State University |
| Superintendent Gwen Chan announced that she | | | | at Fullerton. Parents in San Francisco Schools provided |
| would not return to the post in the fall. | | | | input to the hiring process in the form of both |
| Garcia was voted in due to his experience in San | | | | community meetings, and over a thousand surveys, |
| Francisco Schools, strong results as Superintendent of | | | | to determine the criteria for their next leader. |
| other districts, and good reputation as a fiscal | | | | Leadership of the San Francisco Schools will have a |
| manager. Garcia served both Fresno, California and | | | | strong impact on financial spending and program |
| Clark County, Nevada as Superintendent. From | | | | funding. Given pressure to meet national No Child Left |
| 1988-91 Garcia was principal of San Francisco Schools | | | | Behind standards, administrators in San Francisco |
| Horace Mann Middle School. During his tenure the | | | | Schools are constantly making decisions about how |
| school improved its achievement scores and received | | | | best to allocate funds. California's poor reputation on |
| recognition for its accomplishments. | | | | educational priorities and spending was recently |
| According to Board President of San Francisco | | | | highlighted by a think tank study that claimed that |
| Schools, Mark Sanchez, " We chose Mr. Garcia | | | | the state's educational priorities are in such disarray |
| because of his past experience with San Francisco, | | | | that the whole system needs an overhaul. While San |
| his strong track record as a superintendent and his | | | | Francisco Schools leaders may agree with the study, |
| understanding of the challenges that our district | | | | they still need state funding to run their districts. |
| faces." The San Francisco Schools have dealt with | | | | The fact that Garcia led one of the nation's largest |
| issues like declining enrollment over the past few | | | | districts, Clark County, gives the San Francisco |
| years, as families leave for better districts and | | | | Schools reasons to hope that he will use the same |
| private schools. Initiatives like the small schools | | | | financial wisdom in this district. Six of the seven board |
| program are one of many that the San Francisco | | | | members voted for Mr. Garcia's appointment, with |
| Schools are implementing to reverse this trend. This | | | | the seventh asking for more time to decide. Garcia |
| change in leadership may bring some of these | | | | will begin serving San Francisco Schools on July 16th, |
| programs into question, although the school board | | | | 2007. |
| seems confident that Garcia is in line with their | | | | |