Skyline College, in partnership with several local chapters of The American Federation of Teachers, hosted the “Schools Our Children Deserve” conference on Saturday, March 19. The conference was held to address prominent issues in California public education, particularly workforce challenges and student success accountability in San Mateo County.

Following the transition from the policies of the No Child Left Behind Act to the new Every Student Succeeds Act, student accountability measures are now in the hands of the state, rather than the national government.

The conference brought together teachers, parents, students, and elected officials to discuss what these accountability measures will be, as well as the difficulties facing the public education system in upholding these measures.

“We parents, students, and teachers need to make clear that we want schools to include music, art, science, languages, sports, and that we do not wish to return to the test centered focus of the past,” said President of Jefferson Elementary Federation of Teachers, Melinda Dart, who was instrumental in creating and hosting the event. “No Child Left Behind policies led to a test and punish cycle which further impoverished schools, and forced educators to focus on test taking, which narrowed the curriculum and alienated some students.”

The event featured a keynote address by Jeff Duncan-Andrade, Ph.D., an Associate Professor of Raza Studies, Education Administration and Interdisciplinary Studies at San Francisco State University. Duncan-Andrade has a strong history of social justice advocacy and is a prominent writer and expert on urban education and critical pedagogy.

“It’s rare that you have the combination of families and teachers and elected officials in the same space, focused on such a pertinent issue as the education of children in a society,” Duncan-Andrade said. “My job [as the keynote speaker] is to affirm people who are already pushing hard to create fundamentally different conversations in our field and provide them with some additional support and ammunition to construct an argument.”

He was particularly interested in speaking at the event because of the composition of the audience and the highlighting of a perpetual lack of growth in the field of education, which he feels to be one of the most pressing issues facing the nation.

“Jeff Duncan-Andrade’s presentation moved many to tears and felt transformational,” said President Dart, who has been a teacher in Daly City for 28 years. “We have been asked as educators to focus only on students’ academic success, but we know that students need also to build emotional resilience, empathy for each other, and they need validation and pride in their identities.”

Following the keynote address, the conference split into breakout sessions which included a reading and signing by well known children’s author Maya Christina Gonzalez, with workshops with panelists and round table discussions regarding public education in California.

These workshops covered issues such as making the transition to community college, lifelong learning through community college, the benefits of learning communities, and the effects of the housing crisis on education and educators, among many others.

One of the most important panel discussions was on educational funding. Many attendees were surprised to find that funding per student varies in San Mateo County and that county policies have a much wider effect than it might seem.

Policies such as 2012-voter-passed Proposition 30, which taxes those who make over $250,000 a year, give schools more stability in funding. Because of this, schools aren’t forced to cut student programs. The panel also touched on the teacher shortage in San Mateo County and the high cost of housing for families. With teachers, families, and policymakers all involved in the discussion, the panel was good start for creating new and more effective educational policies.

Josh Pechthalt, President of the California Federation of Teachers, gave closing remarks and the conference ended with a raffle, as well as much food for thought for the attendees about the future of education in California.

On the whole, the conference was a landmark event for bringing together various members of the education community to work together to face the upcoming challenges in public education.

“Community strengthens schools and schools strengthen community,” President Dart said.