Supporters of Newcomer High School and SFUSD Superintendent Arlene Ackerman met to defuse a racially tinged controversy over the placement of XCEL Charter Academy students on the Newcomer campus.
Two weeks before the school year is set to begin, district authorities agreed to cap XCEL enrollment at 140 students, 20 percent less than the original maximum.
“This is definitely a compromise,” said Cynthia Cen, a Newcomer High ESL teacher. However, space and overcrowding at Newcomer remains a critical issue.
“It was very crowded last year with 500 to 545 [by the end of the school year],” Cen said. This year, enrollment without XCEL students is projected at 480 already.
Cen pointed out that the big unknown is the number of Newcomer students enrolling during the year. “It’s really hard from year to year with immigrant students,” she said. To help accommodate the needs of the school, Ackerman assigned Assistant Superintendent Frank Tom to monitor Newcomer enrollment for the coming year.
At the meeting, everyone set aside Ackerman’s remarks to a newspaper regarding racial tensions. The remark triggered demonstrations, letters, op-eds and a school board resolution over Newcomer and XCEL.
“All parties decided it was not useful to focus on it,” Cen said.
Victoria Li, deputy general counsel for the district, characterized Ackerman’s remarks as a “misunderstanding” and said that the superintendent wanted to treat all ethnic groups with respect.
To resolve ongoing issues, Ackerman also created a nine-member Joint Building Committee. Newcomer and XCEL principals would each appoint three members; Ackerman has appointed Tom, Li and John Quinn, executive director for charter schools.
Li said there was “some confusion” as to whether the superintendent had met with Newcomer representatives before the controversy. “She apologized for the process used,” Li said, and promised “that more clarity and communications would be used in the future.”
Ôowever, last Tuesday, Newcomer supporters — including school board member Eric Mar and individuals from the Asian Law Caucus and Chinese for Affirmative Action — looked for reassurance from the superintendent.
“We demand that the district come up with a plan to ensure that the educational and support needs of [100] immigrant students displaced from Newcomer High School are addressed,” said Rebecca Peng of the Chinese Progressive Association.
Points of Newcomer Agreement:
• XCEL students at Newcomer capped at 140 seats.
• XCEL students to stay at Newcomer for one year.
• No Newcomer teachers will be displaced.
• Newcomer will remain open indefinitely.
• Joint Building Committee created with equal representation from Newcomer, XCEL and the school district.
• Increased security for Newcomer.
Newcomer High School
Fall 2003 Enrollment
419 immigrant students
55% APA
35% Latino American
2% white
1% African American
7% other non-white students
1% declined to state
Newcomer High School is dedicated to assimilating immigrant high-school-aged students into the district’s general population after one year.
XCEL Academy
Fall 2003 Enrollment
76 students
36% African American
25% APA
12% white
3% Native American
24% Latino American
1% mixed race/declined to state.
XCEL Academy is dedicated to cross-cultural and environmental leadership.