• FACT: According to 2007-2008 data, our high school district, Jefferson Union High School District (JUHSD) on average had $5,237 to spend on each student. Only 12.5 miles down the Peninsula, San Mateo Union High School District had $8,077 for each of their students; just 25 miles away, Sequoia Union High School District had $10,611 to support each of theirs; and a mere 32 miles on the other end of the county, Palo Alto Unified School District had $7,809 to use to educate the youth in their area. Compared to the lowest of these numbers, JUHSD had $2,572 less per student to work with.
• FACT: According to 2007-2008 data, JUHSD had $1,219,824 less to spend on its students compared to the average “Per Pupil Spending” amount of all California Schools. Factor in the budget cuts we’ve already sustained since 2007-2008, and you have to wonder…

There are very few of us who would argue that the quality of public education has a direct relationship with the prosperity of our local communities as well as that of the entire state. We’re often shocked to hear that California ranks #48 amongst the 50 United States in terms of how much money it invests in the education of its young people. It’s clear, we have de-prioritized education.

Daly City and Northern San Mateo County schools know these facts from experience. Our school districts are not only underfunded compared to the rest of the state but also compared to more than 70% of our county. Couple this fact with the area’s largely immigrant and working class population which requires a unique set of educational resources, it is clear that our schools are under-funded; by no means do we have the resources required to adequately address the needs of our population.

And just who lives in Daly City? We’re more than just “that place with the Target and the movie theater that’s less crowded than Metreon.” Of Daly City’s 101,514 residents (2008 estimated), 35.4% are Filipino, 24.9% are Latino, 19.5% are Asian, 15.7% are of European descent, 4.56% are African American, 0.44% are Native American, and 2.4% are Pacific Islander. The 2008 median income for a Daly City household was $60,310, and the median income for an entire family was $66,365. Daly City is also one of the most densely populated cities in the country with a 2008 population density of 15,703.8 people per square mile. However, Daly City’s per capita income for the city was merely $22,900. The result? About 5.2% of Daly City families and 9.1% of our residents live below the poverty line.

Recognizing the facts surrounding the under-funding of California’s schools will be important in the next few years as this debate about our investment in Public Education continues. As a community, we need to understand that the February 2009 and the upcoming cuts to the State’s Public Education Budget mean that we will actually be further crippling schools that have already been forced to operate on fumes. How much longer can we ask Public Educators to “be creative” or “efficient”? How can anyone be asked to save when their accounts are way too low as it is?

As a community, we need to come together to understand these issues and find ways that we can support our schools directly as well as advocate for their well-being. Even those of us who do not work in schools or have children of school-age should be concerned about the long-term effects an under-funded school system could have on the future of our neighborhoods. Please join us in the months to come as we struggle to find ways to unite Northern San Mateo in defense of our Public Schools. Please contact us at KalayaanSchoolForEquity@gmail.com or by phone at (650) 641-2891 x573.

To support our local school district, we’ve put together a 35-50 minute (depending on how deeply you decide to engage students/audience members) Apple Keynote and PowerPoint lesson that we invite all to download, distribute, and most importantly use on March 4th and beyond. We hope you’ll find it to be a valuable tool to raise awareness about how our local schools are funded and the short and long-term effects that further cuts could have on Northern San Mateo County. Included is some eye-opening data about the per pupil spending of our local schools, how that compares to other districts on the Peninsula, and info about California’s Economy that offers some interesting perspective on the issue. Of course, if you’re a Cali resident but aren’t living in Daly City, Pacifica, Colma (snicker), or South SF, some of the specific info might not apply directly, but—we’re really sorry to say—chances are most of it will connect to you and your community.

• If you want to download a low-res PDF of the presentation to preview it, click here. (PDF 1.4MB)
• If you’re on a Mac that has Keynote, click here. (Keynote 7MB zip)
• If you’re on a Windows PC or a Mac that doesn’t have Keynote, click here. It’s definitely not as pretty, but works just fine. (PowerPoint 10.6MB zip)

We’re currently working on other support materials such as other lessons, handouts, etc., so keep checking back. Kalayaan School for Equity is hoping to work up to a larger campaign to gather broader community support for our local schools. If you’re interested in helping out, please contact us at KalayaanSchoolForEquity@gmail.com or at (650) 641-2891 x573.

Participants will work hands-on to create their own blog, learn about all the skills necessary to creating a successful blog, explore their blogging potential, and discuss ways to maximize online communities to help build their audience as well as help support community-building efforts beyond the Internet.

If you have access to a laptop, please bring it to the workshop. As with all our workshops, space is limited, so please RSVP by emailing LKCledesma@gmail.com or calling (650) 641-2891 x573.

For details, please download a 5A Brochure. If you’re interested in applying, you can download and print an Enrollment Application by clicking here.

Once again, bring a notebook and a camera (eg 35mm, Digital, SLR, etc.) if you have access to one. If you can’t bring a camera, KSE there will have some on-hand to work with.

As usual, space is limited so please reserve your spot by emailing LKCvargas@gmail.com or leaving a message at (650) 641-2891 x573. Those who attended Part 1 will be prioritized, but open spots are available to new attendees.

The series will cover the basics of photography, basic camera functions, working with lighting equipment, and more. This is a great opportunity to learn a new skill, brush up on the basics, and get some hands-on instruction from an experienced professional.

Bring a notebook and a camera (eg 35mm, Digital, SLR, etc.) if you have access to one. If you can’t bring a camera, KSE there will have some on-hand to work with.

As usual, space is limited so please reserve your spot by emailing LKCvargas@gmail.com or leaving a message at (650) 641-2891 x573.

Friday July 10
Ang Pagdadalaga ni Maximo Oliveros (The Blossoming of Maximo Oliveros)
2005 | Director: Auraeus Solito | Starring: Nathan Lopez, Ping Medina, JR Valentin

Maxi (Nathan Lopez) is a 12-year-old effeminate gay boy living in the slums with his father and brothers who are petty thieves. The story revolves around the conflict between Maxi’s love for handsome young police officer Victor (J. R. Valentin), and his family’s illegal livelihood. Neo-realist in orientation, the film is a tale of lost innocence and redemption amidst the poverty of Manila’s slums.

Friday July 17
Himala (Miracle)
1982 | Director: Ismael Bernal | Starring: Nora Aunor

Ismael Bernal and Nora Aunor’s 1982 classic movie, deemed CNN’s Best Film of All Time in the Asia Pacific, tells the story of a girl who claims to have been chosen by the Virgin Mary as the messenger of good faith in a town who is convinced that its lack of water is the result of an unfortunate curse.

Friday July 24
Sakay
1993 | Director: Raymond Red | Starring: Julio Diaz, Tetchie Agbayani, Pen Medina

Raymond Red’s dramatization of the life of Macario Sakay, a Filipino
revolutionary general who led the anti-colonial Republika ng Katagalugan (Tagalog Republic) against the U.S. Military during the often overlooked Philippine-American War.

Where: Liwanag Kultural Center (222 Lausanne Ave., Daly City, 94014)
When: Doors at 6:30; Program at 6:45
Cost: FREE

For more info, contact KSE.

Film clips screened include the works of Lino Brocka, Ishmael Bernal, Kidlat Tahimik, Lamberto Avellana, Mike De Leon, Auraeus Solito, Brillante Mendoza, Laurice Guillen, Marilou Diaz-Abaya and several others.

This presentation kicks off the KALAYAAN SCHOOL FOR EQUITY’S summer workshop series offering the local community free programming to explore Filipino community issues, history, artistic traditions, and culture.

IMPORTANT NOTE: Space is limited at the Liwanag Kultural Center!!! We’re talking a very intimate (40) workshop here. Due to the response, we are asking that people RSVP to this event on Facebook or by emailing LKCrobledomaderazo@gmail.com to reserve a spot. Alternatively, you can leave a message at (650) 641-2891 x573, but be sure to leave a number we can call you back at, in case we’ve already gone over the limit…no phone number, no valid RSVP, sorry. It’s first come, first serve. We’ll honor RSVPs only until 6:45pm, after which we’ll seat people in order of arrival if there’s space. We won’t go over capacity. So RSVP folks! And if you do, show up before 6:45 to save your spot. Thanks!!!

UPDATE! The guest list is now closed. If you really want to try to attend, you can show up. If RSVP’s aren’t there by 6:45, we’ll let others in in their place. Sorry, but we’re a small center who cannot go over capacity for any reason. Thanks for understanding.

For more information on Geo Logic and his musings on film and pop culture, please visit his blog, Prometheus Brown.

NOTES:
Wear comfortable clothing and shoes.
Please bring bottled water (Alternatively, there is a water fountain and bottled water is available for purchase.).
Location: Liwanag Kultural Center, 222 Lausanne Ave, Daly City, CA