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Milton Marks shares his perspective on issues facing City College and San Francisco. Here are some of the latest blog entries:
August 14, 2008
City College Program for At-Risk Students
Recently, I introduced Dariush Kahyan, the Mayor's Homeless Policy Director, to the HARTS Program at City College (Homeless/At-Risk Transitional Students). I was surprised to find that there had been no formal connection between Project Homeless Connect, the nonprofit where Dariush used to work, and HARTS.
In fact, when I looked tonight the orientation flyer for volunteers that is posted on the SFConnect website, there still is no mention about an educational program that could greatly benefit San Francisco's homeless population as well as those at-risk of becoming homeless or returning to homelessness:
Project Homeless Connect – Orientation
"Because each client is unique and the combination of services that they need is different, their individual needs will dictate exactly how they move through the Service Stations.
The list of services provided is growing and includes the following and more:
- Medical Care, Dental, HIV and TB Testing, Needle Exchange
- Benefits (CAAP, GA, SSI, Food Stamps)
- Behavioral Health (Mental Health & Substance Abuse Counseling and Treatment, methadone)
- Housing Information and Shelter Reservation –7 day stay
- Veterans Assistance
- Family Services and Senior Services
- DMV Ids
- Free phone calls and voice mail
- Employment Services
- Free vision care and eyeglasses
- Domestic Violence Counseling
- Legal Assistance
- Discharge Planning
- Lunch, Activities & Giveaways
- Flu Shots and Hair cuts
I understand that there have been some preliminary conversations between the City and City College. I am going to continue to push for the type of collaboration that would enable HARTS to serve a broader range of students than they can now with their limited resources.
For further information about HARTS, please go to: http://www.ccsf.edu/Resources/Harts/index.htm
August 1, 2008
The Campaign is in Full Swing
Even though it is only August, the campaign is in full swing already. We have an incredibly dedicated volunteer staff that is getting the job done at every turn.
As a result of the campaign’s collective efforts, we were able to submit 1,273 valid ‘in lieu of’ signatures so that my name will appear on the ballot without having to pay the filing fee.
An enormous thanks to the dozens of volunteers who helped with this effort! I really appreciate all of your hard work to date. It’s exciting to be working with such a motivated and diverse group. On to the next phase of the campaign!
July 16, 2008
ESL Students at City College
Yesterday, I met with two English as a Second Language students who came to the United States from China six months ago. Both Ada and Hannah, their American names that they used with me, come from Guandong.
While we needed a great deal of help to have our conversation -- fortunately their ESL teacher was there, too -- it is clear that both of them are eager to learn English. We went through some of the exercises they did in class: their names, addresses, and the date. I was taught to say the date in Mandarin.
ESL is an enormously important part of what City College does. It represents the entry point into American society for many people coming to San Francisco. Command of English, even in a city like San Francisco with large communities of foreign-born and foreign-language proficient people, is essential for getting good jobs and integrating into our city. Ada and Hannah are determined to learn English, and are grateful that City College offers so many ESL classes.
At a recent Board meeting where we approved the final design for the Chinatown/North Beach Campus, one person spoke to us about the importance of ESL. He said that ESL is the best anti-poverty program. I hadn't made that connection before, but I see the wisdom in that.
While we often say that City College is a great place to study, we may not remember that many students at City College first need to learn English before they can take other vocational or academic classes that can lead to a productive career. Without the vibrant ESL program, approximately 40% of the classes offered by City College, large numbers of students will not be able to access the quality education that City College offers. |
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