Anti-gang program at odds with school

By: Beth Winegarner
Examiner Staff Writer
January 20, 2009

SAN FRANCISCO — A group that works to deter kids from joining gangs said its programs at Mission High School were banished after organizers protested high suspension rates among Hispanic students. School administrators, however, said it’s a case of miscommunication.

After three years at Mission High, Homies Organizing the Mission to Empower Youth was asked to leave the school in December, when it failed to resolve tensions with school leaders, according to Principal Eric Guthertz.

While HOMEY officials said those tensions arose because of underreported suspensions and expulsions, Guthertz said they had more to do with a lack of organization on the organization’s part. HOMEY officials asked the Board of Education last week to intervene and quickly reinstate their Mission High programs.

The flap comes as Supervisor Michaela Alioto-Pier is holding an unrelated hearing Thursday on San Francisco Unified School District’s expulsion process. The advisory hearing will be at 3:30 p.m. in City Hall.

“We do case management with highest-risk youth, and we were losing six to 10 each semester because of [disciplinary action],” said HOMEY director Rene Quinonez. “A lot of them are monolingual, so when the school sent them home for an afternoon to cool down, they’d often feel they were no longer welcome.”

Program director Jose Luis Pavon accused the school of singling out Hispanic students for disciplinary action.

Mission High School had the highest suspension rate — 180 students out of 924 — among The City’s public schools in 2007-08. Its truancy rate was 52 percent, and 69 percent the prior year, according to the California Department of Education.

Guthertz acknowledged those figures, but said Mission High launched a program this year where teachers and administrators are trained monthly in how to treat students equally. The year-to-date suspension rate has already dropped by half, and only a small percentage are Hispanic, he said.

“We appreciate the work HOMEY does,” Guthertz said. “But there were major issues with their planning and administrative development, and inaccurate accounting. We’re not the only school having problems with them.”

Several students and HOMEY clients lined up at last week’s Board of Education meeting, pleading to bring the group back to Mission High.

“I was on the verge of being on the streets and joining a gang,” said student Raphael Moreno. “Now I’m on my way to a four-year college because of HOMEY.”

District officials are working to mediate an agreement between Mission High and HOMEY officials, according to Jane Kim, vice president of the Board of Education.

Mission High School

2007-08
Enrollment: 924
Truancy rate: 52 percent
Suspensions: 180*
Expulsions: 0

2006-07
Enrollment: 864
Truancy rate: 69 percent
Suspensions: 117
Expulsions: 0

Latino suspensions, districtwide:
2006-07: 983 (26 percent of total)
2007-08: 1104 (27 percent of total)

*Highest number of any school in San Francisco Unified School District

Sources: California Department of Education, SFUSD

bwinegarner@sfexaminer.com

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HOMEY? REALLY?

Jan 20, 2009

That group is a poster child for what's wrong with the SF non profit mafia. They bring young toughs in and train them in "advocacy" which often means showing up at staged "community" to read a script (poorly) and intimidate other attendees. Just like Joseph Bey from Your Black Muslim Bakery. They are someone's foot soldiers and that is wrong.

MS Jackson

Jan 20, 2009

Enablers like Pavon are much more detrimental to the future of Hispanic American students than this perfectly acceptable disciplinary process, the rules of which apply equally to all regardless of skin color. The fact that the false organization chose to use a term for fellow gangbangers as the name of their program shows just how far intelligent latino parents and students need to stay away from this mess if they do not want a loser for an adult offspring.

mz. hernandez

Jan 22, 2009

I'm a teacher at June Jordan High school, and many of the youth I have seen get involved with HOMEY have been empowered to make positive changes in their lives and communities. I hope Mission High realizes the positive impact the program has made on youth in SF and grants them better access to address the issues of gang violence. There is a need, and they are the most qualified to do it.

mz. hernandez

Jan 22, 2009

Mr. Alfaro

Jan 26, 2009

When we begin to blame organizations that help youth who are at-risk, like HOMEY, it’s time to really start looking inward. These community programs are trying to help young people that are often criminalized by people who really have never dealt with or understand youth issues today. They call them the “mafia” and associate them with “Black Muslim Bakery” in Oakland. But, HOMEY, really spends a lot of time working on self-esteem, leadership and educational development for youth. I suggest people go volunteer at organizations like HOMEY before they comment.

Mr. Alfaro

Jan 26, 2009

It’s easy to blame and disparage Pavon and HOMEY for addressing difficult school issues. But, calling them names does not lower the dropout rate nor does it help Latino students or their parents. Why don’t we, during a time of service, come together to work on change in the school instead of castigating those who are trying to make a positive change for youth. Why are not more people asking why there is such a high dropout rate, instead of blaming those who are trying to push the school to do something?

Mr. Alfaro

Jan 26, 2009

BrothersKeeper

Jan 26, 2009

HOMEY-overall great outline on what a program should be, but as witnessed, this program is not doing anything to deter crime and end gang rivalries. I sent a few youth there from my Rec-Center to help them out, they turned them away since they only work with a certain type of gang members. And when I spoke to the few and limited youth that did attend one of HOMEY's rants and tantrums of how US and SF City Government is corrupt and will always let "the colored" down, I just seemed to wonder, who the hell are these people to determine what is right and what is wrong with politics nowadays. We have these youth who are extremely vulnerable of NOT making their own minds up and then they are poisoned by ones who have frankly-been through the criminal system. THAT IS NOT THE COMPENTENCE YOUTH NEED TO LEARN FROM. Overall, this program is well thought-out but as for its accomplishments and success scale, well, it seems they're already booted out of Mission High.