It's Friday. Following a recall vote, the San Francisco school board votes for major policy shifts. Plus, California leaders pledge new law to address Supreme Court gun ruling. |
 | | Gabriela López, the former president of the San Francisco school board, was one of three members ousted in the recall.Gabrielle Lurie/San Francisco Chronicle, via Associated Press |
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San Francisco voters in February ousted three school board members in a landslide election that proponents hoped would reshape the city's education policy and politics. |
Just four months later, the impacts of that vote are emerging in a big way. |
The recall effort was driven in part by disagreement over how to handle admissions at Lowell High School, an elite public school that for decades accepted students primarily based on high test scores and grades. (Lowell's long list of notable alumni includes Justice Stephen G. Breyer and former Gov. Pat Brown.) |
In October 2020, the San Francisco school board voted to install a lottery-based admissions system in hopes of diversifying the student body and expanding access as social justice changes gained momentum in California. The board made that policy permanent in early 2021. |
But the moves angered many city parents, particularly Asian Americans, who felt it unfairly limited their children's long-sought entry into one of the nation's top-performing schools. |
"It speaks to the urgency that this new majority on the board felt to distance itself from the previous board," said David Lee, a political science lecturer at San Francisco State University. "I think they wanted to show to voters that they heard loud and clear in the February vote." |
All three new board members voted in favor of the return to selective admissions. They were joined by the board president, Jenny Lam — who was initially a 2019 Breed appointee — to form a narrow majority. |
The Lowell student body is predominantly Asian — roughly 48 percent, compared with 35 percent across S.F. Unified schools, according to district data — and for many immigrant families the school was seen as "a well-worn and cherished pathway to the middle class, to social mobility," Lee told me. |
The change in admissions policy felt like a particularly brutal blow after families endured some of the nation's longest pandemic school closures through spring 2021. Separately, families were also concerned about anti-Asian hate crimes. The school board recall became an energizing force for Asian American voters, particularly Chinese Americans, who are by far the largest group, making up 23 percent of the city's population. |
"The Chinese community is celebrating today because it is really the first time in a long time where Chinese voters flexed their political muscle and saw an immediate result," Lee told me. "It's a wake-up call for the political establishment of San Francisco, that this is an emerging political force." |
But the vote on Wednesday was a disappointing outcome for those who supported the lottery approach. |
They fear that the system leaves behind Black and Latino students who have lower test scores. They also cite racism and harassment of Black and brown students at Lowell. The introduction of the lottery system has reduced the number of Asian and white ninth graders by around one-quarter and increased Black and Latino ninth graders by more than 40 percent. |
"The lottery system means Lowell is diverse," said Virginia Marshall, president of the San Francisco Alliance of Black Educators and a representative of the N.A.A.C.P., according to The San Francisco Chronicle. "It is not just for one ethnic group. It's for all students who choose to make Lowell their home." |
 | | Country Villa Rehabilitation nursing home in the Westlake neighborhood of Los Angeles.Alex Welsh for The New York Times |
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- Gun rights: After the U.S. Supreme Court issued a decision Thursday that will most likely limit California's concealed carry requirements, state leaders said they will consider a new law within days to keep dangerous people from having concealed weapons in public, The Associated Press reports.
- Nursing homes bill: Advocates seeking to reform California's troubled nursing home licensing system are trying to kill legislation they sponsored because the bill now has amendments they find objectionable, CalMatters reports.
- Paul Pelosi charged: The husband of Speaker Nancy Pelosi has been charged with alcohol-related offenses in connection with a May car crash in Napa County.
- Involuntary servitude amendment: The California Senate rejected a proposal to ban involuntary servitude as punishment for a crime, The Associated Press reports.
- Pandemic bonuses: Law enforcement officers and other public safety workers employed by California are set to receive pandemic bonuses of $1,500, The Los Angeles Times reports.
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- Bruce's Beach: Los Angeles County officials released their plan to transfer a beachfront property to the descendants of a Black couple who were run out of Manhattan Beach almost a century ago, The Los Angeles Times reports.
- Clean energy: Officials in Los Angeles said that they were working on policies that would prohibit the construction of new gas stations and other fossil fuel infrastructure, The Guardian reports.
- Coyote attack: The authorities are searching for a coyote that attacked a 2-year-old child at Mile Square Park this week, The Associated Press reports.
- Architect: Harry Gesner, the surf-loving architect whose soaring designs celebrated California's dramatic landscape, died on June 10 at his home in Malibu.
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- Gun violence: Fresno's mayor reversed his position and said he would support a gun violence prevention program, The Fresno Bee reports.
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- Voting rights: Oakland voters will soon decide whether noncitizen residents should be allowed to vote in local school district races, The Oaklandside reports.
- Wildfire: Stanford University canceled in-person classes Thursday and Friday because of a power outage from a wildfire in San Mateo County, The Los Angeles Times reports.
- School closures: The Oakland Unified School District board voted down a resolution that would have delayed this year's closures until the end of the 2022-23 school year, The Oaklandside reports.
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 | | Tomato rice with crispy CheddarRomulo Yanes for The New York Times |
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 | | Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times, via Getty Images |
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Today's tip comes from Christine O'Hagan, who lives in Mentone. Christine recommends her favorite beach in Southern California: |
"Laguna Beach has everything! Beautiful beaches and sunsets, hotels, restaurants, art galleries and boutiques. A lovely walking path around and above the beach. In July and August they have the Laguna Art Festival, the Sawdust Art Festival and the Pageant of the Masters with free parking and vehicles to carry people all around Laguna Beach." |
Tell us about your favorite places to visit in California. Email your suggestions to CAtoday@nytimes.com. We'll be sharing more in upcoming editions of the newsletter. |
Summer is here. What's your favorite part of the season in California? |
 | | Libbey Park in Ojai.Beth Coller for The New York Times |
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And before you go, some good news |
A celebration of purple blooms, the Ojai Lavender Festival returns this weekend after a two-year pandemic hiatus. |
In Ojai's Libbey Park on Saturday, you can sip on lavender-infused lemonade and purchase lavender-scented soaps. Or relax and enjoy a picnic while listening to some live music, according to the Conejo Valley Guide. |
Thanks for reading. I'll be back on Monday. Enjoy your weekend. — Soumya |
Briana Scalia and Isabella Grullón Paz contributed to California Today. You can reach the team at CAtoday@nytimes.com. |
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