Payzant Praised but Trustees Stress Further Needs

San Diego city schools Supt. Tom Payzant continues to have the strong support of school trustees, but board members want him to hold individual schools more accountable for carrying out new educational programs and innovations.

That was the main message in a summary released Tuesday by the Board of Education after its annual evaluation of Payzant’s performance. In other major action, trustees also indicated they will change the term black to African American in labeling black students when a vote on that proposal comes up early next month.

Board President Susan Davis said the board applauds Payzant’s encouragement to major innovations at schools, his successful agreement with the teachers union to begin cooperative decision-making and his high visibility in several national educational reform initiatives.

Referred to Dropouts

But trustees also said that Payzant needs to hold the feet of his assistants and school principals more to the fire than in the past by setting specific goals, short- and long-range, that can be met if diligently pursued. They referred specifically to the plethora of dropout-prevention initiatives, some of which have been poorly coordinated during the past year.

The board also said that Payzant should express his vision of San Diego’s educational future more clearly, asking him “to dream a little, to articulate his vision of a better educational experience for all children.” But they emphasize that Payzant continues to work candidly and honestly with trustees, despite the addition of two new board members this year.

A majority of the five-member board said Tuesday that they would approve the name change for black students recommended by Payzant and Assistant Supt. George Frey, head of the integration services and community relations division.

African American Backed

A majority of black secondary school students surveyed earlier this year by Frey said they preferred the term black but the support for African American increased by grade. In addition, a parallel survey of black community leaders and parents showed support for the new term, which the Rev. Jesse Jackson first focused attention on earlier this year as a way to stress historical and cultural roots.

Board member Shirley Weber, a professor of Afro-American studies at San Diego State University, said use of the new name is a more accurate description of black people and their origins. Colleague Jim Roache, while agreeing with the proposal, nevertheless dampened excitement of some speakers by saying the board’s time could be better spent pushing the success of district programs to improve the dismal academic performance by many blacks.