Dear Community,
City College’s Board of Trustees have named Carlos O. Cortez as the college’s new permanent Chancellor after an extensive national search and a year with an interim leader. We are pleased that this process is over, and are heartened that the Board has selected a lifelong educator and experienced chief executive to lead CCSF.
With enrollment growing and renewed interest in our classes and workforce training, City College is at a transformational moment. The San Franciscans who make up the many diverse communities of our city deserve an accessible, high quality, and well-run community college. That is our mission–to train the Nurses, Firefighters, child care workers, and diverse future professionals who serve this city.
Our mission and community deserve respect, and it is in this light that we were profoundly disappointed by the San Francisco Chronicle’s recent misleading and negative coverage of our College and its search for a new Chancellor. Contrary to what was reported, AFT 2121 never called for the College to dip into its reserves. That such a narrative was fabricated raises troubling questions. It is time to move past the era of hyper-politicized battles that put partisanship ahead of students.
San Franciscans want transparent and competent leadership, and that is what AFT 2121 has been calling for at City College. When hundreds of students are unable to find a seat in foundational English and Chemistry classes every semester, and our college has its largest surplus in 10 years, we expect our chief executive to take action. In budget presentations, we expect coherent cost/benefit analyses to support suggested actions. We expect our students to bring the receipts for their work, and our students have a right to expect the same from their college’s leaders. That is what we expect and hope from Chancellor Cortez as we welcome him to our community.
Now let’s get to work!
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