The Bay Citizen: Willie Brown Academy, Born in 1992 With High Hopes, Will Close in May, a Failure

But those dreams have been thoroughly dashed, and the 160-student school is set to close May 27, largely as a result of chronic student underachievement and high truancy. And for those unfortunate enough to be a part of its final months, conditions have gone from bad to worse.

Parents, teachers and some officials acknowledge a breakdown in teaching and discipline. Students roam the hallways during class time. One teacher has often shown movies rather than press ahead with science lessons. A pack of students looted the school store, with impunity.

Jonathan Woahn, a seventh-grade math teacher, noted that few top district leaders had set foot in the school after announcing last year that it would close.

“The kids rule the school,” Mr. Woahn said. “I think administrators just want us to hold on through the rest of the school year; there are no expectations beyond that.”

Marylin Taylor, whose son Romeo Reeves is an eighth grader at Willie Brown, agreed. Ms. Taylor said staff members took an indifferent approach not only to students, letting them run through the hallways and “holler,” but also sometimes to parents. She said she had left two messages recently with the principal’s office to discuss her son’s academic progress but had not received a return call.

“My son was unable to live up to his highest potential at this school,” said Ms. Taylor, a nursing staffing coordinator. “I am so happy that he won’t be attending that school anymore.”

Patricia Gray, an assistant superintendent in the San Francisco Unified School District, said administrators had persevered.

“It is not ideal,” Ms. Gray said, “but the alternative to doing what we are doing now was to close the school in December, which would have displaced the kids midyear.

“Learning is the main focus. Now, how much of it is happening? It’s difficult at this time. But we have not given up.”

Jill Wynns, a school board member, said the district had tried mightily to raise student achievement. But the school has languished in recent years and been judged harshly under the rules of the federal No Child Left Behind Act.

When the federal government granted the district $45 million last year to improve its worst-performing schools, the district moved to close Willie Brown — in part because its facilities were crumbling. Officials hope to build a new school in its place.

“Do I think we have done the best job we could at that school in recent years?” Ms. Wynns asked. “No. That’s why I think it’s time to go on to the next opportunity. In this case, the next opportunity we have is closing the school.”

 

Well: Cooking With Sprouted Brown Rice

。 Andrew Scrivani for The New York Times

If you’ve never heard of sprouted brown rice, you’re not alone, writes Martha Rose Shulman in this week’s Recipes for Health.

Until recently I’d never heard of sprouted brown rice. These sprouts aren’t like the ones you put on a sandwich. Sprouted brown rice looks and feels like regular brown rice, and it must be cooked for the same amount of time. But once cooked, it’s sweeter and more delicate than ordinary brown rice, and a little less chewy.

Sprouting any grain increases its nutritional value by making its nutrients more bio-available, among them calcium. But it’s the flavor and texture of this new sprout that have gotten me hooked. If you’ve been hard pressed to get your family to embrace brown rice, this may be the way to go.

Here are five ways to cook with sprouted brown rice:

Sprouted Brown Rice Bowl With Carrot and Hijiki: Julienne carrots with hijiki seaweed is a traditional Japanese combination. Tofu is added to bulk up the protein.

Stir-Fried Bean Sprouts With Sprouted Brown Rice: Shorten the time spent stir-frying by substituting pea sprouts for the bean sprouts in this dish.

Rice Bowl With Spinach and Smoked Trout: Make an excellent meal for one by mixing cooked rice with just a few handy ingredients.

Shrimp and Brown Rice Soup: This irresistible soup is inspired by a Southeast Asian dish traditionally made with Thai jasmine rice.

Thai-Style Sprouted Rice and Herb Salad: The dressing for this Thai salad is made with far less fish sauce, and therefore sodium, than is used in the traditional version.