Elect
Marc Cooper
Franklin Mckinley School Board
2026 CAMPAIGN PLATFORM:
My Three Priorities for the Franklin McKinley School District
(You can see what I’ve done since 2022, and see what they (Trustees Rudy Rodriguez and Steven Sanchez, also running for reelection in 2026) have done.
1. Increase Test Scores & Academic Proficiency
The Question
Why have test scores gone down consistently for the past 14 years in the Franklin McKinley School District?
Current Academic Performance
28% of FMSD students are proficient in Math
35% of FMSD students are proficient in ELA (Reading & Writing)
Is that the kind of education you want for your children?
Board Actions
Incumbent Board Trustees Rudy Rodriguez and Steven Sanchez, who are running for reelection in 2026 (along with the other Board members), have voted YES on:
A. A Resolution to put tampons in TK–5th grade boys’ bathrooms.
B. A Resolution to change the spelling of Women and Woman during Women’s HistoryMonth to “Womxn,” further confusing our children.
C. A Resolution creating a “For Blacks Only” class on one of our campuses, excluding other ethnicities who might need academic support, which is, in fact, against the law (see Brown v. Board of Education, 1954).
D. Purchasing over $50,000 in Nintendo Game Boy Switches and monitors for an after-school tutoring program.
E. Spending over $1 million on Chromebooks, iPads, and MacBooks.
(And the list goes on!)
My Question at Every Meeting
I continually asked one question because I always voted NO on these and other non-academic issues:
“How is this going to help increase our test scores, and how is this going to help improve our children’s education?”
2. Increase Transparency Between Parents, Schools, Teachers & the District
One of the first things I did after being elected was organize a community Town Hall at the Seven Trees Community Center to present historical Math and ELA test score data and discuss ways to improve Reading, Writing, Math, and overall academic achievement.
What Happened?
A. Board Trustees Rudy Rodriguez and Steven Sanchez (and the other Board members) voted to censure me, saying I should not be speaking with the FMSD community.
THAT IS NOT TRANSPARENCY!
B. I demanded Superintendent Cruz publish a list of all books donated by an outside San Francisco vendor to each school library. Prior to my election, these lists were not published.
THAT IS NOT TRANSPARENCY!
C. Parents informed me their elementary school children participated in a month-long activity encouraging them to dress and act like the opposite sex without notifying parents. I joined those parents in meeting with the Superintendent.
THAT IS NOT TRANSPARENCY!
D. During a classroom visit to one of our charter schools, I discovered there were no American flags displayed in classrooms. I reminded administrators that California Education Code requires a U.S. flag in every classroom. The school later installed flags.
THAT IS NOT TRANSPARENCY!
E. During another classroom visit, I observed an LGBTQ+ flag displayed in place of the American flag. After bringing it to the Superintendent’s attention, the LGBTQ+ flag was removed and the American flag restored.
THAT IS NOT TRANSPARENCY!
(There are many more examples of the lack of transparency between teachers, schools, the District, and parents.)
3. Stand Up for Parents’ Rights
Board Trustees Rudy Rodriguez and Steven Sanchez (and the other Board members) voted YES on:
A. A Resolution ensuring parents and caregivers are not informed if their children discuss changing their name or gender identity with school staff.
I voted NO! Parents have the right to know what their children are discussing at school.
B. A Resolution funding an after-school program that teaches boys how to be girls.
I voted NO! I do not believe this belongs in before-school, during-school, or after-school programs.
C. A Resolution preventing the banning of any books in school or online libraries.
I proposed an alternative resolution that would:
Give parents complete access to all books their children see or are read in school.
Allow parents to determine which books their own children may check out.
Trustees Rudy Rodriguez and Steven Sanchez voted NO on my proposal.
(There are many more examples of parents’ rights being taken away in the Franklin McKinley School District.)
Conclusion
What kind of schools do you want for your children?
Schools where only 28% of students enter high school proficient in Math?
Schools where only 35% of students enter high school are proficient in English Language Arts?
Schools with no transparency between classrooms, teachers, administrators, and parents?
Schools where parents’ rights continue to be diminished?
You have had these kinds of schools for over a decade because you elect trustees like Rudy Rodriguez and Steven Sanchez.