More: http://www.beyondchron.org/news/index.php?itemid=10265

 edMatch Adds Key Supporters From SF’s Business and Education Communities

 SAN FRANCISCO, CA, June 6, 2012 – edMatch (www.edmatchsf.org), a grassroots organization working to generate additional revenue for San Francisco’s public schools, today announced the addition of two key supporters, Rodrigo Santos and Ken Tray. By pledging $25,000, Rodrigo Santos has joined the edMatch Founders Circle, while Ken Tray has been named to the edMatch Advisory Board in recognition of his tireless advocacy on behalf of San Francisco’s public school teachers and longtime commitment to the success of San Francisco’s public schools.

“We are delighted that Rodrigo Santos and Ken Tray will join edMatch’s Founders Circle and Advisory Board,” said Todd David, Founder and Executive Director of edMatch. “Rodrigo’s generous donation will help to fund edMatch’s day-to-day operations so that we can continue to focus our efforts on providing all of San Francisco’s public schools with a much-needed source of additional funding, while Ken’s addition to the edMatch Advisory Board provides us with the invaluable support of one of the most trusted and experienced education advocates in San Francisco.”

Rodrigo Santos

Since receiving his Masters in Structural Engineering from Stanford, Rodrigo Santos, has lived and worked in San Francisco, growing Santos & Urrutia, which he founded in 1988, into one of most successful structural engineering firms in the Bay Area.  Santos credits education as the foundation of his success and over the course of the past 25 years, he has consistently sought to provide support for education on all levels as a way to give back to the community and provide opportunities for others to succeed.  He is currently a candidate for a seat on the Board of Trustees of San Francisco City College.

Santos’ generous pledge will aid edMatch in its mission of providing financial relief to every public school in San Francisco — reaching every public school student in the City — through its innovative fundraising and disbursement model. edMatch is guided by the “100% Impact” model, with the goal of having the Founders Circle underwrite all of the organization’s operating costs so that 100% of every dollar donated goes directly to San Francisco’s 112 public schools.

Ken Tray

Since 1967, while serving as a teaching assistant in a Head Start classroom, UESF Political Director Ken Tray, knew that teaching and counseling would be his path to living out the social justice ideals of his generation. A former counselor in residential treatment programs for troubled youth and community organizer with the North Mission Association, Ken formally entered the SFUSD teaching ranks in 1985. Early on at Balboa High Ken recognized that the voice of organized teachers is necessary to gain the support educators and students need to thrive in the classroom.  Since then, chosen by his peers, he served on the UESF Executive Board and starting in 2003 as Political Director. Under his political leadership UESF drove home the Prop A Parcel Tax victory, succeeded in most school board elections and furthered an undeniable presence for educator’s voices in San Francisco’s political landscape.

As the newest member of the edMatch Advisory Board, Ken will draw upon his deep well of experience as an educator and education advocate to provide the organization with valuable advice and guidance on key issues facing the City’s schools.

Connect with edMatch via Facebook: edMatch

And follow us on Twitter: @edmatch

About edMatch

edMatch is a grassroots organization run by parents of public school students who are building community partnerships to generate additional revenue for San Francisco’s public schools and challenging corporations and private donors to “match” funds raised by parent organizations. edMatch then distributes the matching funds to all of the City’s 112 public schools on an equal, per-student basis, while also sharing best practices and strategies for success. Each school then decides locally how to use those funds to achieve the greatest positive impact on student achievement. edMatch is a fiscally sponsored program of the San Francisco School Alliance.

Sign up to create a team with your friends and co-workers, explore San Francisco, win cool prizes, and raise funds for San Francisco public schools: http://tech-savvy-scavenger-hunt.eventbrite.com/

And after building up an appetite running around the city to complete their missions, participants will be able to dine on delicious, gourmet street food provided by the popular food trucks from Off the Grid.

How Does the Tech-Savvy Scavenger Hunt Work?

Each team will be given a series of missions they need to complete to earn points. Each team will solve missions using their smartphone and send their answers to headquarters. These “missions” will be a mix of creative, fun and educational tasks that challenge the teams to work together and to explore the city in new ways. The team that completes the most missions wins!

Tech-Savvy Scavenger Hunt Schedule

12:30-1:30 – Registration & Instructions
1:30-2:00 -Travel Time to Zone
2:00-4:00 - Game On!
4:30-5:30 - Off the Grid and Music at Civic Center as players return
5:30-6:00 - Award Ceremony/Prizes

Prizes include: Roku streaming entertainment devices,

So sign up today and visit:  http://supportsfpublicschools.org/ to learn more!

Partners

Eventbrite

Schoola

The Go Game

Patxi’s Chicago Pizza

Jennifer Rosdail, Paragon Real Estate Group

San Francisco Recreation & Parks

PG&E

Educate Our State

Off The Grid

Students, Parents, Teachers, Neighbors and Public School Advocates -

Before school lets out for the summer, we want to tell you aboutSupport San Francisco Public Schools Week in September that includes the first ever Shop for San Francisco Public Schools Week and the citywide Tech-Savvy Scavenger Hunt. These are two innovative and fun ways to raise additional revenue to help fund our public schools.

Mark Your Calendars for September 24th – 29th! Click here to sign up for updates.

Shop for SF Public Schools Week – During the week of September 24th-29th, we’re organizing a citywide fundraising drive with over 150 partnering restaurants and stores. It’s like Groupon – you will be able to purchase vouchers online and redeem them at your favorite local shops and restaurants that have graciously offered to donate a percentage of their proceeds back to San Francisco’s public schools.

Tech-Savvy Scavenger Hunt – On September 29th, to cap off Support SF Public Schools Week, we’re organizing a citywide technology-enabled scavenger hunt, where teams will set out to explore the city, discover clues and learn more about San Francisco and its public schools — while raising money that will go directly to the schools. Teams will work together using the latest, cutting-edge mobile technology to compete for top prizes. Think Bay to Breakers for our public schools.

Both events will be a lot of fun, and we’re looking forward to telling you more about them in the coming months. If you’re interested in learning more or getting involved, here’s how you can help:

1. Is your neighborhood shop or restaurant interested in participating in Shop for San Francisco Public Schools week? Let us know and email us today at:shop@edmatchsf.org!
2. Sign up to volunteer over the summer and in the fall. High school students, parents and community members are all encouraged to get involved.
3. Spread the word by forwarding this email to five friends, parents and neighbors today

edMatch will leverage its partnerships with SFUSD and other community-based organizations to ensure the program’s success. California has slashed public school spending by one-fifth since 2007, a devastating blow for public education in California. edMatch believes that the level of engagement with San Francisco’s corporate and philanthropic communities must be raised even higher. Over time, edMatch envisions public-private partnerships similar to other cities like Boston and New York.