Drake committee vets list of new names for high school

From an ancestral Coast Miwok village to filmmaker George Lucas, the list of about 85 potential new names for Sir Francis Drake High School spans a cross-section of Marin icons and beloved landmarks.

After reviewing about 60 suggestions for geographical locations, plants, trees and lakes, and about two dozen names of individuals, the Drake Site Council on Thursday postponed release of the list for one week.

The delay will give time for Liz Seabury, principal of the San Anselmo high school, to vet suggestions and check with legal counsel on permissions to use individual names.

“Some people might not accept the nomination,” Seabury said.

The council, composed of teachers, parents, school staff and students, will meet again at 4 p.m. Thursday to decide on a way to poll public sentiment on the name suggestions. After the public polling, the group will stage a tournament-style name selection competition among students, with a goal to choose the winning name by mid-March.

At Thursday’s meeting, the council reviewed individual names to make sure they met specific criteria. Those include people who have made an outstanding contribution to public education at Drake or in Marin. Other positive criteria would be those who worked to further diversity and social justice or who embody values of the school or the Tamalpais Union High School District.

“Our intention is to create an inclusive environment,” said Kendall Galli, teacher at the high school. The school is temporarily referred to as H.S. 1327, a reference to its address at 1327 Sir Francis Drake Blvd., while the name change process is underway.

The group eliminated the name of Michael V. Drake, an African American who was named president of the University of California system in July, after some committee members warned that opponents of the name change could use the UC president’s name as a way to keep the school’s name the same.

“People could use it as an end run to beat the system,” teacher Richard Marshall said.

“It’s a tricky option,” added teacher Jasper Thelin. “I’m worried that some people would not really be voting for someone that they really wanted.”

Michael Drake, while highly respected in education circles, also does not have a specific connection to Marin, Seabury added.

“His name could be used for a high school anywhere in California,” Seabury said. She had already eliminated the name of the late Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg for that same reason, she said.

After a controversial and divisive seven-month public process, the school council voted in November that any references to Sir Francis Drake be removed because of the 16th century English explorer’s ties to slavery, White supremacy and colonialism.

Opponents, including many school alumni, argued that Drake had abandoned the slave trade early in life and redeemed himself with many accomplishments and acts of service.

Criteria adopted Thursday for individual names includes a prohibition against any connections to slavery, genocide, exploitation, abuse or racism.

“I think we should look at the criteria again and maybe eliminate individuals,” said committee member Louis Nuyens, a school parent. “People are always controversial.”

Marin resident Lisa Canin agreed.

“Given the controversy, every person will have a target on their back,” she said during the public comment portion of the meeting. “You will do a disservice to the people you intend to honor.”

Drake senior Ella Acker, the council’s moderator, suggested the committee add Sir Francis Drake to the list so that opponents of the name change could have a say in the matter. She noted that a student survey indicated that 64% of BIPOC students — Black, Indigenous and people of color — said they were not in favor of changing the name.

“I worry that if we don’t, people will get upset,” she said. “Our community is really divided right now.”

Teacher Daniel Freeman said he didn’t want to include any names that could be potentially harmful to any students, staff or members of the public.

“We need to reframe what it is we’re really deciding,” he said. “It’s not like we’re choosing whether to paint the school blue or yellow. It’s whether or not the name we have chosen causes harm.”

Parent Jim Vetter said placing Sir Francis Drake on the list would be a “slap in the face” to all the people who voted to change the name.

Suggested landmarks included everything from Marin lakes such as Bon Tempe, to oak trees, plants and geographical references such as Red Hill.

The Coast Miwok Tribal Council of Marin submitted the name Awani-wi, a reference to the ancestral village on Coast Miwok lands that once encompassed San Rafael and San Anselmo.

The name in Coast Miwok language means “red earth painted basket.” The tribal council also suggested Kulupi, the hummingbird, for school mascot.

Seabury said the mascot name will be chosen in a separate process after the school name is selected.

The group intends to deliver its recommendation for the new name to the Tamalpais Union board of trustees, who will make the final decision.