Meet the Candidates: San Francisco’s school board race

Parag Gupta

• Job: Chief program officer at Mercy Housing
• Age: 46
• Residency: San Francisco
• Educational background: Bachelor’s degree with honors from the University of Chicago; master’s degree in Public Policy from Harvard University
• SFUSD experience: Parent of recent CIS De Avila grad; School Site Council chair; 8th grade algebra focus group; drafting SFUSD policy priorities for SF Democrats as SF DCCC member; developing financial strategy for Stupski Foundation programs to help students, including SFUSD students, complete postsecondary education
• Languages: Basic Spanish, basic French, conversational Hindi

Ann Hsu

• Job: Head of School at Bertrand D Hsu American & Chinese Bicultural Academy
• Age: 57
• Residency: Richmond District
• Educational background: Bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering from Pennsylvania State University, master’s degree in electrical engineering and master’s in business from University of California, Berkeley
• SFUSD experience: Two sons in SFUSD; SFUSD Citizens’ Bond Oversight Committee chair; Galileo High School PTSA president; active in recall efforts; appointed by Mayor Breed to school board in 2022 and served until early 2023
• Languages: English; Chinese, Mandarin

Jaime Huling

• Job: Deputy city attorney, formerly in San Francisco and now in Oakland
• Age: 42
• Residency: Glen Park; previously Hayes Valley and 13 years in the Mission
• Educational background: Juris doctor degree from Stanford Law School with distinction; bachelor’s in history from Northwestern University with honors, minor in gender studies
• SFUSD experience: Parent of SFUSD Spanish immersion school student; worked with Mission-based nonprofit ScholarMatch to help first-gen, low-income students of color attend college, including SFUSD students
• Languages: English, some Spanish and French

John Jersin

• Job: Co-founder of education nonprofit Jersin Foundation, previously LinkedIn executive
• Age: 40
• Residency: Noe Valley
• Educational background: California public schools from kindergarten through college; bachelor’s degree in computer science from the University of California, San Diego, master’s degree in computer science from Stanford University
• SFUSD experience: Brother-in-law of SFUSD teacher; SFUSD Citizens’ Bond Oversight Committee; parent of two young children who will attend SFUSD schools
• Languages: English, learning Mandarin

Madeline Krantz

• Job: Dual enrollment student at CCSF and SJSU
• Age: 19
• Residency: Inner Sunset
• Educational background: Synergy School for K-8, Abraham Lincoln High School, experience working as teacher’s aide in synagogue and currently working toward education degree
• SFUSD experience: Worked with SFUSD students as part of Teacher Academy at Lincoln
• Languages: English

Laurance Lee

• Job: Small business owner, L3 Construction LLC
• Age: 54
• Residency: Noe Valley
• Educational background: Went to SFUSD K-12, bachelor’s degree in chemistry and history of science from Harvard University, graduate work at Stanford University
• SFUSD experience: SFUSD Citizens’ Bond Oversight Committee, extended family who are SFUSD student and educators
• Languages: English

Supryia Ray

• Job: Attorney and writer
• Age: 51
• Residency: Sunset
• Educational background: Bachelor’s degree in political science and French from University of Miami, summa cum laude; juris doctor degree from Harvard Law School, magna cum laude
• SFUSD experience: Parent of two SFUSD students; Jefferson Elementary parent-teacher association leadership; parent advocate on issues such as outdoor learning and school safety
• Languages: French, some Spanish

Matt Alexander

• Job: Community organizer at Faith in Action Bay Area, incumbent board member
• Age: 54
• Residency: Outer Sunset
• Educational background: Master’s degree in education
• SFUSD experience: Teacher and principal; current school board vice president
• Languages: English, Spanish

Min Chang

• Job: CEO at healthcare organization Homebridge
• Age: 58
• Residency: San Francisco
• Educational background: Ph.D. in international affairs and master’s degree in International Public Policy from Johns Hopkins University; master’s degree in management from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Sloan; bachelor’s degrees from the University of Pennsylvania
• SFUSD experience: Doing outreach in SFUSD and attending school board meetings.
• Languages: English, Chinese, French

Virginia Cheung

• Job: SFUSD parent, co-founder and vice president of Give a Beat Foundation (volunteer work) and previously director of advancement at Wu Yee Children’s Services
• Age: 41
• Residency: District 11
• Educational background: Bachelor’s degree in social ecology (first in family to graduate college).
• SFUSD experience: Parent of Alice Fong Yu student; Wah Mei BASE! ExCEL program Parent Advisory Board
• Languages: Basic Cantonese and Mandarin, conversational French

Lefteris Eleftheriou

• Job: Regional sales manager, Sanyo Denki
• Age: 56
• Residency: District 7
• Educational background: Bachelor’s degree in engineering, master’s degree in education
• SFUSD experience: No direct experience, but previously ran an art school in Belmont.
• Languages: English, Japanese, Greek

Ann Hsu

SFUSD’s closure goal was 90% utilization. The eligible list, if left untouched, may reach 80%. Since 500 positions need to be cut to balance the FY 2025-26 budget, there will be classrooms without teachers and probably another round of closures in the near future.

Regarding schools on the list, there are 3 around Chinatown and 1 in the Inner Richmond that are attended mostly by ethnic Chinese students with low-income and monolingual immigrant parents. Where is the equity in that calculation? Does the district think that these families can be pushed around easier?

Jaime Huling

I‘m very concerned with the district’s lack of transparency and communication surrounding the school closure list. The district needs to assure the community that it is preserving school communities and programs in order to achieve the long term vision of fully-staffed, fully-enrolled schools in every neighborhood.

The Superintendent must truly listen to all affected communities to make this process successful for the long-term health of our schools. I encourage SFUSD communities to reach out to district staff—many decisions aren’t final yet, and your input is important. We’ve all got to work together because failing our kids isn’t an option.

John Jersin

What’s so incredibly frustrating for parents is that this could have been avoided. We’ve watched the Board of Education mismanage our finances for decades, and now we’re being told to close schools or face a state takeover.

The priority I’m hearing from most school communities is to avoid the state coming in and hacking apart our district without regard for families, teachers, or kids.

It’s a moment for tough choices, and I understand the anger of parents, students, and teachers who are being forced to pay the price for the inactions of the school board that go back many years.

Madeline Krantz

Two months ago I thought that given our deficits it made sense to close highly under-enrolled schools. But I’ve heard people question whether closures would even save money. I’ve also learned about other district issues that need to be addressed. A campus that’s only 25% filled shouldn’t stay that way forever. But we should solve a lot of these problems at once before disrupting people’s lives. I also think that questionnaire was just asking parents to make hard decisions for us. Why can’t the board and the district get serious and solve problems the right way?

Laurance Lee

Poorly thought out on so many levels. As the only K-12 SFUSD graduate school board candidate, I remember so many wrongs the district has done to Asian Americans and communities of color. How do you just end schools with the names of Spring Valley, Harvey Milk and Malcolm X? The criteria are vague and the scoring a black box. Stop this closing schools effort and do a good job balancing the budget. Less money for central staff and consultants. More info on my website https://www.laurancelemlee.com/school-closures.

Supryia Ray

The potential school closure list is devastating to our families and communities and the result of years of mismanagement. The process has been confusing and chaotic and has only increased anxiety and distrust. Behind every “number” is a student, educator, and family. Many question which schools were chosen and why.

The district faces budget cuts and potential state takeover, requiring difficult decisions and tradeoffs. Between now and the December board vote, I will listen to community concerns and insist on clear and accessible transition plans for closed/merged schools, including transportation mapping. All communities seek excellence. We can keep some … read more here

Matt Alexander

No response received.

Min Chang

Closing schools is not the answer; it will only make things worse and drive more families away from public schools. It will make the existing schools more crowded and class sizes even larger; the schools that are targeted for closure are smaller schools and specialty schools that are much needed in our communities. Smaller and specialty schools are meant to be small for kids that thrive in smaller classes and customized learning plans; these schools are the lifeblood for our families. Closing schools does not solve the budget deficit; increasing revenue sources and reducing our administrative costs are better areas … read more here

Virginia Cheung

There is a lack of clarity and transparency in the definition of “equity.” Equity should focus on closing opportunity gaps to help students meet higher standards, rather than dismantling successful programs.

The schools currently on the list have a proven track record of culturally affirming programming that helps address opportunity gaps in their communities. There is no assurance that children who need these programs will be placed in similarly supportive environments.

Our administration must provide a transparent fiscal analysis and audit of these programs to ensure that our most vulnerable communities are not disproportionately affected. Recent decisions have already left … read more here

Lefteris Eleftheriou

There is little rhyme or reason behind the decision or the criteria used to close schools, and discussions were mostly done behind closed doors. Therefore, I stand with the students, families, and staff who are fighting to keep their schools open, and my job, if elected, will be to keep our families in the city by keeping as many of our public schools open as possible. One could argue that if we do not close schools and repair the budget, then the state may step in and take over the SFUSD. But there is no guarantee that closing schools will … read more here

Parag Gupta

My wife and I appreciate the diversity of SFUSD school programming. We sent our daughter to Chinese Immersion School at DeAvila so she could communicate and connect with her non-English speaking maternal grandfather. I see the unique features in the affected schools from creating a sense of belonging with LGBTQ families to language programs.

When the School District finalizes school closures, it must offer alternatives to families and educators that take these features into account. To do so, the school district must be as transparent as possible and really listen to what affected communities value.

Jaime Huling

Every kid deserves to feel safe at school—and no student or employee should ever experience discrimination or feel targeted at school because of their religion, ethnicity, race, or other aspects of their identity. Regular training on diversity, equity, and inclusion, including training on anti-racism, antisemitism, and anti-Islamophobia is part of any healthy organization culture, and should be welcomed in SFUSD.

On the school board, I’ll continue to model that we can disagree strongly about policy without resorting to stereotyping or discrimination.

John Jersin

This cancellation is concerning, though the antisemitism training is currently to be rescheduled and conducted as previously planned. Many of our Jewish students in San Francisco feel they are in a fraught situation right now, and they deserve safety and acceptance. When there are hints of a shift toward a climate of conflict in our schools, we need to take those signs seriously and do the work to build and maintain a culture of openness, diversity, and community.

Madeline Krantz

This subject is very sensitive for me as an observant Jew. Like most Jews, I’ve been concerned about the rise of antisemitism in the U.S. and worldwide since last year’s attacks by Hamas and the resulting war in Gaza. But I also understand how seriously lots of people feel about the Palestinian cause. I think SFUSD should hold seminars like this training but we need to make sure everyone’s views are included. It’s possible to protect kids from hate speech and still help encourage everyone to be heard. It isn’t easy but that’s what we have to try for.

Laurance Lee

I am responding to this question as there are more bombs being dropped in the Middle East. My heart goes out to all the families caught in this war, including the folks who live here. We need these antisemitism workshops given the escalation in bullying and other incidents that have made the schools less safe. As a son of immigrants and a member of a mixed race family, I am hoping we give each other grace and understanding. As a Board of Education Commissioner candidate, I am hoping that we in San Francisco can fix our budget and other crises.

Supryia Ray

There’s no place for antisemitism or any other forms of hate in our schools.

Unfortunately, antisemitic incidents have skyrocketed in SFUSD since 10/07. Educators need to understand and identify antisemitism to ensure all students, teachers, and families feel safe.

The District chose AJC to provide this training because it has been a respected leader for civil rights for all communities for a century. Just like we must address Islamophobia, anti-Asian hate, and anti-Black hate, we must address antisemitism. In fact, the Biden Administration chose AJC to help lead the implementation of the nation’s strategy to counter antisemitism.

Matt Alexander

No response received.

Min Chang

I am in support of no bullying, harassment, violence, or discrimination in our public schools. I do not believe that politics should enter our discussions at our schools. Content that is shared and taught in our schools and to our educators should follow the same standards.

Virginia Cheung

Curricula should be designed in collaboration with parents, teachers, and community members to better reflect the lived experiences of students.

As a daughter of immigrants, I deeply understand the impact of anti-Asian, anti-Chinese rhetoric, especially on children.

Due to the biased public school education I received, I grew up feeling that Asians were inferior, believing we could only succeed by conforming to the majority.

We should teach our kids how to identify and combat discrimination, bias, and racism. We should also celebrate diversity and promote cultural competence among staff and leadership.

Additionally, SFUSD must implement policies to prevent favoritism and … read more here

Lefteris Eleftheriou

We cannot deny that there is a rise in antisemitism on school campuses across our nation. Therefore, I support educating our SFUSD staff so that we can prevent any prejudice or bias toward our Jewish community that may lead to these acts. At the same time, it is equally important to ensure that during any type of anti-prejudice education or workshop, we do not, intentionally or unintentionally, create bias or prejudice toward other ethnic groups. I am not familiar with the American Jewish Committee (AJC) and do not know how or if they have been vetted by the SFUSD to … read more here

Parag Gupta

It is crucial that children have a secure environment where they can learn, feel safe, and develop a sense of community.

I support a diversity of workshops that bring different perspectives. SFUSD may even seek to invest in restorative justice workshops so faculty can express differences in a productive manner. Just as important, we must ensure our educators and staff feel adequately supported to be able to handle situations of bullying and help students feel a sense of belonging.

Ann Hsu

SFUSD canceled an antisemitism training the day before the event because of pressure brought on by an anti-Israeli lobbying group. This was wrong. Given the rise in antisemitic instances at SFUSD, this training is needed to teach educators to recognize what constitutes antisemitic actions.

Contrary to the portrayal of the American Jewish Committee (AJC) as a lobbying group, it is a 100-year old nonprofit organization that, in 2016, formed a Muslim-Jewish Advisory Council with the Islamic Society of North America to address bigotry against Muslims and Jews. This group’s objective is to build bridges. Who better to provide this training?

John Jersin

On the first day of class last year, 20% of classrooms didn’t have a teacher*. Roughly 25% of the teachers we do have aren’t qualified to teach**. Education starts with educators, and we don’t have enough. This is a crisis.

Today, we fail at the basics – too often teachers apply for a job and don’t hear back for months. I’m fortunate to have led the world’s largest recruiting platform and I’ve seen what works. I will propose metrics to more closely monitor our recruiting efforts, review our existing systems and processes, and reinforce best practices like modern pipeline recruiting.

* According to an August 2023 presentation from an SFUSD school board workshop on resource alignment, the shortage for SFUSD classroom staffing positions as of Aug. 12, 2023 was 21%.

** A 2023 report from the San Francisco civil grand jury found that nearly a quarter of SFUSD teachers were not fully credentialed in the 2020-21 school year.

Madeline Krantz

No response received.

Laurance Lee

As a member of the Civil Grand Jury, we made a report on SFUSD teacher hiring “to understand the challenges in teacher retention and recruiting that can affect SFUSD’s teacher shortage and recommend possible solutions.” One key finding: they did not ask those who declined job offers or those who left SFUSD jobs why they were leaving. Let’s ask folks why they go elsewhere so we can improve processes. Let’s also hire faster, as we just found prospective employees were left long in limbo. I am the only candidate who goes deep in the details to find fixes.

Supryia Ray

1. Educators want a workplace where basic administrative support is a given, not a guess. An error-filled payroll system or recruitment process scares people off. Potential applicants need to know that onboarding procedures and staff training are in place. They also need to know that classrooms are safe and that they will be appropriately placed.

2. Educators need to know the District will continue to pay competitive salaries and benefits. The District should also make paraprofessionals full-time employees (instead of part-time) and create a Career Technical Education pathway in high schools, in partnership with CCSF, for students to become paraprofessionals.

Matt Alexander

The most important thing we can do to recruit and retain educators is to ensure they are paid adequately, especially given the high cost of housing in San Francisco. I’m proud that last year I worked with my colleagues on the school board to negotiate the largest pay raise in history for our educators.

In addition to increasing pay, we need to continue the work that’s just begun to make dramatic improvements to our HR department, so we’re more effective at recruitment, and so we treat potential new hires and current employees with the respect and dignity they deserve.

Min Chang

Bringing back and recruiting educators that really want to teach is important. The stronger the educator, the better our education. In order to do that, we need to provide a career path for educators and treat them like talent as we do in business; our organization is only as good as our talent. In addition, we should provide support in terms of housing, training and other resources that will help good educators stay in public schools.

Virginia Cheung

With over 15 years of experience in the nonprofit sector, I’ve seen firsthand that staff members who have stable housing are more likely to remain with an organization long-term.

I support affordable housing initiatives for educators. This includes offering rental subsidies, providing technical assistance to access below-market-rate housing and first-time homebuyer programs, and offering support with financial planning. These measures can help create a sense of stability and belonging.

Additionally, I support dignified retirement plans and pensions for educators and paraprofessionals. Those who dedicate their lives to serving others should be assured of their security and stability in retirement.

Access … read more here

Lefteris Eleftheriou

When I ran my school, I interviewed and hired teachers and staff who had not only solid hard skills in their field, along with hands-on experience, but strong soft skills as well, such as enthusiasm, integrity, and empathy. Both hard and soft qualities are necessary for a successful staff member, because thoughts and emotions, particularly negative ones, if left unchecked, will prevent educators from relating with their students, parents, and other colleagues. They can make teamwork difficult and stifle decision making. Therefore, being aware of one’s thoughts and emotions is paramount. To address this, I will introduce the following two … read more here

Parag Gupta

My mother’s dedication as an ESL teacher and my experience as Chair of my School Site Council have given me deep appreciation for the sacrifices teachers make. First, let’s defray our educators’ largest cost: housing. We must build additional teacher housing. We had over 900 educator applications for 135 units. As an affordable housing director, I have the experience to help lead this. Second, even as we cut central expenses, we must further invest in Human Resources so we can handle any HR issues educators may have in a timely manner. Our educators deserve genuine care and appreciation.

Ann Hsu

1. To retain and support current educators, we need to improve student behavior in school so teachers can teach instead of spending time and energy managing/controlling the classrooms. To do that, we need to re-examine the Restorative Practice Policy that was passed by BOE in 2014, given that it has not led to improved but worsened outcomes at schools, to either reimplement it more effectively or rescind and institute a new policy.

2. To recruit more educators especially for middle and high schools, we should reach out to mid-career professionals in their fields who may be interested in a … read more here

Jaime Huling

Hiring and onboarding at SFUSD continues to be a mess. Schools recruited, hired, and announced the arrival of needed educators and staff, just to rescind offers after our state fiscal watchdogs told us the positions couldn’t be funded. Other schools started the year without teachers and paras in classrooms—including special education classrooms—because approvals for essential educator hiring were held up with bureaucracy.

On the board, I’ll negotiate with the state to ensure that key positions are prioritized and filled promptly. I’ll also hold the Superintendent accountable for modernizing SFUSD HR to speed and streamline hiring.

Madeline Krantz

Several charter schools in San Francisco have been successful, and we should see what we can learn from them that could help all of SFUSD. But especially in years when we know we’re facing big budget cuts and even school closures, I don’t think we should expand charter schools if that means taking away funding from public schools that are struggling. We need to make sure we are taking care of all our students first.

Laurance Lee

Charter schools have been good for about 7,000 students and, at the same time, they have actually been losing students faster than our public schools over the past few years. I don’t support charter school expansion.

As a K-12 SFUSD graduate, my focus as a School Board candidate has been on helping our 49,000 non-charter students. I have been working to restore faith in our bond facilities spending by restarting the Citizens Bond Oversight Committee* [a group that reviews how the district’s bond funds are spent] and working with the new auditors. I have been advocating for low-cost means to address chronic absenteeism, literacy outcomes, and improving student safety. We … read more here

Supryia Ray

Like all schools, the quality and success of charter schools vary considerably. Some of SFUSD’s unique charters operate in admirable ways, offering families alternatives they may need. But every school funded by public funds should be subject to appropriate oversight and accountability. If elected, I will insist on that.

SFUSD is in a fiscal crisis and is reducing its overall number of schools. We must make the transitions as smooth as possible for affected families and students. For this reason, I do not currently support expanding the number of charter or regular public schools (apart from Mission Bay).

Matt Alexander

I’m opposed to new charter schools in San Francisco. The original intent of charter school laws when they were passed 35 years ago was to provide a space for grassroots innovation, led by teachers, which would then benefit the public school system. Many of the charters in San Francisco do fit this description. Educators at some San Francisco charters have unionized. But charter laws generally have been co-opted by corporate entities intent on undermining public education. Especially when San Francisco is facing a declining population of children, and SFUSD’s enrollment is declining, we don’t need any new charters.

Min Chang

My focus is on SFUSD. We should raise performance of schools/curriculum by bringing back the basics like math, science, history, civics, the arts; expand accelerated/gifted programs and keep language immersion. We should support educators, especially now given the tremendous demands placed on them with pending school closures, shortage of teachers, and teachers pulling double-duty. We should work hard to keep schools open, not close them, and provide a secure environment for kids to learn without fear of bullying and harassment. Until improvements are made, parents need choices and charter schools are options, but my focus is on improving … read more here

Virginia Cheung

While charter schools can meet specific community needs, expanding them should not be a district-wide strategy. Charter schools divert funding from public education, cost more to maintain, and can isolate communities. Rather than expanding charter schools, we must invest in SFUSD’s public schools, which are accountable to voters and serve all children, especially the most vulnerable.

Public schools foster equity and community, ensuring every child has access to a quality education. Strengthening public schools supports teachers, improves learning environments, and uses taxpayer dollars more effectively. Our public schools must remain a public good for all students to ensure a stronger, … read more here

Lefteris Eleftheriou

My goal is to improve the quality of education provided by the SFUSD. We live in a free market economy and so if the SFUSD is providing an inferior product or service, then the competition will identify this as a business opportunity and step in. That is why we are seeing a rise in alternative education models, such as private schools, charter schools, homeschooling, etc. There is nothing inherently wrong with this; it’s just how competition in a free market works. Having said that, as a member of the BOE, and having worked with some of the world’s best performing … read more here

Parag Gupta

Research suggests charter school expansion adversely impacts the financial stability of school districts. Given the particularly precarious financial situation of SFUSD, I do not currently support the expansion of charter schools.

As for success, each charter school’s performance must be evaluated individually as schools are governed differently and serve different students. Looking at ’21-’22 outcomes, KIPP and Mission Prep, who primarily serve Black and Brown students from low-income families, have performed well in Math and English Language Arts scores compared to peer SFUSD schools. We should understand this success and what we may be able to replicate within our public … read more here

Ann Hsu

SFUSD has 12 charter schools as of June 2024; all the charter schools are located in the city center and eastside.

The composition of charter schools is 55% Latino, 15% Black and only 5% Asians. Evidence from standardized test scores and AP participation rates, while not conclusive, indicate that Black and Latino students do much better in some charter schools than in SFUSD.

As a public school district, our focus should be on student success, and therefore, I support any school that educates students well and gives families options for their children’s education.

Jaime Huling

The school district is on the verge of bankruptcy and takeover by the state due to its budget crisis, worsened by declining enrollment. I don’t support the expansion of charter schools, which would take students and funding away from the district and lead to the closing of more SFUSD schools.

Still, SFUSD can learn from what’s worked in San Francisco charter schools to improve student achievement. For example, Mission Preparatory School’s success in closing the racial achievement gap in math shows the effectiveness of increased instructional minutes.

John Jersin

There are cases where charter schools can perform well, especially when focused on under-resourced communities which should be a key focus. However, the danger of a growing number of charter schools is a slow replacement of the entire public system with a privatized system. This has happened and led to disaster elsewhere, and absolutely must not be allowed to happen here. Especially in light of school closures happening right now, I do not support increasing the number of charter schools in San Francisco.

Laurance Lee

1) Reduce chronic absenteeism by having district and school staff visit homes and address family concerns, be they hunger, bullying, safety, mental health, or anything else.

2) Bring students up to grade level literacy by having more high-intensity tutoring.

Deldelp Medina

No response received.

Supryia Ray

Gaps develop in kids’ readiness for learning even before kindergarten, especially for students who face barriers. Early education programs empower parents to promote learning. SFUSD could expand prekindergarten and transitional kindergarten, and the city could reach many families as early as pregnancy, through prenatal care.

Reading is the key to learning, and regular attendance is the foundation of success. We need to ensure professional development and support for educators to implement SFUSD’s new reading curricula and expand high-dosage tutoring for students. We should also adopt an attendance goal: SFUSD’s literacy, math, and college/career readiness goals all depend on regular … read more here

Matt Alexander

If we invest deeply in educators and build a culture of excellence, we can increase academic outcomes for all kids. John Muir Elementary School is an example: The school has implemented an approach to mathematics involving a rigorous curriculum, a sophisticated instructional approach, and in-depth teacher professional development. And they’ve seen a dramatic increase in mathematics achievement, especially for Black and Latino students.

That’s why I worked with the Board of Supervisors to secure $8 million in city funding to expand the John Muir math project to Flynn, Sanchez, and Malcolm X — and more schools will be participating soon.

Min Chang

I believe in raising the bar for all students of SFUSD including those that face barriers. Every child should be given the opportunity to become their best selves with education and knowledge. Accelerated and gifted programs along with language immersion programs should be offered for everyone regardless of socioeconomic background and language. Academic and financial support can be offered. Our kids should be able to speak multiple languages and learn both in their native language as well as English; kids in other countries learn multiple languages, there’s no reason why we can’t do the same.

Virginia Cheung

As a former advancement director at the largest Head Start provider, I supported the expansion of services for families facing severe socioeconomic challenges. With SFUSD considering school consolidations, I’m deeply concerned about the impact on these vulnerable communities.

I will strengthen the Coordinated Care Team, ensuring consistent, culturally and linguistically competent support across all schools to increase student success. Family life impacts academic goals. Additionally, I will propose a centralized crisis care team, including social workers and attendance staff, to regularly troubleshoot issues, identify students in need, ensure quality, and develop standardized protocols. This team would include home visitors who … read more here

Lefteris Eleftheriou

Measure 1: $500M earmarked from the city’s general fund toward early childcare development, to support working parents who may need babysitting or daycare services, or who may need financial assistance so a mom or dad can stay home and be with their child during the first or early years.

Measure 2: Contractual requirement for teachers and school officials to meet with parents or guardians for minimum one hour per week and to document this time and the results of the engagement. Socioeconomic, language, physical, emotional, or any other barrier to a child’s academic goals to be identified. Salaries and pay … read more here

Parag Gupta

My parents were Indian immigrants who moved to the US with only $200 to their name. However, they did everything so I may achieve my academic goals.

I’m focused on the achievement gap in SFUSD in the student outcomes: 3rd grade literacy, 8th grade math, and college/career readiness. I’d first focus on schools with the highest achievement gap and provide advanced curriculum/Career Technical Education (CTE) pathways to other sites.

Previously, I developed a $160 million philanthropic strategy focused on academic success for students who face significant barriers. I would also seek to help students navigate the K-12 system … read more here

Ann Hsu

First, students need to be assessed objectively to determine where they are academically. Foundational knowledge in math and English are critical for students to progress. This is needed regardless of their socioeconomic situation or language barriers.

If the student is assessed and foundational academic “holes” are identified, these students need individualized plans developed to address the identified learning deficits. This plan should include in-class instruction, individualized learning and tutoring, and a motivational component. Parental participation also needs to be part of the plan.

The above approach is what we do at our nonprofit school, and the outcomes have been successful.

Jaime Huling

We can’t allow achievement gaps for low income students and English language learners to persist. All students are capable and deserving of success.

The most significant step to improve academic outcomes is to fix our budget. That allows us to spend funds where they benefit students the most — early literacy, increasing instructional minutes, and offering high-dosage tutoring.

I’ll fight to ensure that we support teachers in implementing our new evidence-based literacy curriculum, including more time for English phonics in the early grades in dual-language immersion schools. I’ll also advocate to incorporate high-dosage tutoring and academic support into before- and after-care.

John Jersin

The biggest opportunity we have to help kids, especially those facing barriers, is a package of measures I plan to propose to expand early childhood education. The package would include alignment with city programs, fixing SFUSD’s broken application process, eliminating application fees, and eliminating financial barriers.

The city has over $450 million available for early childhood education, while SFUSD’s early childhood programs cover less than 15 percent of kids who end up in TK-5. We know that early childhood education reduces achievement gaps, and improves student outcomes. I plan to bring the political will and leadership to finally make it happen.

Madeline Krantz

As someone who has a learning disability (ADHD), I’ve often noticed how many teachers aren’t knowledgeable about working with disabled students–and how damaging the impact can be. I believe we should mandate that all teachers receive basic training in supporting students with autism, ADHD, and other common mental and physical disabilities. I also believe all teachers should know basic sign language skills and how to recognize signs of abuse, bullying, and other trauma. Students with stronger mental health have better academic results. Equipping teachers with these skills will improve kids’ chances of succeeding in school and in life.

Deldelp Medina

No response received.

Supryia Ray

Every SFUSD student and family should have safe, accessible, well funded and staffed, high-quality schools.

The school district has sought, but ignored, community input on closure criteria. That’s wrong.

On the school board, I will insist on:

• social/emotional and academic support for students and families at schools to be closed, which must be continued at their new schools
• discretionary funds to support Site Councils/PTSAs at schools to welcome and build community with new students & families
• a calendar for consistent check-ins with families of new students-a clear, prompt, and equitable process for families to resolve unworkable placements

Matt Alexander

The track record of school closures in some other cities has been awful, and SFUSD’s past school closures have been deeply flawed, with a disproportionate impact on the Black community. So I’ve been skeptical about school closures—but it’s also true that in 1996, when I started teaching in SFUSD, we had 64,000 students; this year we have 49,000. Fewer students means less state funding, so we have to decide if we want to keep spreading our resources thinly over 100+ campuses. We need to ensure fully staffed schools, better working conditions for educators, and better outcomes for students.

Min Chang

I attended the Cycle 2 Resource Meetings led by the superintendent. The meetings focused on getting input from parents on selection criteria for evaluating which schools to close. I do not believe that this process is effective since the parents only have input to criteria but have no input on the actual schools being selected. It feels as if the results were predetermined, and the process was used to show that parents were involved. A more robust process that really engages the community to find better solutions for all our schools would be better. Consolidation, mergers, co-locations are all options … read more here

Virginia Cheung

I commend the superintendent and school administration for their comprehensive effort to align resources for equity and excellence. However, intentional involvement of students and incorporating their feedback would strengthen this initiative.

In decisions about school closures, our primary focus must be on meeting educational outcomes and ensuring every student has access to critical resources—qualified teachers, instructional coaches, mental health support, and tutoring. Every decision must be aimed at enhancing the student experience and ensuring excellence by providing fully supported, safe, accessible and nurturing classrooms.

I will advocate for neighborhood-based resource hubs and transparent communication with families through regular updates and … read more here

Lefteris Eleftheriou

If we cannot get a grip on the corruption and waste at the heart of the budgetary crisis, then future closures are inevitable. Does the BOE have a plan for this? I ran a school where I managed a budget, hired and paid employees, and continuously looked for ways to provide value to my students. If elected, I would do the same for the SFUSD; namely, I would engage all students, parents, and teachers on a daily basis to understand what we are doing right, and more importantly, what more we can do to support them. Expensive consultants are not … read more here

Parag Gupta

The uncertainty surrounding the future of our schools is frightening. If my daughter’s Cantonese immersion school closed, she would have lost a critical avenue for maintaining her cultural heritage and communicating with her late grandfather.

I attended two Resource Alignment Initiative town halls. I appreciate the equity, excellence, and effective use criteria.

For the most heavily affected families, thorough stakeholder engagement must continue. 1. Families and educators should be offered emotional and logistical support. 2. Schools should offer advanced curriculum, [Career Technical Education] pathways, or language offerings based on the feedback of affected families so we recognize the disruption and do our … read more here

Ann Hsu

Parents are frustrated with the [Resource Alignment Initiative] process and feel that the district is not being truthful or transparent. Parent participants in community meetings say their input isn’t reflected in the district’s weighted criteria; the ambiguity surrounding “equity” is troubling.

The district hasn’t articulated a plan should a school close or be consolidated. What additional resources would be available to parents? Would they have first preference at another school? The unknowns create anxiety.

I will be truthful and transparent. I will demand that the superintendent articulate a plan for closed and consolidated schools so that families can prepare.

Jaime Huling

SFUSD families are understandably anxious. We’re waiting to see if our schools are on the chopping block this fall.

The district’s vague outreach surveys asking abstract questions leave us wondering what closures are possible. There haven’t been opportunities to weigh in on specifics.

I’ll fight to ensure that communities and programs affected by closures have the option to stay together. I’ll push to provide additional resources to affected families to help them stay in the district, have workable schedules and commutes, and get needed supports—such as priority school assignments, new bus routes, and expanded before and aftercare.

John Jersin

SFUSD has stated that painful school closures are necessary. Yet addressing fiscal mismanagement earlier would have caused less pain. Families and teachers are all right to be frustrated.

Now, we must do the hard work to find more budget efficiencies, just like I have found millions of dollars in potential savings. This would allow more flexibility, and if the current board chooses, SFUSD could test a school closure early. We can then engage deeply with the community before, during, and after the test to study unforeseen impacts during the process, and apply those lessons to other schools.

Madeline Krantz

We probably have to close some schools in order to be efficient with the SFUSD budget. I think it is very important that families whose kids have to change schools have as much choice as possible when it comes to their new school. And the older the student is, the more important that choice is going to be for them, both educationally and socially. Our goal on the Board of Education should be to make responsible decisions while our budgets are very difficult, but then also create rules that will help the affected students make the best possible transition.

Laurance Lee

I hear parents are anxious and frustrated with the chaotic school closure planning process. Why is the school district and their insider-chosen SFUSD advisory committee ignoring them and overruling their ideas and priorities?

If elected, I will prioritize a transparency culture. I will clearly state how many schools will be closed and how much money will be saved. I will ensure clear communication on how impacted communities will be supported with these cuts. I will share the resources we will provide to help any transitions. Parents deserve to know the future of their children’s education. It’s time for a change.

Supryia Ray

Spending more money hasn’t necessarily resulted in better student outcomes. Indeed, SFUSD has often wasted money on consultants, ideological pursuits, and failed bespoke “solutions,” even as students — especially the most disadvantaged — have struggled with reading, math, and mental health.

To attract and keep families, we need to retain control of our school system and focus our resources on what families actually want: excellent, safe, well-run schools. SFUSD has to make substantial cuts to avoid state takeover, but how it makes those cuts matters. To build trust and understand community needs, the district needs to approach decisions about the budget, school closures/consolidations … read more here

Matt Alexander

As a member of the school board, I led the fight to dramatically reduce SFUSD’s excessive central office spending. I co-authored the Student Success Fund, which is now bringing in $35 million annually to SFUSD schools. If re-elected, I’ll be the only educator on the board, and will make sure we don’t balance the budget on the backs of our students. I’m not interested in using the school board as a springboard for other political offices: what matters to me is that necessary budget cuts don’t weaken our classrooms, so we can give our students the schools they deserve.

Min Chang

Near-term and longer-term actions are needed at SFUSD. The fiscal challenge can be solved by relooking at sources of funds (revenues) and uses of funds (costs). We need to maximize funding from federal, state and local sources including grants, bonds and fundraising. The SFUSD budget is >$1B but the funding is not getting to our schools; it needs to move from the administration to schools where it is needed. By streamlining the administration, implementing position control as well as indirect spend management, savings can be redirected to schools to support curriculum building, maintenance and repairs, training of educators, and supplies.

Virginia Cheung

For the past 15 years, I’ve led nonprofit advancement initiatives, managing revenue streams and securing grants to develop educational programs to close opportunity gaps for marginalized communities. I support the superintendent’s Fiscal Stabilization Plan, which focuses on reducing deficit spending, enhancing business services, and optimizing resources while maintaining equity and excellence. To increase revenue, we must attract and retain students by promoting early education, enhancing special education programs, and offering specialized pathways like language, STEM, and arts. With Eastern neighborhoods growing rapidly, we can transform neighborhoods into innovative community hubs that integrate educational spaces into new developments to attract families … read more here

Lefteris Eleftheriou

I owned and operated a school for eight years and my priority was ensuring the parents were happy with their children’s education.

If they were not happy, I found out why and did everything I could to remedy it.

I will do the same with our public schools, by holding in-person meetings, phone calls, or web meetings with all the parents in our district.

I will identify the top three reasons parents remove their children from our schools and do everything in my power to fix them.

For example, if children are bored and not being challenged in the classroom … read more here

Parag Gupta

We’ve lost 4,000 students in SFUSD over the past decade. We must re-establish trust with our families and create confidence in the school district.

Within the remaining schools after RAI [the Resource Alignment Initiative], we can incorporate advanced curriculum, CTE [Career Technical Education] pathways, and language immersion that make San Francisco unique. My family had an excellent experience at Chinese Immersion School at DeAvila. In addition, we can reform the broken school assignment process so families can predictably enroll their children in excellent neighborhood schools.

Finally, let’s not forget revenue. The school district must dedicate resources to attract and retain families and eliminate chronic absenteeism. Together … read more here

Ann Hsu

During my school board tenure in 2022, I learned about the district’s finances and determined that our budget problems were not due to insufficient funding but rather due to inefficient and wasteful spending.

SFUSD’s expenditures have increased for decades while enrollment has dropped and academic results have worsened. School programs continue to be funded with no metrics in place to show if they are effective. Popular programs such as Spanish- and Mandarin-immersion are not being expanded. The district does not seem interested in attracting more families and increasing enrollment.  Administrative programs, such as the payroll system, are implemented without being … read more here

Jaime Huling

My kid’s school is losing its assistant principal due to budget cuts. That’s what happens when our resources are spread too thin–we can’t afford crucial staff and services.

The sad truth is that we’re on the verge of state takeover due to our budget woes. No one wants school closures, but if we don’t make the hard decisions, the state will make them for us.

I’ll fight for families to ensure that fewer schools means fully-staffed, fully-enrolled, fully-funded schools in all neighborhoods. I’ll use our money wisely so our kids can have the support and enrichment they deserve.

John Jersin

When I was appointed to help oversee SFUSD’s facilities spending, I found millions in potential savings after my very first meeting. After investing $5,000,000 in a central kitchen, SFUSD wasn’t using it to its full capacity. We could have and should have been producing more nutritious, better tasting meals for students, and saved loads of money.

Many hard cuts will be necessary, but due to a lack of financial experience the board has failed to capture so many easier wins like this one. With my experience and track record, I can help us do better.

Madeline Krantz

There are lots of ways that we can make our schools more efficient. We can streamline purchasing, do more with digital textbooks and online classrooms, pursue grants and other new funding sources. I’m not an expert but I believe trying out new technology and working more closely with teachers and other administrators could do a lot to save money while also doing better for students. We just can’t be afraid to think differently and explore new ideas. Students today don’t think the people who run our schools care enough to be creative. We need to prove them wrong!

Laurance Lee

We can absolutely balance the budget and improve student educational experiences! That will be my entire focus for the next four years. I have frequently dug through the school district’s spreadsheets, and I called out millions of dollars of unnecessary contractor spending. I will push to make sure that the district is not wasting precious money. Every dollar we spend needs to go toward improving students’ attendance, ensuring their mental wellbeing, and growing popular programs like languages and middle-school algebra.

Deldelp Medina

No response received.

Matt Alexander

The number one issue in any public school system must be promoting academic excellence for all kids. I’ve already done this in multiple ways, such as working with the Board of Supervisors to secure $8 million in City funding to expand a highly effective math program. To achieve the ambitious academic goals we established in 2022, SFUSD also must stabilize our finances, fully staff our schools, and be more responsive to the needs of families. Our teachers’ union has created a public education pledge, which I support, laying out a road map to confront these and other critical challenges.

Min Chang

Bring solutions that address the near-term fiscal crisis and longer-term growth. Closing schools is not the only answer; it may make things worse and drive more families away from public schools. It may also make the existing schools more crowded and class sizes even larger. If we must consolidate schools, let us do it responsibly, with input from educators/families so we have the benefit of their perspectives and needs. We need to address the fiscal crisis this fiscal year, and will need to make hard decisions in the near term so that SFUSD survives; costs will need to be addressed … read more here

Virginia Cheung

As a candidate for the school board, I am troubled by the high rate of chronic absenteeism affecting nearly a third of (~15,000) SFUSD students, particularly in communities of color. Research indicates that substantial absences from instructional days result in reduced learning and fewer opportunities, affecting long-term outcomes. If elected, I will focus on implementing a strong plan to address this pressing issue.

My approach includes forming dedicated school-based attendance teams to identify early signs of absenteeism and provide targeted interventions. These teams will collaborate closely with families and community partners to create a supportive and inclusive school environment … read more here

Lefteris Eleftheriou

My No. 1 issue is corruption surrounding the budget and spending. I plan to resolve it by hiring finance and accounting experts and auditing tax filings, bank statements, payroll records, invoices, bills, receipts, etc., and investigating any special interest groups, such as unions, nonprofits, government agencies, or private companies that may negatively influence spending. I will make this information public, and hold accountable any corrupt organizations or individuals who are using funds illegally or unethically.

Parag Gupta

Under regular circumstances, shrinking the achievement gap would be my top policy goal. However, considering SFUSD’s financial situation, my top priority is to demonstrate the school district is serious in remedying the projected $421 million deficit so we may avert a total state takeover. I feel strongly that the San Francisco community is best placed to decide its priorities and balance its budget. If elected, I would take office shortly after the Resource Alignment Initiative decisions will be made. Executing on the RAI plan to achieve the projected cost savings, minimize impact on families, and hold SFUSD accountable to fulfill … read more here

Ann Hsu

The number one issue facing the Board of Education is the fiscal crisis which involves school closures. Surrounding this crisis is a lack of transparency that has created an environment of distrust and anxiety for parents.

Unfortunately, in this election, I see several candidates who appear to be cutting backroom deals to get an edge over their opponents. Will they operate in a direct and honest fashion when dealing with the District’s complex fiscal and management crisis? I doubt it.

If I am elected to the Board of Education, I will be honest and forthright in fixing our SF public … read more here

Jaime Huling

As a Latina who is the first lawyer in my family, I understand the transformative power of education in our lives, families and communities. I’m the mom of an SFUSD student, and a fighter for San Franciscans. SFUSD is closing schools and is on the verge of being taken over by the state after years of financial mismanagement. I’m running to ensure we balance the budget to prioritize equity and excellence, and ensure all of our kids have the opportunities and supports they deserve. I’ll work to restore trust in and draw families back to the district.

John Jersin

Our school system is facing a devastating financial crisis, driving the closure of potentially dozens of schools. With my background as an executive at LinkedIn and a board member at other companies, I have led organizations of thousands of people, successfully managed and resolved crises, and overseen organizations with very large budgets. As an appointee to CBOC, I have already found millions in potential savings for our schools, and I have found opportunities to increase revenue via fixes to our enrollment system. I am eager to bring urgently needed management and financial experience to the Board of Education.

Madeline Krantz

My biggest goal (though it might not be possible immediately) would be to increase teacher pay and spend some money to help schools with cosmetic and safety problems.

I also have an idea about implementing an age-appropriate curriculum starting in 5th grade that teaches kids basic life skills, including topics like drug safety, internet safety, basic first aid, and important life skills like financial management and stress/anxiety management. I think kids don’t learn about these kinds of things nearly enough. Adding a class like this to the standard grade school curriculum would do a lot to help SF kids … read more here

Laurance Lee

The number one issue in this election is to balance the district budget and to not have the state take us over. I will push to have the district cut costs in the central administration and elsewhere so that as much money as possible will help student outcomes and help bring up enrollment. I will call for a forensic audit of the district spending for the past few years. I will restore the public’s trust in the school district by having the district fix its problems and be transparent.

Deldelp Medina

At a time when there is a looming self-inflicted crisis, I want to ensure the board has good governance. Ensuring the superintendent properly manages SFUSD resources, making the school system accountable to marginalized communities. The lack of accountability, and solid process, by the central staff has been highly disappointing. From the EMpower payroll debacle to budgets and allocations being done in spreadsheets, SFUSD doesn’t have solid systems. This is no way to work in any age, but especially in the digital age.

Supryia Ray

My No. 1 issue is the budget crisis. SFUSD is facing huge deficits due to years of overspending and putting off hard decisions. Many people don’t realize how close we are to bankruptcy. The State already has the power to veto our budget decisions, and we are at risk of takeover.

Our school system has suffered from poor leadership, management, and communication, leaving families and educators in the dark about countless issues. I will insist on transparency and hold administrators accountable for presenting credible budgets; developing and maintaining critical systems; and scrutinizing every dollar spent for its impact on students.