Welcome back to the โMeet the Candidatesโ series for the school board, where we ask each candidate one question every two weeks. They must answer the question in 100 words or fewer. We will link to longer answers.
Twelve candidates are vying for four seats on the cityโs seven-person school board. The election will take place on Nov. 5. Non-citizen parents of children living in the city are permitted to vote in school board elections, and can find information on doing so here.
In a parent survey conducted earlier this year as part of the San Francisco school districtโs effort to deal with a budget deficit, parents were asked to divide hypothetical coins into three buckets, two of which were โequityโ and โexcellence.โ
The data collected from the survey is ostensibly meant to help guide school closures. Whether it will improve academic achievement and equity remains to be seen. A 2022 San Francisco Unified School District report revealed district-wide reading and math proficiency rates hovering at around 58 and 71 percent, respectively, with large gaps reported across racial groups.
This week, we asked the candidates:
What are two measures you would propose to help SFUSD students achieve their academic goals, especially students who face barriers (such as socioeconomic or language barriers) to learning?
Candidates named a range of ideas, including offering individualized support to families and improving tutoring services and teacher training, but expanding early education and special education programs rose to the top.
The district currently runs early education programs at more than 30 schools, and language programs in more than 10 languages. Early education programs include pre-kindergarten and transitional kindergarten for kids as young as three, plus an โout of schoolโ program to enhance learning before and after school and during breaks.
Language immersion programs, in which classroom instruction is partially conducted in a second language, are a major draw of SFUSD โ though some have expressed concerns about the displacement of English language learners from those programs, as their representation declined in recent years.
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 Citizensโ Bond Oversight Committee, extended family who are SFUSD student and educators
- Languages: English
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.
Endorsed by: SF Guardians, State Treasurer Fiona Ma, former School Board President Emily Murase … read more here
Deldelp Medina
- Job: Executive director at Black & Brown Founders
- Age: 52
- Residency: Mission
- Educational background: Bachelor’s degree in humanities, minor in political science
- SFUSD experience: Attended Alvarado Elementary and mother was para-educator with Spanish-speaking kids in Chinatown; kid has attended SFUSD schools; SFUSD Latinx Family Advisory Committee
- Languages: English, Spanish, French
No response received.
Endorsed by: School Board Commissioner Mark Sanchez
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
Gaps develop in kidsโ readiness for learning even before kindergarten, especially for students who face barriers. Early education programs empower parents to promote learning. SFUSD could expand pre-kindergarten 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 SFUSDโs new reading curricula and expand high-dosage tutoring for students. We should also adopt an attendance goal: SFUSDโs literacy, math, and college/career readiness goals all depend on regular … read more here
Endorsed by: SF Guardians, SF Parent Action, GrowSF, TogetherSF Action โฆ read more here
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
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 theyโve seen a dramatic increase in mathematics achievement, especially for Black and Latino students.
Thatโs 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.
Endorsed by: UESF, Harvey Milk LGBTQ Democratic Club
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
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; thereโs no reason why we canโt do the same.
Endorsed by: The San Francisco Republican Party, San Francisco Young Republicans, The Republican Club of San Francisco, San Francisco Briones Society โฆ read more here
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
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, Iโm 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 โฆ read more here
Endorsed by: Harvey Milk LGBTQ Democratic Club, Mayor London Breed, Supervisor Rafael Mandelman, School Board Commissioner Jenny Lam โฆ read more here
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
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 โฆ read more here
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
My parents were Indian immigrants who moved to the United States 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 โฆ read more here
Endorsed by: Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi, Senator Scott Wiener, UESF, SF Parent Action … read more here
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 Citizensโ 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
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 โholesโ 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
- 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
We canโt 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.
Iโll 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. Iโll also advocate to incorporate high-dosage tutoring and academic support into before- and after-care.
Endorsed by: UESF, SF Parent Action, GrowSF, TogetherSF Action
John Jersin
- Job: Co-founder of education nonprofit Jersin Foundation, previously a 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 Citizensโ Bond Oversight Committee; parent of two young children who will attend SFUSD schools
- Languages: English, learning Mandarin
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.
Endorsed by: UESF, GrowSF, TogetherSF Action
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 teacherโs aide in synagogue and currently working toward education degree
- SFUSD experience: Worked with SFUSD students as part of Teacher Academy at Lincoln
- Languages: English
As someone who has a learning disability (ADHD), Iโve 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 kidsโ chances of succeeding in school and in life.
Candidates are ordered alphabetically but rotated every question. Answers may be lightly edited for formatting, spelling and grammar. If you have questions for the candidates, please let us know at anne@missionlocal.com.
Read the rest of the school board questions here, and the entire โMeet the Candidatesโ series here.
You can register to vote via the sf.gov website. Illustrations for the series by Neil Ballard.
Lefteris Eleftheriou, are you serious? Or do you just not think things through?
Your propose, “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. ”
An average elementary school has about 300 kids and around 25 to 30 staff, including custodians, security guards and the secretary. If all of them took “their share of the meetings,” their workweek would go from 40 hours to more than 50 hours. In addition to the mandatory one hour of meeting, there would be prep time, scheduling a location for the meeting (you’d need an average of 60 one-hour periods where there are available meeting spaces), and the time spend documenting (I’d say 20 to 60 minutes per meeting based on allowances for social worker and therapist to chart their client interactions).
So, you’re proposing a 30 to 50 percent increase in the number of work hours at a school. That could only be done at significant cost. Let’s ignore the unions for now. Over 40 hours is overtime pay. Or we could just hire a bunch more staff and have some teachers teach a half day and then meet the other half day, and the other half would have mandatory meetings in the morning and take the classes in the afternoons. Also, as you apparently don’t realize, at some schools more than half of the adult family members don’t speak English, so there would be the cost and logistical issue of making sure there were always competent interpreters on hand. And it probably would make the meetings more productive if there were on-site childcare so parents/family members could have their meeting without having to tend to their children.
You obviously haven’t thought how that would affect family members. Some families have four or more kids. Even if they are all at the same school (and that would require they be in the same grade to be possible over time), that is four or more hours each week that a family member would need to be at the school for these mandatory meetings. Some school staff have kids in the district, so they would need to leave their own school (where they, meet mandatorily, and document) so they can go to, let’s say the middle school and two high schools their kids attend.
What you would demand might seem like a great idea to you, but you have not thought about what it would take (and at what cost) to have those meetings. If you had ever spent time in a school in SFUSD, you might have some clue as to how ridiculous your plan sounds to anyone who has spent time at any school (except for possibly some of the $50k or more a year private schools – but if you want to double public education dollars, which would bring per pupil costs inline with some private schools, maybe we could give it a try – and scheduling and adult family members’ time be damns).
Laurence Lee is exploiting kids. Today there as a shooting involving to students at Galileo. Though there was absolutely nothing he could do, and no one he could talk to (the school was on lock out), he wanted to be a “hero” so he went there and said, “I’m on the scene.” I don’t like cops, or even a lot of paramedics, but I think they were there doing there job, and the only thing Lee would be doing is getting in their way.
Or worse: he could wait until school got out and start harassing the students. My kids goes there, and I know many others who go there. It is gross that some clown thought exploiting an awful situation was a good call. Even if he were already on the school board, he would still have no business going to a high school crime scene to “monitor” the situation. He is a fool and a jackass for doing that.
When you vote for school board (and talk to others about it), ask if you want some faux “superhero” who tries to get votes from a tragedy anywhere near kids.