Three candidates are facing off for one seat on the San Francisco School Board: Incumbent school board president Phil Kim, and two candidates who are attempting to unseat him.
Kim came under fire this year after SFUSD teachers went on strike for the first time in nearly 50 years, and shut down the cityโs public schools for a week.
A special election this June will determine whether Kim keeps his seat and his presidency over the school board. If either of his challengers are elected, the boardโs vice president, Jaime Huling, will take over until the board votes on a new president.
Virginia Cheung, who joined the school board race in March, immediately following the strike, has already won the support of the United Educators of San Francisco, the union that led the strike and bargained with the district for higher wages and fully funded healthcare for teachers.
Though the race for the San Francisco school board is largely nonpartisan, the race has split along political lines. Both Cheung and the electionโs third candidate, Brandee Marckmann, have received endorsements from San Francisco’s progressive wing, including from former supervisors Dean Preston and Aaron Peskin.
The San Francisco Democratic Party and the moderate political interest group, Grow SF, along with the parent-led coalition S.F. Parents Action has thrown their support behind Kim, who was appointed by former Mayor London Breed in 2024.ย
Every week, Mission Local will ask the candidates one question leading up to the June 2 election to see where they stand on major issues.
Our first question: What is your No. 1 priority if elected to the San Francisco school board?
Phil Kim
- Job: Deputy Director and Chief of Staff at the San Francisco Human Rights Commission
- Age: 35
- Residency: San Francisco
- Education: PhD in Education, UC Berkeley; masterโs in urban education policy from Loyola Marymount University; bachelorโs in neuroscience from Bucknell University
- SFUSD Experience: Charter school educator
As a former 7th grade science teacher and lifelong educator, I believe the most important relationship in any school system is between a teacher and a student.
My number one priority is improving student outcomes by ensuring every classroom is led by a qualified and effective teacher. Teachers need consistent support, strong instructional systems, and the stability to focus on their students, not uncertainty about budgets or operations.
After years of fiscal mismanagement, we have begun to stabilize SFUSDโs finances and operations. We cannot go backward. My focus is making sure we sustain that progress so every student, in every neighborhood, has access to the high-quality education they deserve.
Virginia Cheung
- Job: Nonprofit executive
- Age: 42
- Residency: San Francisco
- Education: Bachelorโs from UC Irvine in social ecology
- SFUSD Experience: Parent of child at Alice Fong Yu, former director of Wu Yee Children’s Services
Our children deserve fully staffed, stable schools. They are our future, and they are depending on us. Excellence should be consistent in every classroom at every school. A childโs future should not depend on luck.
My first priority as a school board member is to build trust and strong partnerships with families, educators, and all school communities to ensure every student receives an excellent education.
As the daughter of refugees, I saw firsthand how my non-English-speaking parents struggled to establish stability. I was fortunate to have a dedicated kindergarten teacher who supported me early on, helping me become the first in my family to graduate from college. With over 20 years of experience across maternal health, early education, cultural immersion, and arts educationโand as a former director at San Franciscoโs largest Head Start program โ Iโve seen how early support, strong educators, and stable systems can change a childโs trajectory.
As a full-time working mom and public school parent with a child at Alice Fong Yu and in the Wah Mei before and after-school program, I rely on a coordinated system of care and trust the educators who show up for my child every day.
We cannot address chronic absenteeism or improve student outcomes if students begin the school year without a permanent teacher or the paraprofessionals needed to support them. Stability in the classroom is foundational.
When schools are fully staffed and studentsโ basic needs are met, students are more likely to feel supported, show up ready to learn, and thrive.
Brandee Marckmann
- Job: Director of parent-led group
- Age: 53
- Residency: San Francisco
- Education: Bachelorโs in English and French from Central College
- SFUSD Experience: Parent of SFUSD student
My #1 priority is to stop the threat of school closures in SFUSD. Public schools bring our communities together and are the foundation of our democracy. School closures are not the solution to our budget issues. What a lot of people donโt know is that closing schools doesnโt end up saving the school district money. School closures make public schools less desirable to prospective parents, which depresses enrollment (and therefore funding).
Closed schools are usually converted into charter schools, which often do not offer adequate support for newcomer students, students with IEPs, and other marginalized groups. I believe all San Francisco students should be able to attend a fully-funded neighborhood public school.
Answers may be lightly edited for formatting, spelling, and grammar. If you have questions for the candidates, please let us know at marina@missionlocal.com.ย
You can register to vote via the sf.gov website.