Welcome back to our “Meet the Candidates” series, where candidates for the San Francisco Unified School Board of Education respond to questions each week in 100 words or fewer. Answers will be published every Thursday.
This electoral season, Mission Local made the decision to only include the answers of candidates who have won a major endorsement or have publicly reported campaign contributions. That narrows down the candidates for school board from 12 to seven: Autumn Brown Garibay, Virginia Cheung, Alida Fisher, Ryan Hazelton, Phil Kim, Laurance Lee and Reina Tello. Candidates may be added to this series if they later meet these criteria.
Each candidate is first ordered alphabetically, then rotated each week.
Seven candidates are vying for three seats on the San Francisco Unified School District Board of Education. Two candidates—Alida Fisher and Phil Kim— are incumbents.
In the June special election, School Board President Phil Kim ran against Brandee Marckmann and Virginia Cheung to retain his seat, winning by a landslide. Kim and Virginia Cheung are both running again in November.
The election comes after a tumultuous school year in SFUSD. The United Educators of San Francisco went on strike for four days, and the district faces a $113 million deficit.
Our first question: What is your No. 1 priority if elected to the San Francisco school board?
Autumn Brown Garibay
- Job: Senior customer success manager at Sprout Social, Inc.
- Age: 41
- Party: Democratic
- Residency: Renter in the Mission District
- Children: Three in SFUSD schools
- SFUSD experience: PTA at kids’ school, served on the Parent Leadership Council of the San Francisco Parent Coalition
- Education: B.A. in public relations and marketing from Long Beach State and Sacramento State
- Languages: English
- Transportation: Public transit, walking and biking
- Website: Autumn Brown Garibay for School Board
The number one issue in our district is access. For students, I will expand access to strong, consistent instruction and the support every child needs to reach grade level in reading and math. For educators and staff, I will ensure access to professional development, quality classroom resources, and, at a minimum, correct and timely payment. I will also ensure the district provides families access to clear, timely, and honest information, from navigating enrollment to understanding whether their child is succeeding in school.
Endorsed by: SF Parents Action, State Senator Scott Wiener and Supervisor Rafael Mandelman…read more here.
Virginia Cheung
- Job: Chief advancement officer of Open Door Legal
- Age: 43
- Party: Democratic
- Residency: Homeowner in Crocker Amazon, previously lived in the Mission District and the Portola since moving to San Francisco in 2008
- Children: Yes, they attend Alice Fong Yu Alternative School and Wah Mei School
- SFUSD experience: None
- Education: B.A. in social ecology with a minor in digital art, UC Irvine
- Languages: English, Cantonese, Mandarin and French
- Transportation: Driving
- Website: Virginia Cheung for School Board
My top priority is improving student outcomes while strengthening SFUSD’s financial stability through higher enrollment, retention, and attendance.
As the parent of a fifth grader at Alice Fong Yu Alternative School, I remember the anxiety of navigating SFUSD enrollment. It should be predictable, with high-demand programs like dual-language immersion available in every neighborhood, and fully staffed classrooms, especially in Transitional Kindergarten and Special Education.
We must also reduce chronic absenteeism. In 2024–25, absences cost SFUSD an estimated 4.4 million hours of learning and more than $60 million in state funding, harming both students and district finances.
Endorsed by: United Educators of San Francisco, San Francisco Building and Construction Trades Council, Board of Education Commissioner Matt Alexander; Supervisor Connie Chan… read more here.
Alida Fisher
- Job: Executive Director at the Community Alliance for Special Education, incumbent Board of Education member
- Age: 51
- Party: Democratic
- Residency: Homeowner in Lakeview/OMI, lived in the Sunset until 2015
- Children: Yes, 4 adults, ages 18-25. Three have graduated from SFUSD, and the fourth is a senior at Mission High School this year.
- SFUSD experience: Current SFUSD Board of Education member. Has served as Chair of the Community Advisory Committee for Special Education, member or past member of SFUSD’s African American Parent Advisory Council, LCAP Task Force, Charter School Oversight Committee, and PIR/CEIS/CCEIS Committee, PTSAs and SSCs at nine school sites
- Education: B.S. in mechanical engineering from Case Western Reserve University
- Languages: English, with limited ability to speak and understand Spanish and French
- Transportation: Driving, public transit and walking
- Website: www.alidafisher.com (Note: will launch this weekend)
My top priority is ensuring SFUSD’s resources are aligned with student outcomes to close persistent equity gaps. Budgets are moral documents and must reflect our commitment to investing where students need the most support. Throughout my time as a parent advocate and School Board Commissioner, I have championed literacy initiatives, evidence-based curriculum, and targeted interventions. As we continue implementing new literacy and math curriculum, we must invest in professional development, instructional coaching, and differentiated academic supports so every educator has the tools to meet students’ diverse needs and every student has the opportunity to succeed.
Endorsements: SF Parents PAC, Supervisor Myrna Melgar, Supervisor Shamann Walton.
Ryan Hazelton
- Job: Executive director of Mariposa Kids, a nonprofit for play-based programs for kids ages 1-11
- Age: 43
- Party: Democratic
- Residency: Homeowner in the SoMa, living in San Francisco since 2007
- Children: None
- SFUSD experience: Chair of San Francisco Child Care & Advisory Council, appointed by SFUSD
- Education: B.A. in communications from UC San Diego
- Languages: English
- Transportation: Public transit, walking and biking
- Website: Ryan Hazelton for SF School Board
Every year at Mariposa Kids, which provides after-school programming for SFUSD families, I hear from prospective SFUSD families frustrated by the enrollment lottery. The complexity drives families to private schools or out of SF, and every family we lose costs the district thousands in state funding.
Superintendent Su has a plan and timeline to move to a proximity-based system. We cannot delay it further. As a board member, I will require regular public reporting on implementation milestones to hold the district accountable. Six years after the board voted for enrollment reform, families are still waiting. That ends next year.
Endorsed by: United Educators of San Francisco, Supervisor Connie Chan, Board of Education Commissioner Matt Alexander, former Supervisor Gordon Mar… read more here.
Phil Kim
- Job: Deputy Director at San Francisco Agency for Human Rights, incumbent Board of Education president
- Age: 36
- Party: Democratic
- Residency: Renter in the Castro
- Children: None
- SFUSD experience: School board president
- Education: B.S. in neuroscience from Bucknell University; M.A. in education policy and administration from Loyola Marymount University; Pursuing EdD at UC Berkeley
- Languages: English and Korean
- Transportation: Public transit, Walking
- Website: Phil Kim for School Board
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 SFUSD’s finances and operations. We cannot go backward. My focus is making sure we sustain that progress so every student, in every neighborhood… read full answer here.
Endorsed by: Mayor Daniel Lurie, State Senator Scott Wiener, Assemblymember Matt Haney, Assemblymember Catherine Stefani, Supervisor Rafael Mandelman… read more here.
Laurance Lee
- Job: Volunteer at schools and licensed general contractor
- Age: 56
- Party: Democratic
- Residency: Homeowner in Noe Valley, born in the Richmond District
- Children: Yes, but did not attend SFUSD
- SFUSD experience: Current vice chair SFUSD Citizens Bond Oversight Committee (Appointed in 2022)
- Education: Bachelor’s degrees in chemistry and history & science from Harvard University
- Languages: English (learning Cantonese, Mandarin, Spanish and French)
- Transportation: Driving, public transit and walking
- Website: Laurance Lee for School Board
I’m a lifelong San Franciscan and SFUSD graduate, and my number one priority is literacy. I volunteer each week teaching kindergartners to read in Bayview, so I see firsthand how the right support helps children succeed. As Vice Chair of SFUSD’s Bond Oversight Committee, I’ve learned the importance of accountability and measuring results. The Board should set clear literacy and attendance goals, publicly track progress, and replicate what works across schools. Every child deserves to read at grade level, and every decision the Board makes should move us closer to that goal.
Endorsed by: State Senator Scott Wiener… read more here.
Reina Tello
- Job: Community organizer
- Age: 44
- Party: Democratic
- Residency: Renter, born and raised in San Francisco
- Children: Two children: 14, rising eighth grader at James Lick; 18, recently graduated from June Jordan School for Equity
- SFUSD experience: None
- Education: Current CCSF student studying Labor and Community Studies
- Languages: English and Spanish
- Transportation: Driving
- Website: Reina for School Board
Trust between the district and educators, between district and parents, and the district and community has been damaged.
I feel that the lack of communication at SFUSD between all parties involved– the district, parents, students, faculty— creates problems and barriers to better schools. While attending the ad hoc committee on community engagement, a lot of the issues that were surfaced don’t have “Simple Solutions” but would be greatly improved by having consistent, honest, transparent communication.
When elected, I will use the skills that I have learned to work with the community to ensure we are rebuilding trust.
Endorsed by: United Educators of San Francisco, Teamsters Local 853, Board of Education Commissioner Matt Alexander; Supervisor Connie Chan, Supervisor Jackie Fielder… read more here.
Answers may be lightly edited for formatting, spelling, and grammar. If you have questions for the candidates, please let us know at rosina@missionlocal.com.
You can register to vote via the sf.gov website.
