Meet the school board candidates: How would you attract and retain teachers in SFUSD? 

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 Friday.

Mission Local now includes all eight of the candidates who will appear on the November ballot. They are as follows: Autumn Brown Garibay, Virginia Cheung, Alida Fisher, Ryan Hazelton, Phil Kim, Laurance Lee, Reina Tello and Tim Tung.

Each candidate is first ordered alphabetically, then rotated each week.

At the beginning of the 2025-26 school year, 95 percent of San Francisco Unified School District classrooms were staffed. But in recent weeks, maintaining school staffing has been a topic of conversation in school board race forums.

Families have expressed concern about reduced special-education services, and some even said they are considering leaving the district because they couldn’t get off the waitlist for Mandarin immersion schools. To meet these demands, SFUSD might need more teachers. 

SFUSD had a program to create pathways into teaching in the district, but the program was put on pause before the 2024-25 school year due to budget constraints. Some school-board candidates think that kind of pathway is the solution. 

This week Mission Local asked: How would you attract and retain teachers in SFUSD? 

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: Served on School Site Council two years ago 
• Education: Current City College of San Francisco student studying labor and community studies 
• Languages: English and Spanish
• Transportation: Driving 
• Website: Reina for School Board

First, teachers need manageable class sizes and additional support for the students who need it. Teachers and para[educator]s need adequate prep time; this is a key concern I’ve heard over and over. Yes, the negotiated contract was a good start to attract new educators, as it included medical benefits. But we need to onboard more efficiently. I’ve seen it take up to six months!

Retention will not happen if we continue to ignore the deplorable working conditions caused by budget cuts.

My daughter’s school was just notified that the Special Education Central Office has reduced our teacher allocation … read more here.

Endorsed by: United Educators of San Francisco, San Francisco Rising Action Fund, Teamsters Local 853, Board of Education Commissioner Matt Alexander, Supervisor Connie Chan, Supervisor Jackie Fielder, Supervisor Chyanne Chan, Supervisor Shamann Walton… read more here. 

Tim Tung

• Job: Public finance analyst, research analyst, public finance lecturer
• Age: 46
• Party: Democratic
• Residency: Homeowner in the Western Addition, previously lived in the Richmond and SoMa  
• Children: Two children at Chinese Immersion School at De Avila
• SFUSD experience: Chair of the school site council at the Chinese Immersion School at De Avila; serves on SFUSD’s local control and accountability plan advisory committee
• Education: Bachelor’s degree and master’s degree in information and data science from the University of California, Berkeley; master’s degree in public administration from San Jose State University
• Languages: English
• Transportation: Driving, public transit and walking
• Website: Tim Tung for School Board 

To attract and retain great teachers, SFUSD must offer competitive compensation, budget stability, and a hiring process that is timely, efficient, and welcoming. Teachers should not face recurring uncertainty from late layoff notices and rescissions.

I would strengthen financial planning to provide greater staffing stability, while targeting recruitment and retention efforts toward high-need fields such as special education, STEM, and bilingual education.

We should also expand affordable teacher housing through partnerships with developers and reduce administrative burdens so educators can spend more time teaching. Finally, I would establish measurable retention and vacancy goals and hold the Superintendent accountable for progress.

Endorsed by: GrowSF, State Senator Scott Wiener, Nancy Tung, Supervisor Rafael Mandelman, Supervisor Matt Dorsey, Supervisor Stephen Sherrill, Supervisor Alan Wong, Supervisor Danny Sauter … read more here.

 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: Bachelor’s degree in public relations and marketing from Long Beach State University and Sacramento State University
• Languages: English
• Transportation: Public transit, walking and biking
• Website: Autumn Brown Garibay for School Board

Attracting teachers means making SFUSD a place people actually want to work, and building stronger pathways into the profession.

Student teachers and credential candidates already working in our schools are some of our best future teachers. We should strengthen partnerships with SF State and other local credential programs so more people can start and build careers here.

Retaining them means being a reliable employer: Competitive pay, correct and timely payroll, stable staffing, and real support once they arrive. It is much easier to keep good people who already know our schools than to constantly start over recruiting from scratch.

Endorsed by: SF Parents Action, GrowSF, San Francisco Democratic Party, State Senator Scott Wiener, Supervisor Rafael Mandelman, Supervisor Alan Wong, Supervisor Danny Sauter, Supervisor Bilal Mahmood, Supervisor Matt Dorsey … 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: Treasurer for Parents for Public Schools of San Francisco and served on the Parent Advisory Board of Wah Mei BASE ExCel
• Education: Bachelor’s degree in social ecology with a minor in digital art, University of California, Irvine
• Languages: English, Cantonese, Mandarin and French
• Transportation: Driving
• Website: Virginia Cheung for School Board 

At Wu Yee, I built early educator pipelines, won livable wages, and expanded training. I’d bring that to SFUSD.

To attract teachers: Incentive programs like those for language certifications, plus pathways starting in high school with SF State, USF, and City College. Paid credentialing and guaranteed SFUSD placement, prioritizing special education, counseling, and TK. Educators from our communities stay longer.

To retain them: Renew QTEA to protect salaries, expand educator housing, fix payroll so no one goes unpaid, and give new teachers mentoring and manageable caseloads.

Teachers stay where they’re paid fairly, supported, and respected.

Endorsed by: United Educators of San Francisco, San Francisco Building and Construction Trades Council, Assemblymember Matt Haney, Board of Education Commissioner Matt Alexander, Supervisor Connie Chan, Supervisor Jackie Fielder … 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, four 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: Bachelor’s degree 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: Reelect Alida Fisher

SFUSD must continue investing in the educators who make our schools strong. That means:

• Providing competitive compensation, benefits such as dependent healthcare and housing;
• Expanding successful “grow your own” programs (like Pathway to Teaching) and credentialing support;
• Addressing workload, especially in special education, by reducing administrative burdens, providing adequate support and release time, and ensuring manageable caseloads.

Retention requires trust. We must engage early, communicate transparently, and work collaboratively to address challenges before they become crises. We must demonstrate through our actions, not just our words, that we respect and value the educators who serve our students every day.

Endorsements: SF Parents Action, Supervisor Myrna Melgar, Supervisor Shamann Walton, Supervisor Myrna Melgar, Supervisor Shamann Walton, former Supervisor Gordon Mar…read more here.  

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 Planning & Advisory Council, appointed by SFUSD 
• Education: Bachelor’s degree in communications from the University of California, San Diego
• Languages: English
• Transportation: Public transit, walking and biking
• Website: Ryan Hazelton for SF School Board 

I’m endorsed by UESF because educators know I’ll show up for them as I did on the picket line in February. Attracting and retaining educators starts with trust: Negotiating in good faith and early, so the next contract doesn’t take a strike to reach a fair outcome.

It also means fixing SFUSD’s payroll system so educators are paid on time and correctly. We can also support new educators by prioritizing mentorship. Lastly, we must enhance workplace conditions with increased prep time and professional development. Educators stay where they’re treated as partners, not adversaries.

Endorsed by: United Educators of San Francisco, Harvey Milk Democratic Club, League of Pissed Off Voters, 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: Bachelor’s degree in neuroscience from Bucknell University; master’s in education policy and administration from Loyola Marymount University; Pursuing EdD at the University of California, Berkeley
• Languages: English and Korean
• Transportation: Public transit, Walking
• Website: Phil Kim for School Board 

Retaining our educators is critical. Proactive recruitment, cohesive coaching, and effective site leadership, in addition to long-term fiscal stability, are essential to keeping great teachers.

We also need to confront the reality that many educators cannot afford to live in the city where they teach. I support exploring partnerships that use district land for educator housing, with careful evaluation of financial sustainability and community impact.

The District should also explore basic income pilots, direct financial assistance, and partnerships with nonprofit and community organizations to expand access to diverse housing options.

Endorsed by: Mayor Daniel Lurie, State Senator Scott Wiener, Assemblymember Matt Haney, Assemblymember Catherine Stefani, Supervisor Rafael Mandelman, GrowSF, San Francisco Democratic Party, SF Parents Action … 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 

Teachers tell us what they need in the classroom. At Galileo, they rallied behind a colleague who was attacked and transferred because they wanted to know the district had their backs. At Drew, teachers spoke up for the leadership and culture they wanted to preserve. Across the city, teachers are seeking funds for supplies, and I have helped many of them.

Pay matters. So do safety, stable principals, fewer combined classes, supplies, and help that comes when requested. I will bring those voices from the classroom to the boardroom, learn from schools that attract and keep great teachers, and spread … read more here.

Endorsed by: State Senator Scott Wiener, Chinese American Citizens Alliance San Francisco Lodge, United Food and Commercial Workers Union, Local 648 … 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.