Welcome back to the “Meet the Candidates” series for District 11, where we ask each candidate to answer one question every week leading up to the election. They must answer the question in 100 words or less. We will link to longer answers.
With District 11 Supervisor Ahsha Safaí termed out and running for mayor, seven candidates have thrown their hats in the ring to represent the Excelsior, Oceanview and the Outer Mission.
In 2022, District 11 voted in favor of recalling all three school board members: Alison Collins by 75 percent, Gabriela López by 70 percent and Faauuga Moliga by 68 percent. The election, however, involved just a fraction — 12,563 voters — or about 30.54 percent of the 41,139 total registered voters.
This week, we ask the candidates: How did you vote in the school board recall, and why?
Michael Lai, Roger Marenco, and Jose Morales voted to recall all three school board members. Ernest “E.J.” Jones didn’t support the recalls. Chyanne Chen said she doesn’t remember how she voted, but she doesn’t believe in recalls in general. Adlah Chisti voted to recall Collins and López, but not Moliga.
Read more about their responses below.
Next week, I will be at Excelsior Coffee (4495 Mission St.) at 10:30 a.m. on Thursday, Aug 8. You can also reach me with questions, comments, and tips at xueer@missionlocal.com
Michael Lai
- Job: Early education director, elected to the San Francisco Democratic Party
- Age: 31
- Residency: Tenant, living in District 11 since February 2024
- Transportation: Public
- Education: Bachelor’s degree in government at Harvard College with coursework at Harvard Graduate School of Education
- Languages: English, Mandarin
I voted to recall Alison Collins, Gabriela López and Faauuga Moliga in 2022, because they put ideology over kids.
As a public-school kid, educator, and school builder who has dedicated my whole career, so far, to expanding opportunity for kids and families, I was shocked to hear from parent friends, with their kids in SFUSD during Covid-19, that they found school board members focused on renaming 44 schools (because Abraham Lincoln is racist) instead of reopening schools.
These policies were harmful for all children, especially the most marginalized students of color they were purporting to help, and students are … read more here
Endorsed by: Attorney General Rob Bonta, Senator Scott Wiener, Sheriff Paul Miyamoto, Supervisors Joel Engardio and Matt Dorsey, NorCal Carpenters Union… read more here
Roger Marenco
- Job: Transit operator
- Age: 42
- Residency: Tenant, living in District 11 since May 2014
- Transportation: Public
- Education: Bachelor’s degree in environmental sustainability and social justice from San Francisco State University. City College San Francisco
- Languages: English, Spanish
I voted in support of the school recall because I support the ability of the people to vote their representatives into office, and I support the ability of the people to vote their representatives out of office.
Jose Morales
- Job: Sales professional, small-business owner
- Age: 28
- Residency: Tenant, born in District 11 in 1995 and has lived there since, except for time away in college from 2014 to 2017 and living in Idaho from 2021 to the end of 2022
- Transportation: Car
- Education: Bachelor’s degree in economics from Sonoma State University
- Languages: English, Spanish
I supported the school board recall because, at the time, we were witnessing complete incompetence from the board. I wished we could have recalled the entire board.
During a period when students needed the most support, the school board was occupied with political theater concerning school names and murals. There’s nothing I dislike more than wasteful political theater. Our elected leaders must be held accountable if they are not fulfilling the roles they were elected to perform. Recalls are an important aspect of democracy, something that makes this country great. The board should have done their job and reopened the schools.
Chyanne Chen
- Job: Worker organizer, community facilitator and educator
- Age: 39
- Residency: Homeowner, landlord, living in District 11 since August 2000
- Transportation: Walk, public transportation, rideshare, and car
- Education: Bachelor’s degree from University of California, Davis, master’s degree from Cornell University, doctoral degree in education in progress at University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
- Languages: English, Mandarin, Cantonese
In general, I am not supportive of recalls. I did have serious concerns about the leadership of certain school-board members, but my preferred approach is to focus on what we can do as parents and advocates to get immediate change through building coalitions, strengthening afterschool programs and working directly with local educators.
Note: Chyanne Chen said she does not remember how she voted in the 2022 school board recalls but in general she does not believe in recalls.
Endorsed by: Assemblymember Phil Ting, former police commissioner Larry Yee, San Francisco Board of Education commissioner Jenny Lam, former supervisors Norman Yee, Sandy Fewer and Mabel Teng.
Adlah Chisti
- Job: Public policy analyst, caregiver
- Age: 40
- Residency: Live with parents and caregive for them, born in District 11 in 1983 and lived there since, moved out in 2013 and back in 2017
- Transportation: Public
- Education: Bachelor’s degree in politics and in environmental science, and master’s degree in education from University of San Francisco, master’s degree in public policy from Georgetown McCourt School of Public Policy, juris doctorate from University of California Law, San Francisco
- Languages: English, Spanish, Hindi
I voted in the 2022 San Francisco Board of Education recall elections as follows:
- Alison Collins: Yes
- Gabriela López: Yes
- Faauuga Moliga: No
And anything for the kids. As a mom of a 2-year-old, a former teacher at James Lick Middle School and an educator at Aim High for 10 years, my priority has always been the well-being and education of our students. It was crucial to find swift and effective solutions to reopen schools safely and responsibly. I did not support the recall of Faauuga Moliga, as I believed his efforts and decisions were more aligned with the needs … read more here
Endorsed by: United Educators of San Francisco, Green Party, Run for Something, Police Commissioner Debra Walker, … read more here
Ernest “E.J.” Jones
- Job: Community advocate
- Age: 38
- Residency: Tenant, living in District 11 since November 1985 and has lived here always, except for time away at college
- Transportation: Public, car
- Education: Bachelor’s degree, Dominican University, master’s degree in public administration from University of San Francisco
- Languages: English, Spanish
I did not support any of the school board recalls, because I fundamentally believe that the process of recalling officials should not be used as a tool for policy disagreements.
A recall should be reserved for cases of misconduct. Disagreement with a legitimately elected official’s policies should not trigger a special recall, as it undermines the democratic process and the stability of our educational governance. Instead, policy differences should be addressed through regular elections, public discourse, and constructive engagement with the school board. While I did not vocally participate in the advocacy or fight against a recall — I believe the … read more here
Endorsed by: Supervisors Shamann Walton and Myrna Melgar, Assemblymember Matt Haney, Former SF mayor Willie Brown Jr., Transit Workers Union Local 250A… read more here
District 11 contribution
Money raised and spent in the District 11 supervisor race
Money raised
Money spent
Ernest “E.J.” Jones
$34,342
$70,501
Chyanne Chen
$0
Adlah Chisti
$0
Roger Marenco
$0
$0
$50,000
$100,000
$150,000
$200,000
Money spent
Money raised
Ernest “E.J.” Jones
$70,501
$34,342
Chyanne Chen
$0
Adlah Chisti
$0
Roger Marenco
$0
$0
$50K
$100K
$150K
$200K
Source: San Francisco Ethics Commission, as of April 3, 2024. Chart by Junyao Yang.
Candidates are ordered alphabetically but rotated weekly. Answers may be lightly edited for formatting, spelling, and grammar. If you have questions for the candidates, please let us know at xueer@missionlocal.com.
Read the rest of the District 11 questions here, and the entire “Meet the Candidates” series here.
You can register to vote via the sf.gov website. Illustrations for the series by Neil Ballard.
How can someone not remember how they voted in a major local issue about schools that was publicized all over the country?
Also, it would be great to ask all of our potential District Supervisors how they would vote on the impending school closures.
Thank you for this reporting and looking back at the candidates’ voting records and values. So informative!
Michael Lai makes me cringe with every answer. They are clear talking points that are just a bunch of babble. He supported the recalls because he wanted to replace them with his friends who are running this year. The BoE has always been ineffective (see low performing schools, decreased enrollment, etc.). What a fraud.