This is a critical election for San Francisco’s public schools, which are grappling with falling enrollment, staff shortages, and a fiscal crisis that could trigger a state takeover.
Four of the seven Board of Education seats are up for grabs, with 11 candidates vying for them.
Virginia Cheung, who cofounded a nonprofit and worked at an SF provider of daycare and children’s services, answers our questions below.
For more background on the school district’s situation, our questionnaire methodology (such as: why do some links come with asterisks?), and an overview of all the candidates, please visit our main page. – Ida Mojadad and Alex Lash
The Frisc: If Superintendent Wayne deserves to be fired, what specifically has he done that can’t be blamed on longtime SFUSD dysfunction? If he deserves to stay, please describe why.
Virginia Cheung: Wayne began on July 1, 2022. Two years at SFUSD is not enough time to fully address decades worth of systemic dysfunction and fix it. However, he must improve transparency, clearly explain his plan to fix these issues, and communicate how families will be affected. Wayne appears out of touch with what students, teachers, and families need for reassurance.
He also needs to be proactive in auditing and overseeing major projects, rather than waiting for the state or staff to point out problems. Without a clear sense of his priorities, goals, plan, and progress, it’s difficult to determine if he’s responsible for increasing decline or still managing pre-existing issues.
What issue in SFUSD doesn’t get enough attention and what do you plan to do about it?
With a background working in early child development and understanding the effects of trauma on learning, I believe there is a need to increase violence prevention strategies by focusing on socioemotional development and mental health support within our schools. This includes professional development and curricula to support socioemotional learning, expanding existing intervention programs, enhancing resource connections, and improving access to psychologists, therapists, and social workers for students, families, and staff.
I will also push for stronger anti-bullying policies, updated cybersecurity measures, as well as curricula that promote safe technology use. It is a high priority to foster safe learning environments where every student feels a strong sense of belonging and community.
Many candidates bring up the importance of more early education, intervention, and meeting basic needs. What do you recommend under the current financial circumstances? Please be specific.
For nearly eight years, I’ve dedicated my efforts to improving lifelong student outcomes at Wu Yee Children’s Services, the city’s largest Head Start and resource and referral program. My work with communities across the city has revealed significant structural barriers faced by immigrant and low-income families, such as complex enrollment processes, systemic racism, and limited language access.
Head Start represents the gold standard in early education and parent engagement, offering children vital support through social workers who connect families with essential resources. However, our city struggles with under-enrollment due to a shortage of early educators. To address this, I’ve championed workforce development programs that collaborate with various agencies to recruit, train, and support early educators from within the parent and higher education community.
Expanding and enhancing early education is crucial. By strengthening these programs, we not only prepare children for kindergarten but also build a robust pipeline of students ready for public schools. Early interventions as a part of early education are proven to improve life outcomes and reduce long-term public service costs. Investing in early education now will ensure every child gets a strong start, promoting a safer, thriving community and city.
It sounds like you’re saying Head Start needs more resources. Does SFUSD fund city Head Start programs now? And if so, how much? Or does that city funding go through the Department of Children, Youth and Their Families (DCYF)? If you want SFUSD to spend more, where will the money come from amid budget cuts?
SFUSD does not fund Head Start programs. Head Start is a federal program that is implemented by several nonprofits in San Francisco. To clarify my previous response, I was providing my background working in Head Start early childhood programs to support why I believe that early education is an important strategy to ensure children are prepared for kindergarten, which would improve their retention rates, and keep kids in school.
While SFUSD is the city’s largest provider of early education, it is under-enrolled. SFUSD could bring in revenue through government subsidies or tuition by promoting its early education programs. SFUSD can partner with existing Head Start programs and the Department of Early Childhood to streamline the enrollment process, raise awareness about its offerings, recruit families, and keep kids in the school district.
To attract families to its early education programs, SFUSD must ensure high quality. This includes being fully staffed and providing accessible locations and hours for families. The district should also identify and address barriers to enrollment. Making the programs more accessible and appealing can help attract families and maintain a steady pipeline of new students.
Strong early education programs, particularly language pathway programs, are attractive to parents and can serve as feeders into neighborhood elementary schools. It can help quell parent anxiety over the lottery system in kindergarten, if parents already have an established community in their neighborhood pre-K. Well-developed and coordinated public pre-K options that include language immersion, full-day programs, integrated sports, and extracurricular activities — developed in partnership with DCYF and SF Recreation and Parks — could help keep families in San Francisco.
There’s a chronic shortage of special education staff. Students have to go outside the district for services, which costs the district a lot of money. What do you propose to fix this?
San Francisco must be a city that embraces and supports individuals of all abilities, as equity drives excellence and benefits everyone. To address the chronic shortage of special education staff, SFUSD needs a multifaceted approach.
SFUSD needs to collaborate with higher education institutions to promote careers in special education and rebuild our workforce. Retaining staff is equally important. We must offer competitive pay and manageable workloads to prevent burnout. Special education staff often report inadequate resources and isolation, which impedes their effectiveness.
To enhance support, I propose training all teachers to better assist students with special needs and promoting integration into general classrooms. Inclusive education has been shown to improve student outcomes, boost attendance rates, and foster a sense of belonging. Additionally, it can lead to cost savings by optimizing existing resources and reducing the need for specialized facilities and personnel.
By centralizing resources, expanding recruitment efforts, and supporting inclusive education, we can ensure equitable access to quality education for all students. This approach will improve academic outcomes, create a more supportive school environment, and build a stronger, thriving community.
If you’re elected, will you abide by the final decisions in December to close schools?
The focus on school closures alone overlooks the crucial aspects of improving student outcomes. Simply closing schools will not resolve budget issues or ensure equity and excellence for every student. We need a thoughtful and comprehensive communication plan to assure parents their children will benefit from these decisions.
School closures must be accompanied by a robust implementation plan developed in partnership with parents and teachers. This plan should be designed to enhance student outcomes rather than just cut costs. SFUSD should clearly communicate to parents how these closures will contribute to academic excellence and provide a detailed transition plan for eaffected students.
A well-articulated strategy will help ensure that school closures are not only justified but also beneficial to the community. It will demonstrate a commitment to improving education for all students, making sure that each transition is handled seamlessly and that every child continues to receive a high-quality education. By focusing on a detailed and transparent plan, we can work together to achieve a balanced budget while upholding our commitment to academic excellence and equity.
It’s not clear from your answer whether you’ll support the closure decisions or not. Could you clarify?
Yes, I will abide by the final decisions as voted on by current school board members.
How do you propose keeping families in the district after the school closure decisions and further budget cuts?
To ensure every student receives the individualized support they need, we must first consolidate our resources to fully staff classrooms and schools and ensure dollars are spent to improve student outcomes. Then, we must address structural barriers that contribute to chronic absenteeism. This will create culturally affirming, safer, more stable learning environments that engage students and optimize valuable instruction time with teachers. Consistently excellent schools attract families.
Once school communities are stabilized, we need to promote early education programs and provide options for differentiated learning. Increasing enrollment in early education and preparing students for kindergarten will lead to improved student outcomes. To improve retention of students at different developmental stages, we must offer programs that engage their interests.
By partnering with community organizations, higher education institutions, and professional industries, we can develop immersive language and , career and technical pathways. These pathways will not only retain students throughout their educational journey but also prepare them for successful futures.
Investing in fully staffed classrooms and innovative early education and pathway programs will strengthen our schools, attract families, and create a vibrant, supportive educational system. This approach will ensure that every child has the opportunity to succeed and contribute to a thriving community.
Closing schools will free up facilities. What should the district do with those buildings? Do you support charter schools moving in?
While charter schools can be beneficial in addressing specific community needs, they should not be the primary strategy for increasing educational options across the city. Studies indicate that charter schools often come with higher maintenance costs and lead to greater community isolation and inequity. [Editor’s note: Cheung later supplied links to two studies here and here.]
The changing San Francisco demographics and SFUSD’s budget deficit will leave numerous schools vacant. Instead of leaving them empty, there will be an opportunity to breathe new life into them by converting the schools into mixed-use housing developments, community centers, and office space for non-profit organizations, forming an integrated community hub.
This transformation will keep families in San Francisco, house teachers, support local businesses, revitalize neighborhoods, and create a dynamic environment where people can live, work and play.
Transforming vacant SFUSD properties will:
1) Address SF housing shortages; repurposing vacant schools will create new housing units without the need for extensive new construction and is cost-effective and sustainable.
2) Stimulate local economies, create jobs in construction, align with the commitment to reduce environmental footprint, and promote green building practices.
3) Mixed-use housing developments will foster inclusivity by providing diverse housing options that cater to various income levels, accommodating young professions, families, and seniors, promoting social integration and community cohesion.
What’s the No. 1 thing SFUSD can do to improve campus safety for students and staff?
To improve campus safety for students and staff, we need to foster a citywide culture of anti-violence. This begins with mandatory training for all officials on prevention, de-escalation, and bystander intervention practices. Robust services for victims, in close collaboration with SFUSD administrators, will ensure a streamlined support system focused on the needs of those affected.
We must establish a zero-tolerance policy for violence and create a centralized crisis intervention control center to coordinate additional support across schools. This includes implementing preventative measures, developing safe reporting channels, and enforcing zero tolerance for retaliation. Security details, including triage procedures and protocols, de-escalation strategies, and secure building measures, are crucial to minimizing risks and protecting everyone on campus.
Drawing from my experience at Wu Yee’s Head Start centers, which serve high-disparity neighborhoods, I understand the importance of a comprehensive approach that engages local leaders and elected officials to prioritize community safety. By working closely with community members, supervisors, and violence prevention programs, we can build a culture of accountability and prevention to ensure that every school is a secure environment where students and staff can thrive.
By “zero tolerance,” do you mean no second chances or restorative justice for perpetrators of violence or retaliation? If not, what do you mean?
I’m using “zero tolerance” to mean that every incident will be addressed with a structured intervention approach, including restorative justice practices. This approach will be applied consistently to prevent and promptly respond to any reports of violence or retaliation. I believe that reparative justice is essential for achieving positive outcomes for everyone affected by trauma.
It’s been two years since five-year academic reforms began: math, literacy, and high school curriculum. What’s gone right? What’s gone wrong? How should the board address the next three years of the plan?
While there have been promising improvements in our curriculum, consistent implementation across schools has been slow. Over the next three years, the board must rigorously monitor data and hold the administration accountable for continuous quality improvement. We need to replicate successful strategies across all schools, set higher goals and standards, and ensure full fidelity in our implementation.
For example, the African American Achievement and Leadership Initiative (AAALI) has demonstrated remarkable success in improving school attendance*. Schools that have adopted [AAALI] programs like Mastering Cultural Identity, Black Star Rising, and PITCH have seen significant boosts in attendance due to culturally affirming and inclusive programming. Additionally, the African American Parent Advisory Council has increased parent engagement and strengthened community advocacy.
Programs such as PITCH have proven effective in reducing chronic absenteeism by addressing systemic barriers. Coordinating services with culturally competent organizations allows us to create tailored solutions that meet the unique needs of students, families, and communities. By focusing on these strategies, we can ensure that every student has the opportunity to succeed and thrive in a supportive educational environment.
You’ve said that focusing on AP/honors for older students was “late,” and emphasis should be on early education. Are you for or against more honors and AP classes in middle and high schools?
I firmly support the availability of honors and AP classes. My own journey through the Gifted and Talented Education (GATE) Program, which began in kindergarten, prepared me for these advanced courses and helped me become the first in my family to graduate college. I believe every student should have the opportunity to enroll in honors and AP classes, as they are crucial for preparing students for higher education and future careers.
To sustain and expand these programs, we need a comprehensive strategy that starts early. Building strong foundational skills in early education is essential for student success in advanced courses. We must foster a culture of excellence across all schools to ensure every student, regardless of their background, receives the support needed to thrive.
Early interventions, such as robust early education programs and targeted support, are vital for promoting equitable student outcomes. By investing in these foundational years, we can level the playing field and ensure all students have the skills and confidence to excel in honors and AP classes. This approach benefits individual students and strengthens our education system, creating opportunities for every student to succeed.
Click to jump to other candidates:
✏️ Matt Alexander
✏️ Min Chang
✏️ Lefteris Eleftheriou
✏️ Parag Gupta
✏️ Ann Hsu
✏️ Jaime Huling
✏️ John Jersin
✏️ Maddy Krantz
✏️ Laurance Lem Lee
✏️ Supryia Ray
Ida Mojadad covers education for The Frisc. Alex Lash is The Frisc’s editor in chief.