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Welcome back to our weekly “Meet the Candidates” series, in which District 1 supervisorial candidates who have filed to run respond to a question in 100 words or fewer.
Answers are published each week, but we are also archiving each answer on this page for District 1, to make it easier for voters to browse.
San Francisco Unified School District is planning to close and merge selected schools, part of its plan called the Resource Alignment Initiative. But the district has delayed announcing which schools are slated for closure, first until this month and now until after the election. In response to that, Mayor London Breed announced that the city will intervene by sending a team of experts to support the school district and deploying $8.4 million in financial support.
We ask candidates this week: What are your thoughts on SFUSD’s Resource Alignment Initiative?
Marjan Philhour
- Job: Business owner, former advisor and fundraiser to London Breed
- Age: 50
- Residency: Homeowner, born in District 1 and moved back in 2006
- Transportation: Biking, walking, driving and public transportation
- Education: Bachelor’s degree from the University of California, Berkeley
- Languages: English
San Francisco Unified School District (SFUSD) faces real financial and enrollment challenges, and closing and merging schools should be approached with caution and transparency. The delayed announcement has understandably caused anxiety among parents, students, and staff, and this uncertainty only adds to the strain on our community. The SFUSD community needs clarity more than anything during these times of uncertainty.
I appreciate the city’s commitment to providing $8.4 million in financial support. It is essential that these decisions are made with input from the families and neighborhoods most affected. It is also important to acknowledge how we got to … read more here
Endorsed by: San Francisco Democratic Party, TogetherSF, San Francisco Police Officers Association … read more here
Jeremiah Boehner
- Job: Marketing specialist and U.S. Army veteran
- Age: 39
- Residency: Tenant, living in District 1 since 2006
- Transportation: Driving
- Education: University of San Francisco
- Languages: English
Closing schools is not the answer, it will not solve the fiscal crisis and may end up driving more families away from public schools. The schools on that list will most likely be the smaller community schools and specialty schools that are the lifeblood of our communities. It’s throwing good money after bad. It’s a distraction from the mayor’s leadership. We need to elect a new mayor and leaders like Min Chang, Laurence Lee, Ann Hsu to the board of education.
Endorsed by: San Francisco Republican Party
Connie Chan
- Job: Incumbent District 1 Supervisor
- Age: 45
- Residency: Homeowner, living in District 1 since 2011
- Transportation: Driving and walking
- Education: Bachelor’s degree, University of California, Davis
- Languages: English, Cantonese, Mandarin
I know the threat of school closures has been heavy on the minds of our Richmond District families and students, which is why I introduced and the Board of Supervisors passed my resolution urging Superintendent Wayne to reevaluate his plan for citywide school closures. Closing a school needs to be an absolute last resort and the district needs to work with the California Department of Education on fiscal solvency. I appreciate that the San Francisco Board of Education is committed to work with Dr. Wayne to find a path forward and I would urge them to work with all of … read more here
Endorsed by: Nancy Pelosi, San Francisco Fire Fighters Local 798, San Francisco Labor Council, Harvey Milk LGBTQ Democratic Club, Local 21, Service Employees International Union 1021 … read more here
Sherman D’Silva
- Job: Owner of a laundromat on Geary Boulevard
- Age: 51
- Residency: Homeowner, living in District 1 since 1973
- Transportation: Driving
- Education: Bachelor’s degrees from San Francisco State University
- Languages: English
Schools have been poorly managed since I attended 40 years ago. The school board prefers to do what unions and parents want without being realistic if it’s feasible long term. Unrealistic contracts with unions that protect inadequate teachers and assigning children to schools miles from home has contributed to people leaving public schools and the loss of the state funding associated with each child. Consolidating schools is now necessary and leaders are again trying to “make it work” instead of saying these are the facts — there are fewer students and thus less money and this is what we have to … read more here
Jen Nossokoff
- Job: Vice president of a healthcare company and physician assistant
- Age: 38
- Residency: Homeowner, living in District 1 since 2020
- Transportation: Walking, biking, public transportation, driving
- Education: Bachelor’s degree from Colorado State University and master’s degree from Samuel Merritt University
- Languages: English
As a public school parent, I know firsthand how important our schools are to the fabric of our community. I appreciate Mayor Breed’s efforts to provide financial support, but we need more than just funding to solve the challenges our schools are facing. The process must be transparent, with significant input from the families, educators, and communities most impacted by potential closures. The delay in announcing which schools will be affected only adds to the uncertainty and stress for students and parents alike. Instead of closing schools, we should be exploring innovative solutions, such as forming partnerships with community organizations … read more here
Endorsed by: Everytown For Gun Safety, San Francisco League of Conservation Voters, San Francisco Women’s Political Committee (#2), Moms Demand Action Gun Sense Candidate
Money raised by District 1 candidates
Candidates are ordered alphabetically and rotated each week. Answers may be lightly edited for formatting, spelling, and grammar. If you have questions for the candidates, please let us know at junyao@missionlocal.com.
Read the rest of the series here. Illustrations for the series by Neil Ballard.
You can register to vote via the sf.gov website.
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Source: missionlocal.org