Welcome back to the “Meet the Candidates” series for the school board, where we ask each candidate one question every two weeks. They must answer the question in 100 words or fewer. We will link to longer answers.
Eleven candidates are vying for four seats on the city’s seven-person school board. The election will take place on Nov. 5. Non-citizen parents of children living in the city are permitted to vote in school board elections, and can find information on doing so here.
The San Francisco Unified School District kicked off the year with more than 100 educator vacancies. In response to the SFUSD’s financial troubles, the state has stepped in to oversee the district’s spending, including spending on hiring, which leaders of the teachers union say has delayed the process of filling those vacancies. The process has been hard on educators: some received job offers from the district, only to have them later rescinded.
This week, we asked the candidates:
What would you do to better recruit and support SFUSD educators? Name two specific measures.
The recent hiring fiascos appeared to be top of mind, as many candidates narrowed in on the slow, error-filled recruitment process as an area for immediate improvement. Many also named broad approaches to supporting educators, like better pay, affordable housing initiatives and mental health support.
John Jersin
- Job: Co-founder of education nonprofit Jersin Foundation, previously a LinkedIn executive
- Age: 40
- Residency: Noe Valley
- Educational background: California public schools from kindergarten through college; bachelor’s degree in computer science from the University of California, San Diego, master’s degree in computer science from Stanford University
- SFUSD experience: Brother-in-law of SFUSD teacher; SFUSD Citizens’ Bond Oversight Committee; parent of two young children who will attend SFUSD schools
- Languages: English, learning Mandarin
On the first day of class last year, 20 percent of classrooms didn’t have a teacher.* Roughly 25 percent of the teachers we do have aren’t qualified to teach.** Education starts with educators, and we don’t have enough. This is a crisis.
Today, we fail at the basics. Too often, teachers apply for a job and don’t hear back for months. I’m fortunate to have led the world’s largest recruiting platform, and I’ve seen what works. I will propose metrics to more closely monitor our recruiting efforts, review our existing systems and processes, and reinforce best practices like modern pipeline recruiting.
* According to an August 2023 presentation from an SFUSD school board workshop on resource alignment, the shortage for SFUSD classroom staffing positions as of Aug. 12, 2023, was 21 percent.
** A 2023 report from the San Francisco civil grand jury found that nearly a quarter of SFUSD teachers were not fully credentialed in the 2020-21 school year.
Endorsed by: SF Democratic Party, UESF, GrowSF, TogetherSF Action … read more here
Madeline Krantz
- Job: Dual enrollment student at CCSF and SJSU
- Age: 19
- Residency: Inner Sunset
- Educational background: Synergy School for K-8, Abraham Lincoln High School, experience working as teacher’s aide in synagogue and currently working toward education degree
- SFUSD experience: Worked with SFUSD students as part of Teacher Academy at Lincoln
- Languages: English
No response received.
Laurance Lee
- Job: Small business owner, L3 Construction LLC
- Age: 54
- Residency: Noe Valley
- Educational background: Went to SFUSD K-12, bachelor’s degree in chemistry and history of science from Harvard University, graduate work at Stanford University
- SFUSD experience: SFUSD Citizens’ Bond Oversight Committee, extended family who are SFUSD student and educators
- Languages: English
As a member of the Civil Grand Jury, we made a report on SFUSD teacher hiring “to understand the challenges in teacher retention and recruiting that can affect SFUSD’s teacher shortage and recommend possible solutions.” One key finding: they did not ask those who declined job offers or those who left SFUSD jobs why they were leaving. Let’s ask folks why they go elsewhere, so we can improve processes. Let’s also hire faster, as we just found prospective employees were left long in limbo. I am the only candidate who goes deep in the details to find fixes.
Endorsed by: SF Guardians, State Treasurer Fiona Ma, former School Board President Emily Murase … read more here
Supryia Ray
- Job: Attorney and writer
- Age: 51
- Residency: Sunset
- Educational background: Bachelor’s degree in political science and French from University of Miami, summa cum laude; juris doctor degree from Harvard Law School, magna cum laude
- SFUSD experience: Parent of two SFUSD students; Jefferson Elementary parent-teacher association leadership; parent advocate on issues such as outdoor learning and school safety
- Languages: French, some Spanish
1. Educators want a workplace where basic administrative support is a given, not a guess. An error-filled payroll system or recruitment process scares people off. Potential applicants need to know that onboarding procedures and staff training are in place. They also need to know that classrooms are safe and that they will be appropriately placed.
2. Educators need to know the district will continue to pay competitive salaries and benefits. The district should also make paraprofessionals full-time employees (instead of part-time) and create a Career Technical Education pathway in high schools, in partnership with CCSF, for students to become paraprofessionals.
Endorsed by: SF Democratic Party, SF Guardians, SF Parent Action, GrowSF … read more here
Matt Alexander
- Job: Community organizer at Faith in Action Bay Area, incumbent board member
- Age: 54
- Residency: Outer Sunset
- Educational background: Master’s degree in education
- SFUSD experience: Teacher and principal; current school board vice president
- Languages: English, Spanish
The most important thing we can do to recruit and retain educators is to ensure they are paid adequately, especially given the high cost of housing in San Francisco. I’m proud that last year I worked with my colleagues on the school board to negotiate the largest pay raise in history for our educators.
In addition to increasing pay, we need to continue the work that’s just begun to make dramatic improvements to our HR department, so we’re more effective at recruitment, and so we treat potential new hires and current employees with the respect and dignity they deserve.
Endorsed by: UESF, Harvey Milk LGBTQ Democratic Club
Min Chang
- Job: CEO at healthcare organization Homebridge
- Age: 58
- Residency: San Francisco
- Educational background: Ph.D. in international affairs and master’s degree in international public policy from Johns Hopkins University; master’s degree in management from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Sloan; bachelor’s degrees from the University of Pennsylvania
- SFUSD experience: Doing outreach in SFUSD and attending school board meetings.
- Languages: English, Chinese, French
Bringing back and recruiting educators that really want to teach is important. The stronger the educator, the better our education. In order to do that, we need to provide a career path for educators and treat them like talent as we do in business; our organization is only as good as our talent. In addition, we should provide support in terms of housing, training and other resources that will help good educators stay in public schools.
Endorsed by: The San Francisco Republican Party, San Francisco Young Republicans, The Republican Club of San Francisco, San Francisco Briones Society … read more here
Virginia Cheung
- Job: SFUSD parent, co-founder and vice president of Give a Beat Foundation (volunteer work) and previously director of advancement at Wu Yee Children’s Services
- Age: 41
- Residency: District 11
- Educational background: Bachelor’s degree in social ecology (first in family to graduate college).
- SFUSD experience: Parent of Alice Fong Yu student; Wah Mei BASE! ExCEL program Parent Advisory Board
- Languages: Basic Cantonese and Mandarin, conversational French
With over 15 years of experience in the nonprofit sector, I’ve seen firsthand that staff members who have stable housing are more likely to remain with an organization long-term.
I support affordable housing initiatives for educators. This includes offering rental subsidies, providing technical assistance to access below-market-rate housing and first-time homebuyer programs, and offering support with financial planning. These measures can help create a sense of stability and belonging.
Additionally, I support dignified retirement plans and pensions for educators and paraprofessionals. Those who dedicate their lives to serving others should be assured of their security and stability in retirement.
Access … read more here
Endorsed by: Mayor London Breed, Supervisor Rafael Mandelman, School Board Commissioner Jenny Lam … read more here
Lefteris Eleftheriou
- Job: Regional sales manager, Sanyo Denki
- Age: 56
- Residency: District 7
- Educational background: Bachelor’s degree in engineering, master’s degree in education
- SFUSD experience: No direct experience, but previously ran an art school in Belmont.
- Languages: English, Japanese, Greek
When I ran my school, I interviewed and hired teachers and staff who had not only solid hard skills in their field, along with hands-on experience, but strong soft skills as well, such as enthusiasm, integrity and empathy. Both hard and soft qualities are necessary for a successful staff member, because thoughts and emotions, particularly negative ones, if left unchecked, will prevent educators from relating with their students, parents and other colleagues. They can make teamwork difficult and stifle decision making. Therefore, being aware of one’s thoughts and emotions is paramount. To address this, I will introduce the following two … read more here
Parag Gupta
- Job: Chief program officer at Mercy Housing
- Age: 46
- Residency: San Francisco
- Educational background: Bachelor’s degree with honors from the University of Chicago; master’s degree in Public Policy from Harvard University
- SFUSD experience: Parent of recent CIS De Avila grad; School Site Council chair; 8th grade algebra focus group; drafting SFUSD policy priorities for SF Democrats as SF DCCC member; developing financial strategy for Stupski Foundation programs to help students, including SFUSD students, complete postsecondary education
- Languages: Basic Spanish, basic French, conversational Hindi
My mother’s dedication as an ESL teacher and my experience as chair of my School Site Council have given me deep appreciation for the sacrifices teachers make. First, let’s defray our educators’ largest cost: Housing. We must build additional teacher housing. We had more than 900 educator applications for 135 units. As an affordable-housing director, I have the experience to help lead this. Second, even as we cut central expenses, we must further invest in human resources so we can handle any HR issues educators may have in a timely manner. Our educators deserve genuine care and appreciation.
Endorsed by: SF Democratic Party, Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi, Senator Scott Wiener, UESF … read more here
Ann Hsu
- Job: Head of School at Bertrand D Hsu American & Chinese Bicultural Academy
- Age: 57
- Residency: Richmond District
- Educational background: Bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering from Pennsylvania State University, master’s degree in electrical engineering and master’s in business from University of California, Berkeley
- SFUSD experience: Two sons in SFUSD; SFUSD Citizens’ Bond Oversight Committee chair; Galileo High School PTSA president; active in recall efforts; appointed by Mayor Breed to school board in 2022 and served until early 2023
- Languages: English; Chinese, Mandarin
1. To retain and support current educators, we need to improve student behavior in school so teachers can teach instead of spending time and energy managing/controlling the classrooms. To do that, we need to re-examine the restorative practice policy that was passed by BOE in 2014, given that it has not led to improved but worsened outcomes at schools, to either reimplement it more effectively or rescind and institute a new policy.
2. To recruit more educators, especially for middle and high schools, we should reach out to mid-career professionals in their fields who may be interested in a … read more here
Jaime Huling
- Job: Deputy city attorney, formerly in San Francisco and now in Oakland
- Age: 42
- Residency: Glen Park; previously Hayes Valley and 13 years in the Mission
- Educational background: Juris doctor degree from Stanford Law School with distinction; bachelor’s in history from Northwestern University with honors, minor in gender studies
- SFUSD experience: Parent of SFUSD Spanish immersion school student; worked with Mission-based nonprofit ScholarMatch to help first-gen, low-income students of color attend college, including SFUSD students
- Languages: English, some Spanish and French
Hiring and onboarding at SFUSD continues to be a mess. Schools recruited, hired, and announced the arrival of needed educators and staff, just to rescind offers after our state fiscal watchdogs told us the positions couldn’t be funded. Other schools started the year without teachers and paras in classrooms, including special-education classrooms, because approvals for essential educator hiring were held up with bureaucracy.
On the board, I’ll negotiate with the state to ensure that key positions are prioritized and filled promptly. I’ll also hold the Superintendent accountable for modernizing SFUSD HR to speed and streamline hiring.
Endorsed by: SF Democratic Party, UESF, SF Parent Action, GrowSF … read more here
Candidates are ordered alphabetically but rotated every question. Answers may be lightly edited for formatting, spelling and grammar. If you have questions for the candidates, please let us know at anne@missionlocal.com.
Read the rest of the school board 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.
About the author
Burglars ransack Southern California homes while posing as deliverymen
Residents are frightened and angry as a group of suspects continue ransacking San Fernando Valley homes, leaving a trail of destruction behind.A Valley Village resident said she was stunned and shaken up after thieves targeted her home on Dec. 17 between 5 p.m. to 6 p.m.The break-in was captured on home surveillance cameras as a male suspect approached the house and appeared to be disguised as a delivery man.“Ten minutes after we left [our home], someone was knocking at the door and our dog was barking away,” she said. “Then within a minute, someone had broken into the back of the house, smashed the glass door, came in and locked the dog in a room and just trashed the house. They took all of my jewelry.”Photos of the aftermath showed drawers in every room were removed and emptied and all […]
Jim’s owners retiring, leaving future of Mission diner unclear
The mom-and-pop owners of Jim’s Restaurant on Mission Street, a community staple for over three decades, will have their last day of work this Saturday, according to the restaurant.Jim’s Restaurant announced that its owners will be retiring after Saturday. It’s unclear, however, whether Jim’s will continue operating under new management. What is clear is it will no longer be the same without Ms. and Mr. Kim. The current owners, Kim Ok Un and Kim Jung Nyun, declined to comment about their retirement or whether Jim’s would continue operating. An Instagram commenter says, “So so sooo happy for you guys!! So well deserved but Jim’s will never be the same without you”.Another says, “Legendary spot just up the street from KPOO. Thanks y’all for the decades of service to the community.”On Friday around noon, the restaurant at 2420 Mission St. between 20th and […]
Police bust man at Gwinnett McDonald’s they say tried to sell home he didn’t own
Gwinnett County police arrested a man at a local McDonald’s who they say attempted to sell a property he did not own by stealing the identity of its rightful owner.Police say 55-year-old Armond Long, of Lilburn, posed as the property owner and listed the land for sale on Zillow.The scheme unraveled when the actual owner discovered the listing while the sale was pending and contacted authorities.Records show the land was pending for $130,000 before law enforcement got involved.“He didn’t have any intention of selling that property, so he contacted local authorities,” said Cpl. Juan Madiedo.TRENDING STORIES: Authorities in Lake Havasu City, Arizona worked with Gwinnett County police to set up a sting operation.Long agreed to meet at a McDonald’s near the Mall of Georgia to sign final closing documents. An undercover Gwinnett officer, posing as a courier, handed Long documents […]
S.F. police shoot, kill Dior guard turned alleged hit-and-run driver
San Francisco police shot and killed a purportedly armed man they say they tracked down — after he allegedly hit pedestrians and a cyclist with a car on Thursday evening. Assistant Chief David Lazar, who gave a press conference this morning, said the man was believed to be a security guard at Dior, and said he discovered a firearm “on the ground” at the scene that he believed belonged to the guard. He did not give any details about whether the man was armed at the time police shot him. Lazar also could not confirm how many police officers fired their weapons at the man. The driver was allegedly driving on the sidewalk around 6:30 p.m. at Kearny and Post streets and hit two pedestrians, an 18-year-old and a 17-year-old, Lazar said, in pursuit of a man on an electric bicycle. After hitting […]
Mother of Olentangy High student that inspired sextortion bill hopes it saves lives
Editor's note: This story discusses suicide and sexual abuse. If you or someone you know is struggling, you can call or text 988.Jennifer Markus spent much of Wednesday watching The Ohio Channel as a bill to make "sextortion" a felony wound its way among lawmakers.She's a pediatric care nurse at Nationwide Children's Hospital where her colleagues have offered comfort after her son Braden Markus took his life three years ago when someone posing as a high school girl on social media asked him for intimate photos and then demanded $1,800 so they wouldn't be published.He initially refused. But within 30 minutes, the boy who loved sports and fireworks and Japanese food, who was about to get his driver's license, was gone."It's bittersweet," Mrs. Markus told The Dispatch Thursday. "Holy crap. my friends and a lot of people just got this […]
Street sheet – Mission Local
Mission Local produces enterprise reporting on San Francisco's most critical issues: police reform, corruption, public health, housing and homelessness. Learn more about us, and donate below keep us reporting.Subscribe to Mission Local's daily newsletter Source: missionlocal.org
Related
Jim’s owners retiring, leaving future of Mission diner unclear
The mom-and-pop owners of Jim’s Restaurant on Mission Street, a community staple for over three decades, will have their last day of work this Saturday, according to the restaurant.Jim’s Restaurant announced that its owners will be retiring after Saturday. It’s unclear, however, whether Jim’s will continue operating under new management. What is clear is it will no longer be the same without Ms. and Mr. Kim. The current owners, Kim Ok Un and Kim Jung Nyun, declined to comment about their retirement or whether Jim’s would continue operating. An Instagram commenter says, “So so sooo happy for you guys!! So well deserved but Jim’s will never be the same without you”.Another says, “Legendary spot just up the street from KPOO. Thanks y’all for the decades of service to the community.”On Friday around noon, the restaurant at 2420 Mission St. between 20th and […]
S.F. police shoot, kill Dior guard turned alleged hit-and-run driver
San Francisco police shot and killed a purportedly armed man they say they tracked down — after he allegedly hit pedestrians and a cyclist with a car on Thursday evening. Assistant Chief David Lazar, who gave a press conference this morning, said the man was believed to be a security guard at Dior, and said he discovered a firearm “on the ground” at the scene that he believed belonged to the guard. He did not give any details about whether the man was armed at the time police shot him. Lazar also could not confirm how many police officers fired their weapons at the man. The driver was allegedly driving on the sidewalk around 6:30 p.m. at Kearny and Post streets and hit two pedestrians, an 18-year-old and a 17-year-old, Lazar said, in pursuit of a man on an electric bicycle. After hitting […]
Street sheet – Mission Local
Mission Local produces enterprise reporting on San Francisco's most critical issues: police reform, corruption, public health, housing and homelessness. Learn more about us, and donate below keep us reporting.Subscribe to Mission Local's daily newsletter Source: missionlocal.org
Supervisor Melgar won, now the trick will be to manage her constituents’ competing interests
District 7 incumbent Myrna Melgar faced a particularly bruising re-election campaign. She squared off against significant numbers of her own constituents by supporting hot-button issues like Proposition K to close the Great Highway to cars, and upzoning parts of her district that have been previously limited to single-family housing. “If I lose this election on this issue, then that’s the right thing to do,” Melgar said in June, after a particularly contentious meeting about zoning changes coming to her district, and the rest of the city. But she didn’t lose the election. No matter the ideological differences, most of her constituents agree: She’s good at the actual work of being a district supervisor. “When I call — somebody does get back to me,” said Peggy da Silva, a West Portal resident who has reached out to Melgar’s office over concerns like city […]
SFPD arrests woman for allegedly defacing murals across city
Police officers from Ingleside Station arrested the alleged serial Mission Street mural vandal Tuesday night. She had been filmed by bystanders on Sunday defacing a mural on Mission Street by deceased muralist Mario Cid Gonzalez. Witnesses said they observed a woman matching the suspect’s description defacing that mural months prior as well. Tuesday’s arrest of 33-year-old Ana Da Costa Pereira came after the defacing of more murals that night, including one on the side of the Excelsior District’s Central Drug Store at Mission and Santa Rosa streets. Da Costa Pereira was booked into the San Francisco County jail Tuesday night at 9:22 p.m. for vandalism of more than $400 and two counts of possession of graffiti instruments.Police said that Da Costa Pereira is responsible for multiple incidents of mural vandalism up and down Mission Street. An email sent by police to […]
Fielder goes for experience and new faces for her legislative team
District 9 Supervisor-Elect Jackie Fielder’s four picks for legislative aides includes two members from current supervisor Hillary Ronen’s team, and two from the campaign team that catapulted her to a 19-point victory over her closest contestant, Trevor Chandler.Fielder’s team will be composed of Jennifer Ferrigno, Ana Herrera – both current aides to Ronen – and political outsiders Sasha Gaona and Feng Han.“I’m so excited to work with these four amazing folks who are stars in their own right and are ready to fight for our communities,” said Fielder. Fielder praised the work both Han and Gaona did in the campaign that delivered her a victory with “stunning margins.” The supervisor-elect also celebrated the experience both Herrera and Ferrigno bring to her team, “Ana and Jennifer have been serving in Supervisor Ronen’s office on some of the district’s most pressing issues, and […]
