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 The process has been hard on educators: some received job offers from the district, only to have them later rescinded.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
Danny Sauter, set to win District 3, had area-wide appeal
Danny Sauter leads the District 3 Supervisor race with 56 percent of the votes, leading his closest challenger Sharon Lai by 1,821 votes, according to the latest results.Though another 157,000 votes remain to be counted, ranked-choice voting experts said Sauter is unlikely to lose his commanding lead. For Lai to win, the remaining votes “would have to be very, very different to what we’ve seen so far. They have to be much more pro-Sharon,” said Jason McDaniel, San Francisco State University political science professor with a research focus on ranked-choice voting.“I don’t see that happening,” he added. Note: These results are preliminary. Table created by Kelly Waldron. Data released by the San Francisco Department of Elections on Nov. 6 at 1 a.m. Sauter, who at 36 would be one of the youngest members of the Board of Supervisors, was endorsed by […]
Mysterious black balls that washed up on Sydney beach were foul-smelling mini ‘fatbergs’
The mystery of the black balls that washed up on some of Sydney’s most iconic beaches last month has now been solved – and it’s more disgusting than you could ever imagine.Australian beachgoers were turned away from seven beaches last month after lifeguards spotted thousands of black spheres, prompting closures and clean-up efforts.A team of scientists at the University of New South Wales (UNSW) has revealed the black balls – initially thought to be made of tar – were actually mini “fatbergs,” made up of human feces, methamphetamine, human hair, fatty acids, and food waste, among hundreds of other vile and befuddling substances.“They smell absolutely disgusting, they smell worse than anything you’ve ever smelt,” lead investigator Associate Professor Jon Beves told CNN affiliate 9News.The New South Wales Environment Protection Authority (EPA) first warned Sydney residents to avoid swimming or touching […]
Daniel Lurie leads after strange and terrible election night: Analysis
It’s a shame that San Francisco’s fascinating election results can’t be viewed in isolation from the strange and terrible returns that propelled Donald Trump once more to the presidency. But the luxury of ignoring the bigger picture is something San Francisco no longer gets to do. As of a shade before 1 a.m., every last in-person vote was tabulated — 37,345 of them (20,000 provisional votes are pending). In-person voting is a bit like shaving with a straight-edge razor or knitting your own pot-holders: You could do it if you wanted to, but hardly anybody does. At present, 234,453 votes have been counted; a shade under 45 percent. The Department of Elections expects around 157,000 more votes to trickle in (including those 20,000 provisional ballots). That would result in perhaps a 75 percent turnout; San Francisco voters show up at an average […]
Gov. Tim Walz will face new era of divided government in Minnesota
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Gov. Tim Walz faces a new era of divided government when he returns home from the presidential campaign trail, now that Republicans appear to have broken the Democratic trifecta that helped put him on Kamala Harris’ radar.While Democrats will keep their one-seat majority in the Senate, leaders on both sides agree that Republicans gained enough seats in the election to tie control of the House at 67-67.According to a tally by The Associated Press, the chamber stood at 65-65 Wednesday afternoon. It would end in a 67-67 tie if the leaders of the last four undeclared races remain ahead. Two of them are so razor-thin that automatic recounts have been triggered unless lawmakers waive them.The last time the House was tied was in 1979, and the history of that legislative session suggests that power-sharing will be contentious.In […]
Election 2024: See results across San Francisco
See below for full election results from across San Francisco, including precinct-level maps and ranked-choice votings results. A total of 44.9 percent of ballots have been counted as of Nov. […] Election 2024: See results across San Francisco Source: missionlocal.org
Kremlin aide says Germany car industry plight shows green transition risks
By Vladimir Soldatkin SOCHI, Russia (Reuters) - Russian industry may suffer the fate of car makers in Germany, which have shed tens of thousands of jobs, if it moves too fast to replace fossil fuels, a Kremlin adviser said on Wednesday. "The Russian Federation supports a gradual transition, a gradual transformation, so as to avoid shock scenarios on the energy markets, industrial markets," Kremlin climate envoy Ruslan Edelgeriyev told a conference in Sochi, southern Russia. "Miscalculated ambitions damaged Germany's auto industry," he said, speaking five days before the next U.N. climate change conference begins in Baku, Azerbaijan. Russia is the world's biggest exporter of natural gas and number two exporter of oil. It is one of the world's top carbon dioxide emitters along with China, the United States and India. Russia joined the Paris climate change pact in 2019, which […]
Related
Danny Sauter, set to win District 3, had area-wide appeal
Danny Sauter leads the District 3 Supervisor race with 56 percent of the votes, leading his closest challenger Sharon Lai by 1,821 votes, according to the latest results.Though another 157,000 votes remain to be counted, ranked-choice voting experts said Sauter is unlikely to lose his commanding lead. For Lai to win, the remaining votes “would have to be very, very different to what we’ve seen so far. They have to be much more pro-Sharon,” said Jason McDaniel, San Francisco State University political science professor with a research focus on ranked-choice voting.“I don’t see that happening,” he added. Note: These results are preliminary. Table created by Kelly Waldron. Data released by the San Francisco Department of Elections on Nov. 6 at 1 a.m. Sauter, who at 36 would be one of the youngest members of the Board of Supervisors, was endorsed by […]
Daniel Lurie leads after strange and terrible election night: Analysis
It’s a shame that San Francisco’s fascinating election results can’t be viewed in isolation from the strange and terrible returns that propelled Donald Trump once more to the presidency. But the luxury of ignoring the bigger picture is something San Francisco no longer gets to do. As of a shade before 1 a.m., every last in-person vote was tabulated — 37,345 of them (20,000 provisional votes are pending). In-person voting is a bit like shaving with a straight-edge razor or knitting your own pot-holders: You could do it if you wanted to, but hardly anybody does. At present, 234,453 votes have been counted; a shade under 45 percent. The Department of Elections expects around 157,000 more votes to trickle in (including those 20,000 provisional ballots). That would result in perhaps a 75 percent turnout; San Francisco voters show up at an average […]
Election 2024: See results across San Francisco
See below for full election results from across San Francisco, including precinct-level maps and ranked-choice votings results. A total of 44.9 percent of ballots have been counted as of Nov. […] Election 2024: See results across San Francisco Source: missionlocal.org
Live updates from San Francisco November races
Follow along for Mission Local’s live updates for Election Day from across San Francisco. For updates in the run-up to the election, click here, and to learn more about the candidates and measures on the ballot, go to our election dashboard. If you like our coverage, consider supporting Mission Local. It’s a heck of an effort, today and every day. Election analysisTuesday, Nov. 5: Today is Election Day in San Francisco. Here’s what to expect.Imagine a political campaign is like a ski ramp, with candidates gaining momentum before soaring off into the unknown. If so, that would render Mark Farrell the Vinko Bogataj of the 2024 San Francisco mayoral campaign. You probably don’t know this name, but you probably do know who this is: He’s the Yugoslavian skier whose horrifying ski-jump-gone-wrong for many years defined “the agony of defeat” in […]
Jury shown video of Nima Momeni’s stabbing motions
In a win for the prosecution, jurors today were shown a video in which alleged killer Nima Momeni made distinct stabbing motions, which prosecutors say match those that killed Cash App founder Bob Lee. The video was shown over objections from Momeni’s defense team. The jury was also shown images of the exact locations of Lee’s stab wounds, during testimony from Assistant Medical Examiner Ellen Moffatt. The video was recorded by San Francisco police Sgt. David Goff, who was tracking Momeni’s movements in the days after the stabbing in April 2023. When he captured Momeni on video, the defendant was talking to Brian Hedley, a private investigator who worked for Momeni’s former defense attorney, Paula Canny. In the video, Hedley and Momeni are standing in the parking lot at Canny’s office and the video shows Momeni making three arm movements — two to […]
A mural defaced, restored and its evolution
This weekend, a sharp resident noticed on Saturday morning that Marta Ayala Minero’s mural on the northeast corner of 24th and Valencia streets had been vandalized. When I contacted Ayala on Saturday, she said she would be out the next day to restore it. And indeed she did just that. Restored by the artist Marta Ayala Minero on Sunday, November 2.2024. Courtesy of the artist. Marta Ayala Minero’s mural on 24th and Valencia Street. Restored on Sunday. Photo by a community contributor. When I mentioned that the mural had been somewhat different earlier, she gave me a lesson on its evolution. First painted in 1992, thanks to a grant from the Mayor’s Office of Housing and Community Development, Roots and Frequencies Basic to Our Education “had a lady speaking the phrase for “nonviolence” in a few languages.”The mural was based on a dream […]
