Why this June's Board of Education Election Matters
What’s the Board of Education?
The San Francisco Board of Education is one of the most important governing bodies in the city yet many residents don’t fully understand its role.
The Board oversees the San Francisco Unified School District (SFUSD), our City’s public school system which serves ~50,000 students. The Board consists of seven members who are elected city-wide and serve four-year terms. The Board’s responsibilities include:
- Approving SFUSD’s multi-billion dollar budget.
- Setting district-wide academic policies such as math curriculum.
- Hiring and overseeing the Superintendent, who manages the district’s day to day operations.
- Approving purchase of equipment, services, construction, supplies, leases, and union contracts.
Contrary to popular belief then, it’s the Board of Education, and not the Mayor or Board of Supervisors, that governs our school district.
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Why does June’s election matter?
If you didn’t know, there’s an upcoming election this June 2nd in which a single Board of Education seat will be up for election. Here’s why it matters.
For years, the Board of Education has been plagued by dysfunction, prioritizing ideology over student outcomes and causing real harm to SFUSD. Here are a few lowlights:
- The Board eliminated Algebra from middle school in 2014 in a failed experiment.
- Approved the 2019 contract that led to the EMPower payroll fiasco.
- Delayed reopening schools during COVID despite health officials approving reopening months earlier.
- Focused on renaming schools and removing Lowell merit-based admissions while classrooms remained closed.
- Ongoing mismanagement sparked a recall effort, which our parent organization supported.
- Result: three members recalled in 2022 by overwhelming margins.
Since then, voters have elected a more pragmatic, results-focused majority. But SFUSD is still recovering and faces serious challenges, including declining enrollment, a major budget deficit worsened by the recent strike, potential school closures, and ongoing concerns about education quality.
SFUSD is at a turning point. This June election will decide whether the district continues its recovery or slides backward again.
Why we support Phil Kim.
This June, SF Board of Education President Phil Kim is running to keep his seat. Here’s why he’s the right choice:
- Turning SFUSD around: Under Phil’s leadership, SFUSD has reduced its structural deficit and is beginning to see signs of enrollment recovery.
- Real classroom experience: Extensive experience in education, including serving as a 7th grade science teacher, and spending years developing science curriculum in schools.
- Backed by public school parents: Phil has earned the support of major parent advocates like SF Parents Action.
Simply put, Phil has the experience and focus needed to get SFUSD back on track and we’re already seeing progress under his leadership. SFUSD is finally moving in the right direction. Now’s not the time to go backward.
A vote for Phil is a vote for SFUSD’s recovery. You can find out more about him by checking out: https://www.philkim.org/
