SFUSD Superintendent Dr. Maria Su was called to testify before a Congressional committee on June 10th, 2026, focused on parental rights and public school curriculum, putting San Francisco’s schools in the national spotlight. SF Parents Coalition sent three parent leaders to Washington, D.C. to attend the hearing and meet with legislators, bringing the perspective of a strong majority of the families we represent across 100+ San Francisco public schools. The letter below reflects what we consistently hear from those families: that strong academics and an inclusive environment where every student is treated with dignity are not opposing values — they are both essential to student success.
Dear Ranking Member Scott:
On behalf of San Francisco Parents Coalition, a nonprofit representing more than 10,000 public school families and supporters across over 100 San Francisco public schools, we are writing in support of SFUSD and our Superintendent, Dr. Maria Su, and to share that her administration has been working alongside parents to improve student outcomes at SFUSD.
Families across this country are asking for stronger reading and math outcomes, safer schools, stable district leadership, better attendance, and meaningful investments in student success. They want leaders focused on helping schools recover from years of academic disruption and ensuring every child has access to a high-quality education. Congressional hearings should reflect those priorities.
This hearing comes at a time when SFUSD is making meaningful progress under Dr. Su’s leadership. Over the past year, the district has taken important steps to strengthen academic outcomes, reform curriculum, stabilize finances, and reach employment agreements with administrators, teachers, and support staff — the kinds of challenges school districts across the nation are confronting, requiring stable leadership, collaboration, and sustained investment from all levels of government.
San Francisco families want what parents everywhere want: strong schools, safe learning environments, excellent teachers, and an education grounded in reading, writing, math, and preparation for the future. We appreciate SFUSD’s continued focus on strengthening student outcomes while serving one of the most diverse student populations in the country.
We also deeply value the district’s commitment to complying with federal and state law while working every day to provide students with an excellent education. SFUSD educates nearly 49,000 students representing many backgrounds, languages, and experiences. Our families believe every student deserves to feel safe, respected, and able to focus on learning — and that schools function best when teachers and families work together in partnership.
Over the past five years, our organization has pushed SFUSD for stronger literacy instruction, improved math achievement, fiscal stability, transparency, and better student outcomes. We have not hesitated to hold district leadership accountable where improvement was needed. But under Dr. Su’s leadership, the district has stabilized its finances, adopted stronger academic materials aligned with state and national standards, improved communication with families, and maintained a clear focus on student success.
SFUSD has also attracted support from businesses, community organizations, and philanthropic partners across San Francisco, and established parent advisory and school site councils that allow families to directly shape school priorities. Families across our city are actively partnering with teachers and school leaders because we all share the same goal: helping students thrive.
Important work remains to continue improving outcomes for all San Francisco students. But we believe the role of federal policymakers should be to support that work — by strengthening public education, investing in student success, and helping districts address the real challenges facing America’s schools: academic recovery, attendance, mental health, teacher retention, and long-term fiscal sustainability.
Dr. Su has earned the trust of San Francisco’s school families through her steady leadership, transparency, and unwavering focus on children. She has shown up for our community through difficult circumstances, made hard decisions with integrity, and built genuine partnerships with parents across the city. We are proud to stand behind her.
We respectfully urge the Committee to ensure its oversight efforts remain focused on advancing educational opportunity and improving outcomes for students. San Francisco families want collaboration, stability, and solutions that help schools succeed, and that is what we are getting under Dr. Su’s leadership.
Sincerely,
Meredith Dodson
Executive Director, SF Parents Coalition
44 Page Street
San Francisco, CA 94102
www.sfparents.org