Newsletter – August 19, 2025

“San Francisco has everything it needs to be the leading urban school district: wealth, innovation, progressive values and families who all care about children’s success. There’s no reason our city shouldn’t have the best outcomes for kids.”

– from our Executive Director in yesterday’s SF Chronicle.

Read the full piece here

Dear SFUSD Families, Teachers, and Supporters,

Happy back-to-school, San Francisco! As this new school year kicks off, SF Parents Coalition is thrilled to welcome new SFUSD families and teachers — and to welcome back all those returning. We’re excited to kick off the 2025–26 school year with you, and we know this week will be filled with smiles, warm connections, and fresh beginnings for you and your learners.

To those enrolling in our district for the first time:

If you feel a little overwhelmed, remember you’re not alone. If you’re getting these emails, that’s a good start! You’re joining the SF Parents community of more than 10,000 parents and supporters who have your back. First stop, maybe check out our New-to-SFUSD Parent Guide created by parent volunteers to help YOU navigate everything from your kid’s first day to your first parent-teacher conference. These first few weeks schools are laying the foundation for a great year — building relationships, creating a sense of belonging, and setting shared expectations.

To all of those returning:

It’s hard to believe our kids are another year older, advancing through the ranks from elementary to high school, and that parents are still here doing this important advocacy work together. This year marks our organization’s fifth (!) anniversary. Who remembers “Decreasing the Distance?” It hasn’t always been smooth sailing, but we’ve come a long way in the land of education advocacy. For years, parents were shut out from district deliberations and decisions. Once parents got organized, we showed the city what’s possible when districts partner with and listen to parents: kids back in classrooms, literacy and math program improvements, and budget reforms moving the district towards better spending on the policies and programs that actually move the needle for student learning.

We’ve gotten to a good place, but there’s still much more work to be done. That’s why we’re excited about not just the year ahead but dreaming up what’s possible for the next five years of parent advocacy. What are your hopes and dreams for SFUSD by 2030? Let’s dream together, and make those dreams come true for SF’s public school kids.

Kicking off this year, we continue to focus on our core campaigns, S.F. Kids Can’t Wait and Fix the Budget, Fund the Future. We’ve launched a Parent Solvers committee, working closely with the district to solve issues that are most important to parents. We’ll continue to share updates on the things you care about most, help you stay informed on Board of Education decisions, and we’ll create spaces for parents to connect, learn, and take action. You’ll also hear from our sister arm, SF Parents Action, about Board of Education elections and our popular and impactful Board Bootcamp program with a new cohort of Fellows starting this fall!

First up: Save the date and RSVP! Please join us and fellow parents for our first official parent meeting of the school year, on Thursday, September 11th from 12-1 pm (via Zoom). More details about this meeting can be found further below in the newsletter.

We all know SFUSD still faces big challenges — from budget constraints to staffing gaps to staying focused on major curriculum overhauls so they are successful — and we’ll need to see real focus from SFUSD and the Board of Education this year. But we’re also seeing progress, thanks to your persistent advocacy. We’ll continue to work with all stakeholders* this year to make sure important changes and progress reaches every school, every teacher, every student.

In the meantime, we know that our kids are showing up to bright, cheerful classrooms and hardworking teachers today, tomorrow and every day, and we celebrate that as we begin this fresh new school year together with you.

In community, Meredith & the Board of Directors SF Parents Coalition

*ICYMI, check out our back-to-school piece in the SF Chronicle, with my thoughts on what we need to see from all education stakeholders this year to maintain a strong focus and continue to move SFUSD out of state oversight and closer to being one of the best-performing urban school districts across the US.

Join us for the 8/26 School Board Meeting & Parents’ Night Out

Join SF Parents Coalition for our first Parents’ Night Out of the school year on Tuesday, August 26, from 7:00–9:00 PM at ANINA (482 Hayes St.).

Before we gather to reconnect and catch up, we’re inviting parents to meet us at 6:30 PM for public comment at the SFUSD Board of Education meeting at 555 Franklin St., 1st Floor. We’re aiming for a strong parent presence to share our priorities for the year and to show the board that families are paying attention. After public comment, we’ll walk over to ANINA together.

Let us know if you can join us by RSVPing here—and if you’re not sure yet, just show up. We’d love to see you there.

Join us for our first community meeting of the school year on September 11th from 12-1 PM via Zoom.

We’re excited to kick off the new academic year with special guests from the SFUSD Curriculum & Instruction team, who will share insights into what families can expect in their TK-8th children’s classrooms this year.

We’ll share more about SF Parents’ key priorities for the year ahead—shaped directly by your important input, and discuss our advocacy agenda with the District.

This is a great opportunity to connect with fellow parents, stay informed about district developments, and help shape our collective voice for San Francisco students and families.

As always, our community meetings are great opportunities to learn more about what’s going on at SFUSD and how you can make your parent voice, ideas, and concerns heard.

Update your information with SF Parents Coalition

Have you changed schools, emails, or want to hear more about specific issues you care about? Take a minute to update your contact info so we can keep you looped in on the work happening in your school community and citywide.

Don’t forget to check out the Our 415 Program, led by the San Francisco Department of Children, Youth, and Their Families (DCYF). Our415 is your source for everything San Francisco has for young people and families. It’s your one-stop-shop for programs and resources from the City and County of San Francisco and its nonprofit partners. For more information, visit the Our 415 website at www.our415.org.

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SF Parents Coalition is a 501c3 nonprofit that centers the needs of children and youth in San Francisco public schools by bringing together a diverse network of parents and caregivers to advocate for a thriving, equitable school system.

Join as a member, volunteer, or donate to support our work!

SF Parent Action is our affiliate 501c4 organization that empowers public school parents in San Francisco to advocate for policy change and local candidates who support public school families and students. 

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