Dear SF Parent,

As the dust settles from this month’s strike, our community is turning its focus from challenges to solutions. Parents, teachers, and city leaders alike are grappling with real challenges facing SFUSD, but we’re also seeing renewed energy from families who want to be part of building a stronger path forward together.

Below, you’ll find updates on the solutions taking shape – from our advocacy work with city and state leaders, to what families need to know right now about district decisions, and opportunities to stay connected and engaged with the SF Parents community (join us at our Parents’ Night Out on 3/12!).

It’s been in our DNA since we started in 2020; when parents are met with a crisis, they look for solutions and create opportunities. Both before and during the strike we heard from you that you wanted to be solutions-oriented—working across the table with teachers, parents, the district, and the city—to go after the funding our schools need now more than ever. With SFUSD facing already planned cuts, further declining enrollment and thus revenue, and in a district already under state oversight, our kids need adults to collaborate now more than ever.

We avoid magical thinking tendencies and are the first to admit that SFUSD has a budget problem, but we also recognize that there are opportunities to fix the problem together. Yesterday our new state funding advocacy committee met, and last week our city funding advocacy workgroup was joined by representatives of the Mayor’s Office, President Mandelman’s office, and former Controller Ben Rosenfield. Parents discussed Educational Revenue Augmentation Fund (ERAF) / set aside reform and the opportunity to bring more funding, flexibility, and accountability to our schools so we can meet the expenses and demands of the current moment (boosting teacher salaries, benefits, and more). While the city currently funds 16% of SFUSD’s overall budget – significant compared to most urban districts across CA – could there be room for more funding and/or flexibility towards the greatest needs that will serve our kids most directly?

Overview of City budgeted funding for SFUSD provided by the Mayor’s Office.

Parents are also raising creative solutions such as advancing a clear charter reform proposal for the November ballot, improving transparency around how education dollars flow through programs like the Student Success Fund, and exploring new revenue ideas – including concepts like a value-added tax (VAT) on private school tuition. And several of you have come by our office to grab a few dozen “I love my public school” signs to distribute to fellow SFUSD parents in your communities. For those of you still eager to get involved in one of these ways, you can do that here.

This work also connects directly to the broader SF Parents coalition efforts underway through our SF Kids Can’t Wait campaign. Stabilizing school funding isn’t just about closing budget gaps. We need to protect and strengthen the academic reforms families like you have fought for. New curriculum adoptions and implementation in literacy and math, professional development for teachers, and transparency for parents all require sustained, predictable investment to succeed. Reform without follow-through funding will not deliver the student outcomes our kids deserve.

As these advocacy conversations move forward, we are looking to our Board of Education and City leadership to help steer us through these uncertainties. Leadership is not just taking advantage of a good photo op but demonstrating commitment, policy solutions and bold measures that put our city’s kids first.

What direction will the BOE give SFUSD about how to realign resources toward classrooms, schools, and teacher support? How will funding decisions reflect their stated commitments to academic improvement and student achievement? And when will families receive clear answers to the many open questions about next year’s programs and staffing? Families are ready to be a part of the solution. We are asking district and city leaders to meet that energy with clarity, collaboration, and action.

• Layoffs in the District: At Tuesday’s Board meeting, the Superintendent presented the first round of budget-related staff reductions, known as “Particular Kinds of Services” (PKS) layoffs. The district issued preliminary notices for 42 full-time positions, far fewer than last year’s 298 due to improved financial management and stronger position control (more on that below). The final number is expected to drop after retirements and resignations. These notices are a routine part of the budget cycle, and no schools are currently losing art, music, or counselor positions as a result of this vote, though that was not clearly communicated at first. Next week, the Board will review proposed changes to Central Office administrative positions. We will continue tracking how these decisions affect school-based services. For more on how the layoff (“pink slip”) process works, see our explainer here.

• Stronger position control = fewer surprises: Position control is the system SFUSD uses to track funded staff positions, where those staff are assigned, and how they align with enrollment and revenue. We’re very encouraged to see that SFUSD has strengthened this system to the point where it now has a clearer, real-time understanding of its staffing commitments – an issue we have been pressing the district on since 2022. The significant reduction in preliminary layoff notices compared to last year reflects more disciplined staffing and budgeting, which is a meaningful step toward the financial stability families have long demanded.

• Making up for missed days due to the strike: On Tuesday, Dr. Su shared a letter with families stating that there are currently no changes to the 2025–2026 academic calendar or graduation dates due to missed days from the strike, though that could change as discussions continue. We understand that this isn’t a simple decision or one that rests with any single individual – multiple stakeholders and processes are involved. At the same time, we know families are trying to plan for summer childcare and graduations. We will continue encouraging the district to provide as much clarity and advance notice as possible as these decisions move forward.

• Other questions parents are asking: We’ve heard from a lot of you asking for updates on when or how the district will make up for days of school missed do to the strike. We’ve also heard from you with questions about the 2026-27 school year, including whether there will be 7 periods in certain middle schools and decisions on 8th grade algebra implementation. We are pushing the district to give parents updates on these important programs, and will share more information as soon as we have it.

Join SF Parents for our first in-person hangout of 2026! It’s been a heavy season for the SFUSD community, so let’s take a moment to recharge together. Come meet amazing parents from across the city, connect with our team, hear the latest updates, and be part of what comes next. Your RSVP includes a complimentary drink + delicious food! Bring a friend, bring your questions, and come build community with us!