Newsletter – November 3, 2025

November 3, 2025

Here’s the Latest at SFUSD:

• Literacy and math program adoptions are still off track. SFUSD’s evaluator, TNTP, found the district is still off track in ensuring every student receives grade-level instruction. We dive into this further, below.

• Staffing crisis in Special Education. How many “RSP” vacancies does your school have? Please report vacancies to us here. We’re seeing reports that as many as 37–48% of schools are understaffed in special education, leaving some of our most vulnerable students without critical supports.

• School closures and school assignment system changes? Announced at the last Board of Education meeting, both are now back on the table. Read our Parent Perspectives report on why the 2023–2024 attempt at school closures failed.

• Principals reach a deal with SFUSD. After a frustrating process, UASF landed a tentative agreement deal with SFUSD including an overdue raise.

• Budget town halls begin. SFUSD started its budget road show last week, bringing information to communities and gathering input on what to prioritize amid continued cuts.

• NEW! from Yours Truly: SF Parents are taking SFUSD accountability to next level with the launch of our SFUSD Tracker, allowing families to track district progress toward student outcomes goals and to hold our leaders accountable to SF’s kids.

Launching the SFUSD Tracker

How many times have you wondered how SFUSD is doing with making progress towards reading and math goals for students, but unsure of how to find the answer? SF Parents is excited to announce the launch of our SFUSD Tracker — a new public tool built as part of our SF Kids Can’t Wait campaign to bring transparency, accountability, and urgency to improving student outcomes across San Francisco public schools.

Before now, it has been nearly impossible for families to know if the district is improving, and how it is progressing towards meeting goals for students. The SFUSD Tracker changes that. It gives parents and community members a clear, accessible view of how our district is performing over time, across key areas that matter most for kids.

This is about making the district’s promises measurable—and making sure SFUSD students don’t have to wait another five years for results.

Literacy and Math Updates at Recent Board of Education Meeting

At last week’s Board of Education meeting, the district shared data on the percentage of classrooms implementing the recently adopted K-8 reading and math programs. The findings from TNTP, external evaluator, showed that SFUSD remains off track in the adoption of its new evidence-based literacy and math programs (started last year and this year, respectively). The biggest headline is that schools with stable, returning leadership and fully staffed teams showed stronger implementation of high-quality instruction, especially in math.

For literacy, curriculum use in classrooms rose from 73% last spring to 77% this fall, progress that’s encouraging but still short of the 85% goal. For math, 65% of classrooms were using the new curriculum this fall. However, the program adoption just began this school year, and we expect that number to rise over the course of the year. (Sidenote: Curious about the new math curriculum? Join us for our 3-part math workshop series with families and educators).

The district shared a Plan for Improvement, including coaching for elementary principals and instructional coaches, additional learning walks to monitor implementation, and more professional development for teachers. While these are important steps, parents and commissioners noted what’s missing: teacher perspectives and more support for middle schools. Board President Phil Kim pressed the district to prioritize investments in coaching and direct classroom support as part of upcoming budget discussions, underscoring that the district cannot wait another year for fuller implementation.

SF Kids Can’t Wait Demands

These results underscore and remind us why parent and teacher leaders launched our SF Kids Can’t Wait campaign. While there are some early promising signs, without systemwide follow-through from the district, the gains reach only a few schools, leaving too many students behind.

With our SFUSD Tracker, families can now see, at a glance, whether the district is living up to its promises.

1. Help struggling students right away with small-group and targeted interventions.
2. Tell families how their kids are doing. STAR, SBAC, and report card data should be reviewed with families (and in middle school—students) during conferences.
3. Implement high-quality curriculum with integrity in every classroom, consistently and as intended.
4. Support teachers all year, not just once. Ensure that teachers have the supports they need to help every child succeed.

As we close out this week’s newsletter, a reminder that this coming weekend SF Parents will celebrate FIVE years of advocacy! Over the past five years, SF Parents has grown from a handful of determined parents into a movement thousands strong—united by a belief that San Francisco’s kids deserve the very best public schools.

Join us as we celebrate our 5-Year Anniversary! On Sunday, 11/9 at the Geneva Powerhouse we will announce the incredible parent leaders being honored at this year’s Kids Champions Awards—individuals whose courage, persistence, and creativity have made our wins possible.

Event Details
When: Sunday, November 9, Doors open at 1 PM
Where: Geneva Car Barn & Powerhouse, San Francisco
What to Expect: Food, drinks, fun activities, and Kids Champions Awards program, presented by State Sen. Scott Wiener, Superintendent Maria Su, and former BOE commissioner Jenny Lam.

Your presence helps honor their leadership and fuels the next five years of progress toward making SFUSD one of the most equitable, high-achieving school districts in the nation. See you on Sunday!

WAS THIS EMAIL HELPFUL?

📬 FORWARD ME TO A FRIEND! 📬

Or, received this email from a friend? Subscribe here

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!

Update your newsletter language preference here.

在此處更新您的首選語言，開始及時接收中文或西班牙文訊息。

Actualice su preferencia de idioma aquí para comenzar a recibir comunicaciones oportunas en español en lugar de inglés.

SF Parent Action es nuestra afiliada 501c4 que empodera a las familias de escuelas públicas a abogar por cambios de política y candidatos locales que apoyen a estudiantes y familias.