The first Board meeting heading into the 2026-27 school year focused largely on how the Board and Superintendent will organize, govern, and measure progress in the year ahead.
During public comment, we largely heard from “Tech in Check” parents advocating for restrictions on digital devices in schools and teachers supporting a fellow Galileo teacher who was involved in a physical altercation with a student.
Item G – Governance Calendar
Dates listed here on the Supplemental Calendar (the Regular Calendar is just the dates of the BOE meetings).
The Board approved its Governance Calendar for the next two school years, laying out regular meetings, progress monitoring, study sessions, trainings, and several major policy decisions. You can see the full Supplemental Calendar and Governance Calendar.
The most notable part of the discussion was Commissioners pushing for greater clarity around timelines and deadlines for several major initiatives:
- Commissioner Gupta asked for key dates related to the consolidation recommendation. Dr. Su did not provide a specific date, and President Kim identified October 2027, around the Enrollment Fair, as a logical deadline.
- Commissioner Ray asked for a timeline for the new Mandarin Immersion school. Dr. Su said the short-term site will be announced in October 2026, with a long-term site identified within a year.
- Commissioner Huling emphasized the need for clearer deadlines overall, particularly when major decisions intersect with enrollment and annual staffing timelines.
The calendar is a good starting point, and it was encouraging to see Commissioners pushing for more specificity. Families need to know not only when major decisions will be made, but when and how they can weigh in along the way.
The Board approved the calendar unanimously, 7-0.
Item H.1 – Board of Education Mid-Year Self-Evaluation
The Board submitted its self-evaluation, but there was no document presented for public review. Instead, Board advisor AJ Crabill shared several observations and recommendations that we hope the Board takes seriously:
- The Board could do a better job handling routine business efficiently.
- More meetings do not necessarily mean better governance. Crabill cautioned the Board not to “test the outer limits of meeting frequency,” noting that too many meetings make it harder for the public to participate and keep up.
- Late-night meetings aren’t meaningful transparency if families and community members can’t realistically stay engaged.
Item H.2 – Update on Progress Towards Superintendent’s Short-Term Metrics
Executive Team organizational chart here. Superintendent Progress Document as of June 19 here. Dr. Su’s update focused largely on classroom staffing and the realignment of her Executive Cabinet.
There was some important good news:
- SFUSD is starting the year with 96% of classrooms staffed with a qualified teacher, up from 95% last year and continuing an important improvement from prior years.
- Deputy Superintendent of Educational Services John Davis Jr. is now in place, filling a major leadership vacancy.
The General Counsel and Director of Communications positions remain open following recent leadership transitions. The district is actively hiring for both roles but could not share much publicly about the timelines.
Overall, there are real signs of greater stability as the new school year begins. As the district continues to build out its leadership team, we’ll be watching to see how that stability translates into stronger implementation and, most importantly, better outcomes for students.
We also hope to see the Board and Dr. Su continue building a strong working relationship this year, with support, clear communication, hard questions, and accountability all being part of moving SFUSD forward.