SFUSD BOE Meeting Cheat Sheet – 3/24/26

Public commenting is an important opportunity to make your powerful voice heard. 

Let the S.F. Board of Education and SFUSD Leadership know how parents and caregivers feel, how the district can do better for our city’s kids, our teachers, our schools!  
Learn more about how to attend a meeting or make a public comment here..

Please note that as SF Parents is focused on our core issues, we only do
the summary/takes on the most pertinent agenda items related to our advocacy campaigns.

If you see that something on the BOE agenda is omitted, it is likely for this reason.

3/24/2026 Regular Meeting: Monitoring Workshop at 6:30pm:

• Full meeting agenda on BoardDocs here. 
• Zoom Link Here – Password: 238928.
• Agenda summary from SF Parent Coalition follows below.

SF PARENT’S SUMMARY: 

SFUSD remains SIGNIFICANTLY OFF TRACK in its student outcome goals for 3rd grade reading and 8th grade math. The Board will be asked to approve a new Math Placement Policy for middle school and to add 5 days this school year to address lost learning days from the teachers’ strike.

STUDENT OUTCOME AGENDA ITEMS

Item E.1   Discussion of Goal 1–3rd grade literacy and Interim Guardrail 3.2–use of data for instructional improvement  (presentation here and monitoring report here)

Goal 1 reads: The percentage of third-grade students reading at grade level as measured by state tests (SBAC ELA) will increase from 52% proficiency rate in October 2022 to 70% proficiency by October 2027. 

• SFUSD is SIGNIFICANTLY OFF TRACK, with overall 3rd Grade reading proficiency at 51.8% in January (down from 53.1% proficiency in the fall)
• Of observed classrooms, only 67% of Kindergarten through 5th grade classrooms are using the new reading curriculum materials. There are no clear expectations or systems in place to ensure consistent use of the adopted curriculum.
• Curriculum use is even lower during Designated English Language Development (ELD) and in mild/moderate Special Day Classrooms (SDC), where strong Tier 1 instruction is most critical.
• In response to Commissioners’ questions, SFUSD stated that “without coherence, consistency and strategic follow through across every department and division, we are not likely to see shifts in practices and therefore student outcomes…across elementary schools, we have not yet seen consistency in adequate instructional time for foundational skills and comprehension.”
• Interim Guardrail 3.2 reads: The percentage of PK-12 teachers reviewing data and progress monitoring for continuous improvement of instruction, as measured by a biannual staff survey, will increase from 53% in June 2025 to 58% in June 2026.
  • SFUSD is ON TRACK for Interim Guardrail 3.2; however, this means that only 67% of teachers are using data to improve instruction—and there is limited evidence that this is consistently translating into improved classroom practice or student outcomes.

Our take:

SFUSD is making some progress, with curriculum, assessments, and professional learning in place. The challenge is that these are not yet being implemented consistently across classrooms. Too many students are still experiencing inconsistent use of curriculum and gaps in foundational reading instruction—especially English Learners and students in SDC.

SFUSD must address gaps in coherence, oversight, and support to ensure that strong instruction is happening in every classroom. This is exactly why we launched our Kids Can’t Wait campaign—focused on ensuring curriculum is used with integrity and teachers are supported to deliver strong instruction every day.

Item E.2   Discussion of Goal 2–8th grade math (presentation here and monitoring report here)

Goal 2 reads: The percentage of eighth-grade students performing math at grade level as measured by the state test (SBAC Math) will increase from 42% proficiency rate in October 2022 to 65% proficiency by October 2027. 

SFUSD is SIGNIFICANTLY OFF TRACK, with 44% of 8th grade students demonstrating proficiency this winter

Student outcomes have remained flat or declined across grades, and none of the interim goals were met.

Classroom observations show that:

• Only 47% of classrooms demonstrated strong instructional practices
• Only 27% of classrooms demonstrated strong academic ownership, meaning students are not consistently doing the thinking and problem-solving required for math
• Only 50% of 6th–8th grade classrooms are on pace in the curriculum
• While more classrooms are using the adopted curriculum, instructional quality and student engagement remain inconsistent

The district also notes inconsistent instructional leadership and lack of coherence across schools, and observed 45 classrooms (including 30 elementary classrooms), though elementary findings were not included in this report

Our Take

The math data shows that increasing curriculum use alone is not improving student outcomes. The core issue is that students are not consistently experiencing strong math instruction—especially opportunities to explain their thinking, engage in problem-solving, and work with grade-level content. Gaps in pacing and uneven implementation mean many students are not even accessing the full standards.

SFUSD must move beyond adoption and ensure that strong math instruction is happening consistently across classrooms. This requires clear expectations for instruction and ongoing support for teachers to deliver it effectively.

Item F.2   Action item: add 5 instructional days to School Year 2025-26 (proposed calendar link, cover letter link) 

The SFUSD instructional calendar can only be changed with agreement from bargaining units. UESF and SEIU Local 1021 proposed adding 5 instructional days this school year to address lost learning time, while UASF proposed distributing those days over the next three years.

This item asks the Board to approve adding 5 days this year, extending the last day of instruction to June 10, 2026.

Note: The calendar for the upcoming meeting lists different end dates, including June 10 as the last day of school, June 6 as the last day for teachers, and June 5 as the last day for paraprofessionals. 

We are also concerned that parent feedback does not appear to be clearly reflected in this proposal, particularly regarding the decision to add all 5 days this year rather than consider alternatives, such as distributing the days over multiple years.

Item F.3   Action item: Revise SFUSD’s Math Placement Policy (presentation link, revised Board Policy link, Algebra I report link) 

The Board is being asked to approve SFUSD’s new Math Placement Policy for middle schools:

• In 19 SFUSD middle and K-8 schools, Algebra I will be offered in 8th grade as expanded math:
  • Students who meet academic criteria will be automatically enrolled in both Math 8 and Algebra I
    • These students can opt out of Algebra I and just take Math 8, OR
    • Students must meet with counselor and families and provide formal written consent to opt out of Math 8 and enroll only in Algebra I
  • Students who do not meet the criteria for automatic enrollment can choose to take Algebra I as an elective.
• At Hoover MS and Alice Fong Yu K-8, Compression Math is being offered as an accelerated pathway covering Math 6-8 and Algebra I over 3 years. All students will be enrolled in the course.

Our Take

• This updated Math Placement Policy shows what it looks like when parents and educators share feedback and the district responds. Thank you to the more than 400 families who advocated for expanded access to Algebra I. This is a positive shift from earlier proposals that required students to double up in math and creates more flexible pathways, while also increasing overall instructional time. This is an important step given that many students have not been receiving enough core math minutes to meet grade-level expectations. At the same time, the process to access these options, especially enrolling in Algebra I only, appears complex and may be difficult for families to navigate. Access to Algebra should not depend on how well a family can navigate the system, and SFUSD must ensure clear information, transparent data, and a simple, consistent process across schools. This policy may also create scheduling challenges, as students are initially placed in double math and then opt in or out of different pathways, requiring schedule changes. This could lead to disruptions in student learning, particularly in the first weeks of the school year. We would like to see SFUSD develop a clear plan to manage this transition and communicate that plan clearly to families and schools.

As a reminder – SF Parents’ community continues to demand from SFUSD:

AN INCREASED, DEMONSTRATED FOCUS ON STUDENTS:
We want to see the district’s clear plan and commitment to a baseline of excellence and equity across every SFUSD school. Without clarity, analysis, and follow-through on how decisions impact student outcomes, it’s impossible to know if SFUSD is truly prioritizing what matters most—student learning and success. Through our Kids Can’t Wait campaign, families continue to call for urgent improvements in literacy and math outcomes for SFUSD.

GREATER TRANSPARENCY AND COMMUNITY ACCESSIBILITY:
Families deserve open, honest communication about how decisions are made and how funds are spent. SFUSD must provide clear data and impact analysis for all major initiatives, including how they support student achievement. The Board should not approve budgets or plans without confidence in their accuracy or their impact on teaching and learning.

REAL ACCOUNTABILITY AND STRONG GOVERNANCE:

SFUSD must move beyond promises to consistent, measurable action. Strong governance from the Board of Education is essential to restoring trust and delivering results for students. Commissioners must remain focused on student outcomes, fiscal responsibility, and transparency, and hold district leadership accoun