SF Ed Fund Honors Guadalupe Elementary with the Glady Thacher Award
San Francisco, CA – September 26, 2025 – At its annual Back-to-School Gala, the San Francisco Education Fund (SF Ed Fund) presented the Glady Thacher Award to Guadalupe Elementary School in recognition of the school’s extraordinary advancement of student success and sense of belonging.
This year’s award carries special meaning, as the SF Ed Fund remembers and honors its beloved founder, Gladys “Glady” Thacher, who passed away in April. She was 95. A lifelong advocate for public education and social justice, Glady’s vision of equity, innovation, and collaboration continues to guide the organization’s mission and inspire its work with schools across San Francisco.
Created in Glady’s honor in 2022, the award recognizes a school, nonprofit, or corporate partner that exemplifies equity, creativity, collaboration, student-centeredness, and meaningful outcomes in partnership with the SF Ed Fund. This year, three schools were nominated for their outstanding contributions: Guadalupe Elementary School, Mission High School, and Thurgood Marshall High School.
Guadalupe Elementary (859 Prague St.), under the leadership of Principal Raj Sharma, stood out for its transformative community-driven initiatives. With SF Ed Fund support, the school has implemented high-impact literacy tutoring, Educator Impact Grants, and robust volunteer engagement, helping boost reading growth and school culture. Chronic absenteeism dropped from nearly 50% to 25% in just two years, thanks in part to a student-led soccer initiative and the installation of a new turf field – which received seed funding from the SF Ed Fund as a $10,000 Educator Impact Grant – an effort that has fostered belonging, pride, and healthier attendance.
“Guadalupe Elementary is proof of what’s possible when schools and communities come together to meet student needs,” said Ann Levy Walden, CEO of the SF Ed Fund. “Their approach to attendance, literacy advancement, and student belonging truly embodies Glady’s legacy of equity and partnership. We are proud to recognize Guadalupe with this year’s award.”
“Winning the Glady Thacher Award is a tremendous honor for the entire Guadalupe community. This recognition celebrates our families, students, and staff, whose engagement and partnership make everything possible,” said Principal Raj Sharma. “Through initiatives like our student-led soccer program—which has not only improved attendance but also strengthened pride and connection—we’ve seen firsthand how creating a sense of belonging transforms a school. With the SF Ed Fund’s support, we’ve built a culture where every child feels valued, every family feels included, and together we’re proving that community-driven efforts can change lives.”
The other nominees, Mission High School and Thurgood Marshall High School, were also recognized for their exceptional commitments to student success. Mission High advances innovative attendance strategies and hosted 49 SF Ed Fund volunteers – the most in the district – connecting students with mentorship and career exploration opportunities. Thurgood Marshall supported families through its Family Relief Fund, transformed lunch into an inclusive community-building experience, and adopted a pioneering zero-tolerance cell phone policy that strengthened academic engagement with support of an SF Ed Fund Educator Impact Grant.
The award was presented onstage at the Back-to-School Gala on Sept. 25 in front of more than 300 community leaders, educators, and supporters.
About the Glady Thacher Award
Following the passage of Proposition 13 in 1978, which sharply reduced public education funding in California, Glady Thacher founded the San Francisco Education Fund to bring community resources into public schools. Her trailblazing vision established the first third-party intermediary in the nation dedicated to connecting private-sector support with public schools. Today, the award in her name honors organizations that embody her legacy of creativity, equity, and deep partnership in support of San Francisco’s students.
About the San Francisco Education Fund
The San Francisco Education Fund (SF Ed Fund) advances equitable education by providing quality learning programs, community support, and financial resources to students, educators and schools. The SF Ed Fund was founded in 1979 as a response to Proposition 13 decimating funding for public education in California, and since then we have consistently mobilized the San Francisco community to champion equitable access to quality education for all public school students. As the first third-party intermediary in the nation focused solely on uplifting local public school teachers, students, and their schools, the SF Ed Fund has spent 45 years building a powerful legacy of community engagement and quality learning.