San Francisco’s public school leaders share what’s really happening in their schools
San Francisco’s public schools are at a critical juncture, facing compounding challenges that affect students, educators, and schools. As San Francisco Unified School District (SFUSD) navigates a severe budget crisis, schools continue to grapple with staffing shortages, inequitable academic outcomes, and increasing student needs. Despite these obstacles, resilient school leaders and educators remain deeply committed to their students and school communities.
The San Francisco Education Fund (SF Ed Fund) is uniquely positioned to assess the realities of San Francisco’s highest-benefit* schools due to its deep, embedded relationships within school communities. To this end, we set out to gather and share insights and perspectives of a slice of SFUSD school personnel weathering the current complexities. While existing reports on the state of large urban public school districts often focus on broad statistical trends, this report prioritizes the lived experiences of educators and students in San Francisco’s highest-benefit schools, providing a more nuanced understanding of the challenges they face.
Overall, we heard that there is an urgent need for immediate interventions in the midst of the budget crisis. This includes:
- Flexibility for individual schools to support student sense of belonging within
their own communities - Prioritizing solutions that strengthen academic outcomes
- Creative thinking around staffing to provide and retain essential personnel at each school
Our hope is that this information will illustrate the most pressing issues facing many SFUSD schools, shine light on bright spots, and give the broader community ideas to contribute to improved outcomes for our highest-benefit SFUSD students.