THIS WEEK AT THE VOICE FOR THURSDAY, MAY 29, 2025
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San Francisco’s bureaucrats really need to read the room
by Mike Ege
Editor in Chief, The Voice of San Francisco
John Trasviña, our intrepid courts and education correspondent, has done it again.
This week, he broke the story of how San Francisco Unified School District leadership appeared to be sneaking a new “grading for equity” policy affecting over 10,000 high school students through the back door, apparently to implement it while avoiding scrutiny or feedback from either school board members, parents, or the public.
This came after years of political upheaval at the district, including successful recalls of school board members over a lack of transparency and a predilection for policies that prioritized narrow ideological imperatives over student outcomes.
John’s article has rightly caught fire. It has reached millions of eyeballs via social media and streaming news networks, such as NewsNation, which interviewed him about the article. Local leaders including Mayor Daniel Lurie condemned the proposal. Later in the day, SFUSD Superintendent Maria Su announced that she would pause the policy.
This isn’t the first time John has broken important stories about our schools. In March, he reported on how SFUSD fell out of compliance with state vaccination requirements during a period of national concern over measles outbreaks. Last December, he was first to break the story about the District’s teacher buyout plan.
Nor is this the first time The Voice revealed deliberate disregard for public opinion by San Francisco’s public agencies. Last March, Susan Dyer Reynolds filed an exclusive story on how San Francisco Department of Public Health bureaucrats were caught discussing how to continue to promote “harm reduction” based drug policies in the face of opposition by the public and elected officials.
Our city’s bureaucrats, and those who enable them, need to start reading the room. These are not reflexive attacks on expertise-based policies spurred on by misinformation. They represent public outrage over an allegiance to long-discredited policies by path-dependent bureaucracies and self-dealing nonprofits.
The public is watching. So are we.
Check out links to our latest content below, or just bookmark our homepage to see the latest.
Top News
EDUCATION
Grading for Equity coming to San Francisco high schools this fall
District materials highlight a decrease in A grades for ‘more privileged’ students.
(Editor’s Note: Since this story ran in The Voice this week, SFUSD announced that they are pausing the plan.)
Without seeking approval of the San Francisco Board of Education, Superintendent of Schools Maria Su plans to unveil a new Grading for Equity plan on Tuesday that will go into effect this fall at 14 high schools and cover over 10,000 students. The school district is already negotiating with an outside consultant to train teachers in August in a system that awards a passing C grade to as low as a score of 41 on a 100-point exam.
Were it not for an intrepid school board member, the drastic change in grading with implications for college admissions and career readiness would have gone unnoticed and unexplained. It is buried in a three-word phrase on the last page of a PowerPoint presentation embedded in the school board meeting’s 25-page agenda.
CITY HALL
Troll road: Political alliances and the Engardio recall
What some characterize as a conspiracy is the legacy of a long-standing political coalition against development in San Francisco — one that could now be returned to power at City Hall if Engardio is successfully recalled.
by Mike Ege
TRANSPORTATION
Here’s what Muni riders need to know about summer service changes
Transit officials previously said that the route restructuring is part of cost reductions aimed at closing a $50 million budget deficit that the agency projected at the start of the fiscal year, July 1.
by Jerold Chinn
Quote of the week
“Same reaction I had. “Dude, it’s not even 8 a.m. That is not the image I want seared onto my retina for the foreseeable future.”
—Will Durst ponders the city’s growing naked people problem
Nomi toon
In Case You Missed It
VOICE BOX
Drug-free transitional housing at Marina Inn can help clean up our streets
The Salvation Army program does not risk our children’s safety– it protects it.
by Bill Maher
ASIAN VOICES
Asian values are American values: Civic pride
What began as a way to get out of the house during lockdown became something deeper — a small way to care for the place we call home.
by Vince Yuen
NEWS
San Francisco’s newest Asian American grassroots groups just got a major boost – and a platform of their own
New initiative will bring strengthen community organizations with a focus on safety, belonging, and long-term prosperity.
by Susan Dyer Reynolds
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EVENTS
Out and about May 29 through June 4, 2025
What to do this week and beyond!
By Lynette Majer
Managing Editor, The Voice of San Francisco
Happy sorta summertime! The weather certainly seems like it will be cooperating for the outdoor street festivals this weekend, and there are also some musical choices from The Dead to classical to Motown, plus the beloved Bouquets to Art, and more. Read on for my picks.
Thursday, May 29
The 2025 S.F. Documentary Festival (DocFest) opens tonight at the Roxie with the comedy Rebel with a Clause about a pop-up grammar advice stand on a road trip “to show that comma fights can bring us closer together in a divided time”; and Peaches Goes Bananas, about the trailblazing feminist queer icon. Films in 28 categories will be screened and are also available for virtual viewing. Through June 8. Tickets: $20
Friday, May 30
Dead Heads unite at the second installment of the Magic Theatre’s Grateful Fridays. Meet at the theater (Building D, third floor) for cocktails and Dead spins, then head to the Fort Mason Night Market for music by the Sunshine Garcia Band, then back to the theater for an acoustic set with Rory McNamara and Friends. Scenes from the upcoming musical, Jerry Garcia in the Lower Mission will also be performed. Tickets: from $40
Saturday, May 31
Now in its 45th year, the Escape from Alcatraz Triathlon, considered a must-do for triathletes, is this weekend. The Pro Race on Saturday includes a 2k bay swim, 80k bike ride through the Presidio and Sea Cliff, and an 18k run along the San Francisco Bay Trail. Sunday is the 1.5-mile swim from The Rock, and more running and biking. Visit the website for road closure information; it is estimated roads will be reopened by 11 a.m. Free viewing.
It’s unofficially summer after Memorial Day, and right on its heels is the kick-off of the street fairs with the Union Street Festival. Expect the usual lineup of live music, arts and crafts, food trucks, cocktails, and the beloved waiters’ race where teams of servers race up and down the street with a serving tray and drinks in a relay. New this year, San FranPsycho will be live screen-printing official festival t-shirts featuring art by Amos Goldbaum. Also, be sure to visit the Helpers Artisan Boutique, which displays the work of talented artists with developmental disabilities. Through Sunday. Free.
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