The first job for the San Francisco Unified School District’s new head of communications and governance may be to explain the unique circumstances surrounding her selection and hiring.
Following opposition from teacher union leaders, parents, and students, the school board voted 6–1 Tuesday night to create the position and immediately approve Hong Mei Pang’s contract, which had been signed in December. Commissioner Supryia Ray dissented and was joined by two student delegates who cast advisory votes against the position. While Pang brings strong school district and City Hall insider credentials and experience, the hiring process preceding her appointment tests an already fragile trust relationship between the district and the families and educators it serves.
In attempting to address concerns about the hiring previously reported in The Voice, the school district opened more areas of concern about transparency and process. At the meeting, teachers and parents in public comment objected to the hiring of yet another top central office administrator at the same time the district plans to lay off 535 teachers and paraprofessionals. According to a March 2024 teacher union budget analysis, San Francisco spends 96 percent more per enrolled student on supervisory central office staff than the statewide average. Almost 10 percent of school district staff work at headquarters and not at school sites.
New Superintendent Maria Su told board members and the public that the position was crucial for her to be successful and mollified what board members described as their initial skepticism by explaining that the hiring was “budget neutral.” The two student delegates to the Board of Education pushed back by noting that the money associated with the position ($220,000 starting salary plus more than $50,000 in benefits) could otherwise be spent on teachers at schools. Su stated that the position will be paid from unspent administrator funds from her office. Commissioner Alida Fisher responded that school sites are told that unspent funds are already slated for deficit reduction. This hiring decision was not budget neutral when it relied on money that would have saved two to three staff layoffs or cut the deficit.
Hong Mei Pang’s hiring process tests an already fragile trust relationship between the district and the families and educators it serves.
District staff acknowledged that the job was posted in December (before it was created) for the minimum allowable period of five days, attracted four applicants, and was completed in three weeks with the final interview conducted solely by the superintendent. The superintendent admitted that, while the job is titled head of communications and governance, it has no governance responsibilities and could be accurately described as “communications and external relations.” The mislabeling of the position helped avoid the question why this additional position is “crucial” when the Superintendent’s cabinet already has an executive director of communications and external affairs.
While there is general consensus, even among district leaders and state fiscal advisors, that the school district needs to strengthen its governance practices, it must be careful in doing so. Commissioner Fisher pointed out the considerable risk of a conflict of interest when placing the board’s own staff under an administrator who reports directly to the superintendent. Board members, who are part-time, depend on their staff to help them fulfill their significant oversight and information-gathering responsibilities. Fisher pointed out that, in other districts, board staff are supervised by the general counsel.
The newly appointed head of communications and governance is the beneficiary of a favorable severance package for top-level administrators that is typically bestowed by the San Francisco Unified School District, but not by other school districts. The contract comes with six months additional pay if Pang is laid off. If the district cannot afford to keep the position into the next budget year starting in July, the severance payout will be larger than the salary earned. Meanwhile, educators and paraprofessionals who are laid off get no such compensation.
When the new head of communications and governance starts work in February, removing the cloud over the position (which there is no suggestion she had a hand in) will help restore the community trust needed for the district to be successful. The superintendent could clearly explain why this role is different from the other senior communications post and work with the board on developing conflict protocols to improve supervision and productivity of board staff. The board and superintendent could consider adopting Mayor Lurie’s hiring freeze or at least eliminate a central office position whenever it adds one. Finally, it could end the overly generous severance package for central office administrators that it admits most other districts do not offer and are not made available to classroom staff. Public servants routinely forego private sector perks. Can the district afford to act otherwise?
