Everyone seems to have an opinion about what’s wrong with the San Francisco Unified School District (SFUSD). But after 16 years as an SFUSD parent, volunteer, and now educator, I see something different: a district that works hard to serve all its students, and often succeeds.
Both of my daughters graduated from SFUSD schools and are now studying in competitive majors at the University of California campuses. One is headed to U.C. Davis to study computer science; the other is at U.C. San Diego, majoring in psychology. Their achievements are real — and so is our family’s gratitude.
My younger daughter, a recent graduate of Lincoln High, struggled for years with selective mutism and social anxiety. But through a Career Technical Education (CTE) course in digital media design — and with the patient support of teachers, administrators, and PTSA volunteers — she gained the confidence to present a Python-coded website on social anxiety at a Mission Bit fundraiser. The girl who once couldn’t speak in class now speaks to crowds.
My older daughter, a transplant patient since age four, was the reason we moved to San Francisco for long-term medical care. For years, we worried she’d never be physically active. Then a coach at Hoover Middle encouraged her to compete in a citywide track meet. That changed everything. She went on to co-captain a dragon boat team and graduated from Lowell High with honors. Thanks to her 504 plan and the support of compassionate educators, she found her strength.
I know SFUSD isn’t perfect. I was one of its critics. I saw how the district listened, adjusted, and moved forward.
I know SFUSD isn’t perfect. A decade ago, I was one of its critics. That’s why I got involved — first at my daughters’ schools, then at the district level. I helped parents successfully advocate for their children to enroll in advanced summer math courses after SFUSD delayed the implementation of eighth-grade algebra. I saw how the district listened, adjusted, and moved forward.
Over time, I watched SFUSD embrace a more inclusive approach. It no longer treated excellence and equity as opposing goals, and began to see equity as a path to excellence. I watched it reform the once-discriminatory Parent Advisory Council into the now-inclusive Local Control and Accountability Plan (LCAP)Advisory Committee, with representation from over a dozen parent groups. I saw the district invest heavily in its educators, securing a historic 30 percent pay increase to keep talent in the classroom. And when it faced a budget crisis, SFUSD stepped back from plans to close schools, choosing instead a buyout plan to avoid teacher layoffs.
Like any institution with 10,000 employees, SFUSD makes mistakes. But as a parent, educator, and longtime volunteer, I’ve come to see it as a work in progress — one that deserves support, not just criticism. Constructive feedback works. So does collaboration. I’ve seen what’s possible when parents, teachers, and administrators work together.
There’s a saying: “What you focus on expands.” Let’s focus on what’s working. Let’s celebrate student success stories. Let’s act not just as watchdogs, but as partners in helping SFUSD fulfill its mission. We can hold the district accountable while still believing in it.
That’s what it means to be a “warm demander”: to say, “We support you. You may not always get it right, but we’re here to help you try again. We believe in you.”
Thank you, SFUSD, for all you’ve given to my daughters — and so many others. Now it’s our turn to give back, to advocate, and to defend the promise of public education.
