NOVEMBER 2024 VOTER GUIDE
BOARD OF EDUCATION
What is the Board of Education?
The Board of Education oversees and makes decisions for the San Francisco Unified School District (SFUSD), controlling the budget and working with the Superintendent to set school policy.
The board has seven commissioners who serve four-year terms—four seats on the board are up for election this year.
The four seats up for election currently belong to Matt Alexander, Kevine Boggess, Jenny Lam, and Mark Sanchez. Only Alexander is running to retain his seat, however.
Why You Should Care
San Francisco’s public schools are in serious trouble. SFUSD faces a $420 million budget deficit due to years of declining enrollment and inefficient use of resources. In the next year, the Board of Education will need to make extremely difficult, likely unpopular decisions about staffing levels and school consolidation. If the board continues to kick the can down the road, SFUSD runs the risk of going bankrupt by 2025, or being taken over by the state. San Francisco’s school district needs sensible, strong leadership now so the district can rebuild and get its finances in order.
Our Vision for This Office
SFUSD needs practical board members who are willing to make hard decisions that are in the district’s best interest. That means real problem solvers, parents, and people familiar with the intricacies of SFUSD—not people just using the position as a springboard for higher office.
✅ Jaime Huling
Jaime Huling is an attorney in the Oakland City Attorney’s office, SFUSD mom, and she’s impressed parents at SF Parent Action endorsement meetings with her willingness to tackle difficult issues and focus on effective, back-to-basics governance. Huling is a problem-solver—she supports the superintendent’s fiscal plan to get the district’s finances in order, and wants to focus on improving transportation options for students to help chronic absenteeism. We’re endorsing Jaime Huling for the Board of Education because she prioritizes accountability and puts student outcomes and well-being first.
John Jersin might have the most high-level managerial experience of anyone in the race or on the school board right now. Currently a startup investor, advisor, and board director for a wide range of Bay Area businesses, Jersin was previously the Vice President of Talent Solutions at LinkedIn, joining the company after LinkedIn acquired his startup Connectifier in 2016. With two daughters about to enter SFUSD, Jersin has a deeply personal interest in SFUSD’s success. Jersin believes that SFUSD has been mismanaged for years, and an accountable, effective school board can repair it by fixing the budget, making the hiring process more efficient for teachers, and creating more stimulating programming for students. We’re endorsing John Jersin for the Board of Education because he has the experience to manage a large, complicated organization like SFUSD, and the right priorities to put San Francisco’s schools back on track.
✅ John Jersin
✅ Parag Gupta
Parag Gupta has a deep knowledge of SFUSD’s history, the key people in the district, and what it will take to stabilize San Francisco’s schools. Gupta is a public school parent, a new member of San Francisco’s Democratic County Central Committee, and the Chief Program Officer at affordable housing nonprofit Mercy Housing. He believes that excellent schools need to start with two fundamentals: solid funding and accountable leadership. To get SFUSD there, Gupta is ready to make difficult budget decisions, and has a detailed plan to tackle declining enrollment, including revising the lottery system; offering Algebra I to eighth graders; and expanding AP access to all schools districtwide. We’re endorsing Parag Gupta for the Board of Education because he’s focused on fiscal responsibility, student outcomes, and aligning school resources with their needs.
Supryia Ray has been involved in her children’s SFUSD education for years. She was an early member of the predecessor to SF Parent Action, proposing outdoor classrooms in 2021 to get San Francisco kids back in a safe learning environment, and her understanding of the district and its key stakeholders will serve her well on the Board of Education. Ray has made increasing enrollment a central focus of her platform, and believes SFUSD needs to fix the basics like finances, staffing, and school safety to bring more students to the district. She was a major force in bringing Algebra 1 back to eighth grade, raising funds, speaking at debates, and distributing flyers in support of this year’s Proposition G ballot measure. We’re endorsing Supryia Ray for the Board of Education because she has grassroots experience organizing SFUSD parents, and the understanding of what San Francisco students need to achieve at a high level.
✅ Supryia Ray
Paid for by TogetherSF Action. Not authorized by any candidate or a committee controlled by a candidate. Financial disclosures are available at sfethics.org.