{"id":47600,"date":"2026-04-10T12:10:27","date_gmt":"2026-04-10T19:10:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/occupysf.net\/?p=47600"},"modified":"2026-04-10T12:10:31","modified_gmt":"2026-04-10T19:10:31","slug":"meet-the-s-f-school-board-candidates-what-is-your-no-1-priority","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/occupysf.net\/index.php\/2026\/04\/10\/meet-the-s-f-school-board-candidates-what-is-your-no-1-priority\/","title":{"rendered":"Meet the S.F. school board candidates: What is your No. 1 priority?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https:\/\/newspack-missionlocal.s3.amazonaws.com\/mission\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/cropped-MMG_Headshots-3-scaled-1.jpg 2x\" height=\"80\" width=\"80\" src=\"https:\/\/newspack-missionlocal.s3.amazonaws.com\/mission\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/cropped-MMG_Headshots-3-scaled-1.jpg\" alt=\"A woman with blonde hair, wearing a teal sweater over a brown collared shirt, smiles at the camera against a plain light background.\">by\u00a0<strong><a href=\"https:\/\/missionlocal.org\/author\/marina-e-newman\/\">Marina Newman<\/a><\/strong> April 9, 2026 (MissionLocal.org)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/newspack-missionlocal.s3.amazonaws.com\/mission\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/School-Board-2026-780x585.png\" alt=\"Illustration of three school board members, Virginia Cheung, Brandee Marckmann, and Phil Kim, with &quot;School Board 2026&quot; text, pencils, and apples above their portraits.\"\/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Three candidates are facing off for one seat on the San Francisco School Board: Incumbent school board president Phil Kim, and two candidates who are attempting to unseat him.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Kim came under fire this year after SFUSD teachers went on strike for the first time in nearly 50 years, and shut down the city\u2019s public schools for a week.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>A special election this June will determine whether Kim keeps his seat and his presidency over the school board. If either of his challengers are elected, the board\u2019s vice president, Jaime Huling, will take over until the board votes on a new president.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/newspack-missionlocal.s3.amazonaws.com\/mission\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/mission-local-logo-300x300.jpg\" alt=\"Mission Local logo, with blue and orange lines on the shape of the Mission District\" class=\"wp-image-639216\"\/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Want the latest on the Mission and San Francisco? Sign up for our&nbsp;<strong>free daily newsletter<\/strong>&nbsp;below.Sign up<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Virginia Cheung, who joined the school board race in March, immediately following the strike, has already won the support of the United Educators of San Francisco, the union that led the strike and bargained with the district for higher wages and fully funded healthcare for teachers.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Though the race for the San Francisco school board is largely nonpartisan, the race has split along political lines. Both Cheung and the election\u2019s third candidate, Brandee Marckmann, have received endorsements from San Francisco\u2019s union leaders and progressive wing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The San Francisco Democratic Party and the moderate political interest group, Grow SF, along with the parent-led coalition S.F. Parents Action has thrown their support behind Kim, who was appointed by former Mayor London Breed in 2024.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/p\/DWzMe9xj1Kj\/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&amp;igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.broadstreetads.com\/assets\/32e312e4-42b6-47c9-b0f2-acbacf6454af.png\" alt=\"Paint for a Purpose 04\/2026\"\/><\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Every week,&nbsp;<em>Mission Local<\/em>&nbsp;will ask the candidates one question leading up to the June 2 election to see where they stand on major issues.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Our first question:&nbsp;<strong>What is your No. 1 priority if elected to the San Francisco school board?&nbsp;<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/newspack-missionlocal.s3.amazonaws.com\/mission\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Phil-Kim-640x640.png\" alt=\"Cartoon illustration of a person with short black hair, glasses, and a beige suit jacket over a white shirt, smiling against a pink circular background.\" class=\"wp-image-845795\"\/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-phil-kim\">Phil Kim<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Job<\/strong>: Deputy Director and Chief of Staff at the San Francisco Human Rights Commission<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Age<\/strong>: 35<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Residency<\/strong>: San Francisco<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Education<\/strong>: PhD in Education, UC Berkeley; master\u2019s in urban education policy from Loyola Marymount University; bachelor\u2019s in neuroscience from Bucknell University<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>SFUSD Experience<\/strong>: Charter school educator, SFUSD administrator and current school board president<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>As a former 7th grade science teacher and lifelong educator, I believe the most important relationship in any school system is between a teacher and a student.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>My number one priority is improving student outcomes by ensuring every classroom is led by a qualified and effective teacher. Teachers need consistent support, strong instructional systems, and the stability to focus on their students, not uncertainty about budgets or operations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>After years of fiscal mismanagement, we have begun to stabilize SFUSD\u2019s finances and operations. We cannot go backward. My focus is making sure we sustain that progress so every student, in every neighborhood, has access to the high-quality education they deserve.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><a href=\"https:\/\/odc.dance\/about-theater?utm_source=mission-local&amp;utm_medium=web&amp;utm_campaign=thr26\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.broadstreetads.com\/assets\/a495dfe3-6d58-455f-88af-204a02bfa93b.jpg\" alt=\"ODC Theater Spring Season\"\/><\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p><em><strong>Endorsed by:<\/strong>&nbsp;Mayor Daniel Lurie, Senator Scott Wiener, Assemblymember Matt Haney, Assemblymember Catherine Stefani, San Francisco Democratic Party \u2026 read more&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.philkim.org\/endorsements\">here<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/newspack-missionlocal.s3.amazonaws.com\/mission\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Virginia-Cheung.png\" alt=\"Illustration of a woman with medium-length black hair, wearing a red blazer and white shirt, shown inside a yellow circle.\" class=\"wp-image-845796\"\/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-virginia-cheung\">Virginia Cheung<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Job<\/strong>: Nonprofit executive<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Age<\/strong>: 42<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Residency<\/strong>: San Francisco<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Education<\/strong>: Bachelor\u2019s from UC Irvine in social ecology<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>SFUSD Experience<\/strong>: Parent of child at Alice Fong Yu, former director of Wu Yee Children\u2019s Services<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Our children deserve fully staffed, stable schools. They are our future, and they are depending on us. Excellence should be consistent in every classroom at every school. A child\u2019s future should not depend on luck.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>My first priority as a school board member is to build trust and strong partnerships with families, educators, and all school communities to ensure every student receives an excellent education.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>As the daughter of refugees, I saw firsthand how my non-English-speaking parents struggled to establish stability. I was fortunate to have a dedicated kindergarten teacher who supported me early on, helping me become the first in my family to graduate from college. With over 20 years of experience across maternal health, early education, cultural immersion, and arts education\u2014and as a former director at San Francisco\u2019s largest Head Start program \u2014 I\u2019ve seen how early support, strong educators, and stable systems can change a child\u2019s trajectory.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>As a full-time working mom and public school parent with a child at Alice Fong Yu and in the Wah Mei before and after-school program, I rely on a coordinated system of care and trust the educators who show up for my child every day.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><a href=\"https:\/\/bit.ly\/1890-ML\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.broadstreetads.com\/assets\/8e594ed3-4c60-42f9-babc-5f4c6ca15d0d.jpg\" alt=\"Spring OS26_Mission Local Banner_vr03.jpg\"\/><\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>We cannot address chronic absenteeism or improve student outcomes if students begin the school year without a permanent teacher or the paraprofessionals needed to support them. Stability in the classroom is foundational.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>When schools are fully staffed and students\u2019 basic needs are met, students are more likely to feel supported, show up ready to learn, and thrive.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em><strong>Endorsed by:<\/strong>&nbsp;United Educators of San Francisco, San Francisco Green Party, Supervisor Connie Chan, S.F. Public Defender Mano Raju, Phil Ting, Norman Yee, Eric Mar \u2026 read more&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/docs.google.com\/document\/d\/e\/2PACX-1vTdSy7M70LBGNGhqT-fniAlkmZv0IJTSyYSlBicWh3rvBHhzTJFrvHdGEMLLlQWrlaXkpeG0lHz_XX0\/pub\">here<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/newspack-missionlocal.s3.amazonaws.com\/mission\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Brandee-Marckmann-640x640.png\" alt=\"A hand-drawn portrait of a smiling person with long brown hair, wearing a blue jacket and white shirt, set against a light green circular background.\" class=\"wp-image-845802\"\/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-brandee-marckmann\">Brandee Marckmann<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Job<\/strong>: Director of parent-led group<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Age<\/strong>: 53<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Residency<\/strong>: San Francisco<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Education<\/strong>: Bachelor\u2019s in English and French from Central College<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>SFUSD Experience<\/strong>: Parent of SFUSD student<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>My #1 priority is to stop the threat of school closures in SFUSD. Public schools bring our communities together and are the foundation of our democracy. School closures are not the solution to our budget issues. What a lot of people don\u2019t know is that closing schools doesn\u2019t end up saving the school district money. School closures make public schools less desirable to prospective parents, which depresses enrollment (and therefore funding).&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Closed schools are usually converted into charter schools, which often do not offer adequate support for newcomer students, students with IEPs, and other marginalized groups. I believe all San Francisco students should be able to attend a fully-funded neighborhood public school.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.eventbrite.com\/e\/mission-local-presents-the-district-4-candidates-forum-tickets-1985945869556?aff=oddtdtcreator&amp;keep_tld=true#location\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.broadstreetads.com\/assets\/0d952209-4e64-49d0-aacc-470a851c8c9b.png\" alt=\"District 4 Supervisorial Race 2026\"\/><\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p><em><strong>Endorsed by:<\/strong>&nbsp;Harvey Milk Democratic Club, SEIU 1021, Supervisor Shamann Walton, Supervisor Jackie Fielder, Dean Preston, Aaron Peskin, Mark Leno, Tom Ammiano \u2026 read more&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.brandee4schools.com\/endorsements\">here<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<p><em>Answers may be lightly edited for formatting, spelling, and grammar. If you have questions for the candidates, please let us know at marina@missionlocal.com.&nbsp;<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>You can register to vote via the&nbsp;<\/em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.sf.gov\/register-vote\"><em>sf.gov website<\/em><\/a><em>.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/newspack-missionlocal.s3.amazonaws.com\/mission\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/dolores8-edit-1-879x640.jpg\" alt=\"A group of ten people standing outdoors in a park with a city skyline in the background.\" class=\"wp-image-804663\"\/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-3-300-readers-keep-mission-local-free-will-you-join-them-nbsp\"><strong>3,300 readers keep Mission Local free. Will you join them?&nbsp;<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>There are no paywalls at Mission Local. We believe San Francisco deserves critical, high-impact reporting that belongs to&nbsp;<em>all<\/em>&nbsp;its residents, not just those who can afford it.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>But free to read doesn\u2019t mean free to produce. We\u2019re a small, independent newsroom rooted in San Francisco\u2019s communities that only exists because people like you invest in the reporting that our city relies on all year round.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Keep Mission Local free for all by becoming a donor today.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/mission-local.donorsupport.co\/-\/XDMXDHVN\">Donate<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><mark>Latest News<\/mark><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><a href=\"https:\/\/missionlocal.org\/2026\/04\/sunset-buzz-in-a-world-of-ai-jay-pham-says-consider-an-irish-sports-bar\/\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/newspack-missionlocal.s3.amazonaws.com\/mission\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/P1010166-1200x900.jpg\" alt=\"Sunset Buzz: In a world of AI, Jay Pham says, consider an Irish sports bar\"\/><\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><a href=\"https:\/\/missionlocal.org\/2026\/04\/sunset-buzz-in-a-world-of-ai-jay-pham-says-consider-an-irish-sports-bar\/\">Sunset Buzz: In a world of AI, Jay Pham says, consider an Irish sports bar<\/a><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><a href=\"https:\/\/missionlocal.org\/2026\/04\/sfpd-arson-suspect-openai-sam-altman\/\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/newspack-missionlocal.s3.amazonaws.com\/mission\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/suspectopenai-400x300.jpg\" alt=\"SFPD arrests young suspect who allegedly threw Molotov cocktail at home of OpenAI CEO Sam Altman\"\/><\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><a href=\"https:\/\/missionlocal.org\/2026\/04\/sfpd-arson-suspect-openai-sam-altman\/\">SFPD arrests young suspect who allegedly threw Molotov cocktail at home of OpenAI CEO Sam Altman<\/a><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><a href=\"https:\/\/missionlocal.org\/2026\/04\/sf-lurie-layoffs-unions-fight-ifpte-seiu-budget\/\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/newspack-missionlocal.s3.amazonaws.com\/mission\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/012226_MMG_Faith-leader-fast-9-1200x900.jpg\" alt=\"S.F. unions pledge to fight \u2018every one\u2019 Mayor Lurie\u2019s proposed layoffs\"\/><\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><a href=\"https:\/\/missionlocal.org\/2026\/04\/sf-lurie-layoffs-unions-fight-ifpte-seiu-budget\/\">S.F. unions pledge to fight \u2018every one\u2019 Mayor Lurie\u2019s proposed layoffs<\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/missionlocal.org\/author\/marina-e-newman\/\"><\/a><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><a href=\"https:\/\/missionlocal.org\/author\/marina-e-newman\/\">Marina NewmanStaff Reporter<\/a><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"mailto:marina@missionlocal.com\">marina@missionlocal.com<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>As the Bayview-Hunters Point reporter, I invite residents to contact me by&nbsp;<a href=\"mailto:marina@missionlocal.com\">email<\/a>&nbsp;to chat or submit tips.<a href=\"https:\/\/missionlocal.org\/author\/marina-e-newman\/\">More by Marina Newman<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>by\u00a0Marina Newman April 9, 2026 (MissionLocal.org) Three candidates are facing off for one seat on the San Francisco School Board: Incumbent school board president Phil Kim, and two candidates who are attempting to unseat him.&nbsp; Kim came under fire this year after SFUSD teachers went on strike for the first&#8230; <a class=\"continue-reading-link\" href=\"https:\/\/occupysf.net\/index.php\/2026\/04\/10\/meet-the-s-f-school-board-candidates-what-is-your-no-1-priority\/\"> Continue reading <span class=\"meta-nav\">&rarr; <\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/occupysf.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/47600"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/occupysf.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/occupysf.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/occupysf.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/occupysf.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=47600"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/occupysf.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/47600\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":47601,"href":"https:\/\/occupysf.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/47600\/revisions\/47601"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/occupysf.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=47600"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/occupysf.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=47600"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/occupysf.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=47600"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}