All District 3 candidates oppose the suggested school closures
Between February and the November election, Mission Local is asking each District 3 candidate one question per week, and candidates will get 100 words to respond. We will compile all responses to the 40-odd questions on a " Meet the Candidates " page, so that voters can get a full picture of their stances.
Because Supervisor Aaron Peskin terms out next January, six candidates have filed to run for his seat to lead District 3, which includes North Beach, Chinatown, Union Square, the Financial District, Russian Hill and Nob Hill.
Question this week: Do you support the list of potential school closures/mergers? Why or why not.
With three District 3 public schools — Yick Wo, Spring Valley, and Jean Parker — facing potential closure, all District 3 candidates have expressed opposition to the current plan.
Of the 13 impacted schools, 4 are in District 3. This process has unfairly targeted District 3 and has caused families to further lose trust in the school system. It must be reconsidered.
do not support the preliminary list. I am deeply concerned by the process and how it has been fraught with delays, errors, and poor communication. In the past week, I have continually met with parents and am committed to being a partner to make sure these decisions are reconsidered. I stand with parents in demanding better for Yick Wo, Spring Valley, Jean Parker, and Redding.
Endorsed by: San Francisco Democratic Party, California Democratic Renters Council, Sierra Club, Alice B. Toklas LGBTQ Democratic Club ... read more here
strongly oppose the suggested school closings. With a daughter on the way, this is deeply personal to me.
We need true transparency and accountability—why are some of District 3's highest-achieving schools impacted? These closures will disrupt communities and take away the quality education our kids deserve.
Clear communication is essential to ensure closures actually benefit students and lead to real improvements. World-class public schools are vital to our city's success, and supporting them must always be a top priority.
Before I answer the question, I believe the public must be informed on why the schools are closing.
Schools are closing because enrollment is down. Families are moving out of San Francisco and the people staying in SF are not having enough children to fill the vacancies.
Why are families moving out? Why aren't San Franciscans having more children? Answer: It is way too expensive to raise a family in San Francisco, and the homeless situation is out of control.
My child goes to 95% Asian enrolled public school and it's a great school but my child has to see ... read more here
simultaneously closing Yick Wo, Spring Valley and Jean Parker all located within close proximity to each other. These closures disproportionately harm the Chinese American community and will result in more families moving out of D3. Any decisions regarding closures should be deferred until the new school board is in place next year and a better plan can be formulated that is geographically equitable and that will not displace families.
Endorsed by: San Francisco Tenants Union, San Francisco police Officers Association, San Francisco Building and Construction Trades Council, Board President Aaron Peskin ... read more here
No. The Superintendent's management, approach to balancing the budget, and nontransparent flawed process in establishing the potential closure list has left our community feeling shutout of the process and unable to trust the evaluation.
The list disproportionately impacts District 3 and the city's AAPI population. Families from these backgrounds already face numerous challenges, and this threat of school closures adds an additional unfair burden.
As a mother of two school-aged children, and a family rights advocate having fought against the likes of big tobacco, I stand with families to demand a fairer, more open process that centers on students.
Endorsed by: Community Tenants Association, Teamsters Joint Council 7, 7 of the current Board of Supervisors ... read more here
do not support the closure of any school. Schools are vital to the fabric of our communities, and even the mention of closing them is already having long-term negative effects.
Instead of shutting schools down, we should explore more innovative ways to utilize our real estate and improve education delivery.
My experience with the small schools movement shows that there are creative alternatives to closures, and I believe SFUSD can and must do better.
We are San Francisco! We should be focused on making our school system the best in the country and the world, not reducing its capacity.
Answers may be lightly edited for formatting, spelling, and grammar. If you have questions for the candidates, please let us know at .
Illustrations for the series by Neil Ballard.
You can register to vote via the sf.gov website.
