November 2026 #ParentEndorsed Candidates
This November, San Francisco voters will elect three members to the SFUSD Board of Education. These leaders will help shape the future of public education in San Francisco at a critical moment for the district.
Through our parent-led endorsement process, SF Parents Action invited candidates to complete questionnaires and attend our 2026 Candidate Day where families, students, teachers, and community members had the opportunity to ask questions and provide feedback directly. Following hundreds of member votes and pieces of community input on candidates…We are thrilled to announce SF Parents Action’s endorsed candidates for the November 2026 S.F. School Board election:
AUTUMN BROWN GARIBAY
Autumn Brown Garibay is an SFUSD parent, PTA leader, former member of the SF Parents Leadership Council, and a regular attendee at Board of Education meetings advocating for students and families. Through a long history of parent leadership and advocacy, she has worked closely with families across different school communities and seen firsthand where district systems can fall short.
SF Parents Action has known Brown Garibay for years, and she is unquestionably committed to making SFUSD a better place for students and families. Her positions demonstrate that she is committed to improving student outcomes across SFUSD's broad student population and that she fully supports our teachers. While she doesn't have the same depth of policy knowledge as the two incumbents we're also supporting, her knowledge already runs deeper than any of the other candidates, and we believe she is the perfect candidate for the open seat and will become a strong board member ready to lead for our district's students.
Families especially appreciate Brown Garibay's strong understanding of how SFUSD systems affect families in practice, her belief in the power of parent voice, and her focus on whether district decisions are actually improving outcomes for students. We are excited about her ability to connect the dots of district policy conversations and to ground decision-making in the day-to-day realities of SFUSD students, teachers, and families.
PHIL KIM
Phil Kim is the current Board President, a former 7th-grade science teacher, and the only credentialed educator on the current Board. He received the SF Parents Action endorsement for the June 2026 election after overwhelming parent support, and Kim won that election decisively.
Before joining the Board, Kim worked inside SFUSD within the Office of the Superintendent, making him the only current commissioner with experience working within district administration. During his tenure on the Board, he helped guide SFUSD’s fiscal recovery from “negative” to “qualified” to “positive” certification, established the district’s first short-term Superintendent evaluation metrics, and launched new efforts around progress monitoring and public engagement. He has a strong record of increasing student instruction time in core subjects, supporting teachers, and pushing for a responsible district budget.
Despite some concerns about his governance style and recent challenges in the relationship between Phil Kim and the Superintendent, the vast majority of parents we heard from still believe Phil is one of the strongest champions for students, teachers, and families on the board. Families especially value Kim’s deep understanding of SFUSD systems, his classroom experience, and his focus on academic outcomes. Parents also appreciate his ability to communicate complex district issues clearly and his leadership during a particularly challenging period for SFUSD.
ALIDA FISHER
Alida Fisher is an incumbent school board commissioner, an SFUSD parent, a longtime special education advocate, and a former SFUSD advisory committee chair. During her time on the Board, Fisher has focused on fiscal stabilization, academic achievement, and strengthening district systems during a challenging period for SFUSD. She supported the adoption of a new literacy curriculum, expansion of Transitional Kindergarten, and efforts to maintain balanced budgets while protecting investments closest to classrooms.
Families especially value Fisher's deep understanding of special education, her focus on high-needs students, and her collaborative and professional leadership style. With literacy and math program adoptions and fiscal stabilization plans still underway, parents see real value in keeping experienced commissioners like Fisher on the Board — commissioners who know the history, relationships, and complexity of what's already in motion and can see it through.
Though SF Parents Action did not endorse Fisher in 2022 and we haven't agreed on every issue, families have been increasingly impressed by her principled actions and values-focused leadership. She has been a genuinely strong board member, and with critical work still underway, we believe she has earned another term.
Want to learn more about all the candidates running for the SF Board of Education this November? Watch the full SF Parents Action Candidate Day forum to hear directly from the candidates on issues including student outcomes, school closures, and the future of SFUSD. You can also review candidate questionnaires and profiles for a deeper look at each candidate's background, priorities, and vision for San Francisco's public schools.