Endorsement Process
Our Parent-Led Endorsement Process
SF Parents is committed to electing school board candidates who will fight for the needs of children and youth in our public education system. As a broad and diverse coalition of parents and supporters from over 110 public schools across San Francisco, our endorsement process is inclusive, transparent, and parent-led at every stage.
Our Families Lead the Way
Our organization was born out of a need to ensure that parents have a voice in their children's education.
We formed to help give parents a voice and realize their leadership potential.
Some of the ways we involve our families in our endorsements:
- We convene families for pre-planning meetings to discuss election seasons and collaborate with them on what an effective endorsement process looks like for them. This ongoing work is done to create a shared sense of values, and purpose, as we navigate elections together in community.
- We engage our network of families by soliciting questions they want to see addressed by candidates; producing a parent-developed questionnaire, both written and verbal, for candidates to respond to.
- We involve families with planning and hosting large endorsement events where they meet and hear from candidates, and submit feedback on candidates.
- We poll our families in several multi-faceted platforms to ensure that we are reaching as many of our families as possible, to ensure that a diverse group of SFUSD families are heard and represented in our endorsements.
- We hold candidates accountable for any, and all, previous work performed in their professional capacity on behalf of children within SFUSD, as well as to a criteria of standards that aligns with our overarching mission and our Parent Priorities platform, created with, by, and from, our SF Parents community.
- SF Parents is committed to empowering and elevating the voices of historically marginalized groups within our day-to-day work and in our endorsement process. To ensure that our consensus-based endorsements are equitable and fair, SF Parents factors in the marginalization of low-income and Black and Brown families in San Francisco’s public schools in our decision making.
March 2024 Election
In March 2024, voters will decide an important measure related to our public schools--Prop G / 8th grade algebra offering--as well as an important elected office, the DCCC (Democratic County Central Committee), which has extraordinary influence over which candidates are ultimately elected to our local school board. Don't forget to vote by March 5th! Make sure you check out SF Parent Action's parent-led endorsements.
Looking Ahead: November 2024 Election
In November 2024, SF voters will choose four commissioners for the BOE. SF Parent Action will be endorsing for this race. Check back soon for updates as candidates begin to file to run for School Board 2024.
Past Endorsements:
November 2022 Election
In November 2022, SF voters elected three commissioners to the BOE. After a thorough review process led by families, for families, SF Parent Action endorsed Lainie Motamedi and Lisa Weissman-Ward for the Board of Education. Our endorsed candidates were the top two vote getters in the November 2022 school board election, followed by Alida Fisher.
Since their appointment by Mayor Breed in March 2022, Lainie and Lisa ushered in a culture of transparency, collaboration, and a commitment to understanding and prioritizing students’ needs. They received resounding support from our parent community to receive our SF Parent Action endorsement.
Learn more about our 2022 endorsement of Lainie and Lisa, as well as our endorsement of YES on G!, for the Student Success Fund, and other student-focused proposition endorsements.
Other Past Endorsements
June 7, 2022 Election
Vote NO on Proposition C.
This year San Francisco voters overwhelmingly recalled three members of the Board of Education because they failed to do their jobs and prioritized their personal agenda ahead of public schoolchildren. This historic grassroots victory for San Francisco parents sent a message to every politician that we will hold them accountable.
But with Proposition C, it would be even harder for voters to ever recall failed politicians again. If Proposition C were already law, the three failed Board of Education members would still be in office today, damaging our public schools and students. Please join our diverse coalition of parents, advocates and San Francisco community leaders and VOTE NO ON PROPOSITION C.
Vote NO on Proposition E.
Proposition E is a city ordinance that prevents elected officials from soliciting donations for charities, philanthropic organizations and community based nonprofits. While Prop E is well-intentioned, it is a complicated one-size-fits-all measure that will make it harder to raise money for local nonprofits that serve residents in need.
SFUSD relies on a number of local organizations to provide critical services to children and families such as after-school care, summer camps, and enrollment fairs. Such organizations also help build playgrounds, protect green space, and support public arts and LGBTQ programs that families rely upon.
During the pandemic, nonprofits helped to staff and establish Community Hubs that provided in-person support for distance learning, healthy meals, and out of school time activities for 2,000 students- 96% of whom were students of color. If Prop E was in place, these Hubs would have struggled to get off the ground.
As our public schools recover from the pandemic, nonprofit support is essential. Prop E should be more narrowly tailored as a city ordinance so it can target corrupt practices without harming unrelated charitable organizations.
Vote No on E.
February 15, 2022 Election
Vote YES on Propositions A and B
Our organization’s leadership has concluded that Commissioners Allison Collins and Gabriela Lopez should no longer serve on the Board of Education. Their decisions and actions reached a crescendo in Collins's attempt to strip SFUSD and students of millions of dollars via her $87 million lawsuit against the school district, an action which President Lopez supported. This lawsuit was tossed out of court by a federal judge who determined that the suit was meritless. Furthermore, as President and former Vice President of the School Board they led our district into a financial crisis, potentially resulting in state takeover and further harm to our students. As an organization advocating for a thriving, equitable school system we feel the urgency to act now; that this cannot wait until a future election.
