June 2026 SFUSD
Board of Education Candidates
The June 2026 election will determine one seat on the San Francisco Unified School District Board of Education.
SF Parents Action is currently conducting a parent-led endorsement process for this race. As part of this process, we hosted a candidate forum on January 7, where families heard directly from candidates eligible to participate in our endorsement process and learned where they stand on the issues impacting SFUSD families.
Brandee Marckman
Candidate Profile
Brandee Marckmann is running for San Francisco Board of Education in the June 2026 primary. She is running against incumbent and current President Phil Kim.
Background:
- Former Co-chair of the San Francisco Berniecrats (political group)
- Has been active in SFUSD politics for several years
- SFUSD parent and former chair of Sutro Elementary's School Site Council
Past policies and behaviors:
- Led the school renaming effort at her child's elementary school around 2020-2021, advocating to change the names of schools named after figures like Abraham Lincoln
- Opposed the 2022 recall of school board members and supported former Commissioner Collins even after her anti-Asian tweets and $90M lawsuit against SFUSD
- Attacked families and groups online and at public meetings for having different beliefs than hers, spreading conspiracies about them being “right-wing,” “school privatizers”
This candidate did not respond to the SF Parents Action questionnaire and has declined to participate in our endorsement process.
Phil Kim
Candidate Profile
“I'm proud of our city and our district for making tangible steps in the right direction to right our fiscal and operational ship. I'm humbled at the sheer amount of work that we have ahead of us and the challenges that we still feel every day. And, I'm incredibly focused on the work ahead of us to do right by our kids."
“I'm proud of our city and our district for making tangible steps in the right direction to right our fiscal and operational ship. I'm humbled at the sheer amount of work that we have ahead of us and the challenges that we still feel every day. And, I'm incredibly focused on the work ahead of us to do right by our kids."Phil Kim is running to retain his seat on the San Francisco Board of Education in the June 2026 special election. Kim was appointed to the Board of Education in August 2024 by former Mayor London Breed, and is the current School Board President. Kim spent the last 12 years in K-12 public education, as a teacher and leader in the local, state, and national levels, and with an emphasis on STEM. In his most recent role at the San Francisco Unified School District (SFUSD), he served as Executive Director of School Strategy and Coherence within the Office of the Superintendent. He currently works for the City of San Francisco as the Deputy Director & Chief of Staff for the San Francisco Human Rights Commission.
Budget: Believes that the district needs a clear financial, operational, and human resources plan that demonstrates how our resources are being utilized in service of our district goals for students. He commits to governing in accordance with nationally-established best financial practices, and to holding District leadership accountable for presenting the budget clearly. He also supports SF Parents’ call for minimizing negative impacts to our most vulnerable students while ensuring a baseline of excellence across all schools.
Lottery system: Believes we need to do a better job sharing the breadth of opportunities to prospective parents so that families are aware of what the district has to offer. Kim acknowledges that while our current process allows for flexibility and access to a variety of programs across the city, we need to build a more reliable, efficient, and equitable system for families.
Stance on 8th grade algebra: Views algebra as "an incredibly important milestone in the trajectory of math learning for students” and sees it as critical in the early grades. He emphasizes the importance of high-quality instructional materials, teacher coaching, and appropriate student support.
Stance on school closures: Recognizes declining enrollment and increasing costs require addressing school portfolio challenges. Emphasizes robust community engagement and transparency, stating "our schools are cornerstones of the community" and that decisions cannot be made in isolation.