Last week, candidates running for the San Francisco Board of Education engaged directly with immigrant families in candid fireside chats hosted by Chinese for Affirmative Action (CAA). With three open seats on the November ballot, voters — including noncitizen parents — are evaluating candidates amid major structural changes coming to the San Francisco Unified School District (SFUSD).
Six out of eight candidates attended the events, including incumbent Board President Phil Kim and incumbent Commissioner Alida Fisher, alongside challengers Virginia Cheung, Laurance Lee, Reina Tello, and Tim Tung. Candidate Autumn Brown Garibay also provided limited comments via email. The events’ conversations focused heavily on expanding and protecting multilingual education opportunities within SFUSD and allowed candidates a chance to hear directly from Chinese immigrant families navigating district complexities.
While all candidates agreed that multilingual education must be a top district priority, their answers revealed differences in motivation and policy approaches:
- Virginia Cheung and Reina Tello, who are running on a joint slate endorsed by SFUSD’s teachers union United Educators of San Francisco, focused heavily on workforce readiness and social integration. Tello framed multilingual communication as a baseline tool to dismantle racial segregation and build cross-community collective power, while Cheung highlighted the necessity of preparing youth for a global economy.
- Laurance Lee framed language access as a fundamental civil right, citing the importance of landmark Supreme Court case Lau v. Nichols in establishing educational opportunities for students who don’t speak English.
- Alida Fisher argued that robust language programs build a profound sense of inclusion at school, saying “that sense of belonging really improves student outcomes.” Adding to this, Tim Tung emphasized the role of multilingualism in keeping families tied to their cultural heritage on top of its cognitive development benefits.
- Phil Kim approached the topic from an institutional perspective, emphasizing the compounding instructional benefits of early dual-language immersion programs that boost student learning metrics in middle and high school.
- Autumn Brown Garibay spoke about the high percentage of English learners in the district and the importance of providing resources for English language acquisition, especially in neighborhoods like the Mission where the need is greatest.
Parent questions quickly turned to plans for SFUSD to leverage high-demand language programs to stop families from leaving the district:
- Multiple candidates celebrated the upcoming TK-8 Mandarin immersion school opening in the district, though Laurance Lee warned that current plans do not yet satisfy the overwhelming multiracial demand for Chinese language programs.
- Both Alida Fisher and Tim Tung targeted the structural gaps that disrupt language learning during school transitions. Fisher proposed a practical solution to align all elective periods district-wide to allow hybrid or shared language classes across different campuses. Tung criticized the district’s “continuity gap,” noting that students in Cantonese programs at elementary sites frequently drop the language because middle schools like Roosevelt do not offer matching pathways.
- Reina Tello pushed to expand language pathways closer to high-immigrant neighborhoods like the Excelsior, arguing that families shouldn’t have to commute across the city to access culturally relevant education.
- Alida Fisher and Phil Kim also uplifted opportunities for SFUSD to promote the state Seal of Biliteracy, an award from the California Department of Education to high school graduates who show high proficiency in English and at least one additional world language.
Candidates acknowledged expanding seats for SFUSD’s language pathways requires fixing longstanding teacher shortages and securing sustainable program funding. Below is a chart breaking down candidate approaches to strengthening the district’s bilingual educator workforce:
| Board of Education Candidate | Proposed Idea(s) to Strengthen Bilingual Staffing |
| Virginia Cheung | Partner with early education nonprofits to train parents and caregivers |
| Alida Fisher | Accelerate J-1 visa hires, expand credential program at SF State University |
| Phil Kim | Invest in professional development for internal bilingual staff |
| Laurance Lee | Leverage private philanthropy to fund teacher pipeline |
| Reina Tello | Improve teacher base pay and incentivize SFUSD grads to return to teach |
| Tim Tung | Outreach to bilingual students and focus on teacher retention |
The conversations also expanded into how candidates plan to collaborate with San Francisco city agencies to institutionalize language access. Phil Kim highlighted his endorsements from the mayor and the majority of the Board of Supervisors, promising to use these existing relationships to bridge the gap between municipal city services and SFUSD families. Meanwhile, challengers pointed to external accountability measures to hold the Board of Education to its commitments to immigrant families.
While fireside chats established an essential foundation of mutual understanding, the broader community dialogue now moves to a public stage. To hear more about candidates’ experience and priorities please join CAA at our Board of Education Candidate Forum on Friday, September 11, from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. at Gordon J. Lau Elementary School (950 Clay St, San Francisco). RSVP here.
The San Francisco general election will take place on November 3, 2026. Early voting in San Francisco begins October 5, 2026. Noncitizen voters must be registered with the Department of Elections, at least 18 years old, and be a parent or guardian of a child under 19 in San Francisco on election day to vote in the Board of Education race. Ballots may be cast in-person at San Francisco City Hall or by mail, at a drop‑off site, or at the elections office now through Election Day. For assistance contact the San Francisco Department of Elections: English at 415‑558‑6100, 中文: at 415‑558‑6102.