Hundreds of public commenters urge board to rescind paraeducator layoffs, protect intervention and support roles

The Board of Education heard more than an hour (and many hours of public comment overall) of largely unified public testimony urging reinstatement of layoff notices issued to paraeducators and other school‑based support positions.

Who testified: Speakers included union leaders, paraeducators, principals, teachers, parents and youth workers. Notable speakers who addressed the board included Cassandra Kerio (president of United Educators of San Francisco, UESF), Najwa Ahmed (district wellness and health education manager), Kenna Hazelwood (LGBTQ student services coordinator), multiple school principals (including Amy Abaro, John O’Connell High School), and dozens of site staff and parents from schools across the city.

Main concerns expressed: - Paraeducator layoffs: Commenters said proposed layoffs of paraprofessionals (dozens of R‑class staff and more than 100 paraeducators referenced during testimony) will remove trusted adults, reduce translation and family‑engagement capacity, harm language translation supports and create safety and supervision gaps on campuses. - Reading intervention and MTSS work: Multiple teachers and literacy specialists warned that eliminating RTIF/Artif (reading intervention) positions would undermine the district’s ability to meet third‑grade reading goals and statutory dyslexia screening requirements; speakers urged allowing grant/PTA funds to pay for permanent interventionists where sites have already funded them. - College and career readiness and grant-funded roles: Principals and CCR (college and career readiness) coordinators said eliminating grant‑funded coordinators would force the district to return secured grant dollars and reduce internship and pathway opportunities for students. - LGBTQ supports and specialized wellness staff: Speakers urged the board to rescind layoff notices for the LGBTQ coordinator and wellness staff, saying those roles are crucial to student safety and the district’s equity commitments. - Site‑level impacts: Parents and site leaders argued that consolidations, bus routing and feeder decisions have lowered enrollment at some schools and that cuts to site staff (attendance liaisons, reading interventionists, nurses, community relations specialists) will impair student service coordination.

Union and community response: UESF’s president and the union’s public designee delivered extended testimony emphasizing that paraeducators provide day‑to‑day supervision and essential services, raising questions about city resources and urging alternative revenue sources. Paraeducators described long service spans, community roots and the financial insecurity they face when layoff notices are issued.

District response: The superintendent and staff acknowledged the difficulty of the budget shortfall and said the administration is working through staffing and budget tradeoffs; staff also pointed to central office reorganization and contract reviews as part of a broader plan to close the structural deficit.

What’s next: Commenters asked the board to delay or rescind layoffs and to preserve site‑based intervention roles. The public comment record gives the board and superintendent detailed examples of site‑level impacts the community asks the district to weigh in final budget decisions.