Pilot math program shows two-year gains; supervisors, educators press for Student Success Fund support

The San Francisco Board of Supervisors heard data and testimony Oct. 29 showing early, measurable gains from a city-funded whole‑school lesson‑study math pilot at four elementary schools and urged the San Francisco Unified School District and funders to commit to continuing the work.

Supervisor Hillary Ronan introduced the 4 p.m. committee‑of‑the‑whole hearing, saying the program “is magic in San Francisco Unified School District” and asking district and city leaders to confirm they would sustain funding from the Student Success Fund.

Program leaders said proficiency and attendance data improved in the pilot’s first two years. Mira Carberry, the pilot’s grant manager, said, “The proportion of proficient students in math increased from 21 percent to 34 percent.” She added that students historically underserved — Black and Latinx pupils — showed particularly notable gains.

The pilot combines a teacher professional‑learning method called lesson study with a classroom approach known as teaching through problem solving (TTP). Teachers collaborate in monthly professional learning communities, use math instructional coaches, and add math interventionists for small‑group work. Ariana Contreras, a math coach at Leonard R. Flynn Elementary, said the method “shifted the power and authority of learning from the teacher to the students.”

School leaders described ripple effects beyond math. Tyler Woods, principal at Leonard R. Flynn Elementary, said Flynn saw a 13 percentage‑point increase in math proficiency in 2023–24, while districtwide proficiency rose 0.1 percent the same year. Woods also said chronic absenteeism at Flynn fell by 16 percentage points after the pilot’s interventions. “Math time is when student talk is valued and valuable to our new learning,” he said.

Principals from Malcolm X Academy, John Muir Elementary and Sanchez Elementary described improved teacher collaboration, stronger staff retention and changes to school culture. Donald Fraser, principal at John Muir, said the pilot made his school more welcoming and helped recruit and retain teachers.

Students and parents also testified. Second‑grader Ella Kenny said the program “has been helping kids who have struggled before. It's not just about finding the right answer, but it's about the equation and how you solve it.” A Flynn parent described after‑school math nights and said the pilot had rebuilt their child’s confidence.

Supervisors and school officials pressed for commitments to sustain and scale the pilot. Supervisor Walton asked how many schools would need the intervention if the city sought to scale it districtwide; Carberry said the pilot has added Daniel Webster next year and emphasized that larger expansion requires sustained funding and planning. Supervisor Milena Melgar urged that scale should also include system changes so the lesson‑study model could become a regular method of professional development rather than a time‑limited pilot.

Board of Education President Matt Alexander and commissioner Alida Fisher attended; witnesses said the program aligned with the board’s academic goals. Speakers and supervisors repeatedly flagged the Student Success Fund created by Proposition G as the natural long‑term funding source. Participants said the fund — projected to grow in coming years — could support expansion, but urged concrete multi‑year commitments rather than annual fights for funding.

Superintendent Maria Su joined district and city staff who said they are building a steering process to plan sustainable expansion, estimate per‑school costs, and identify readiness for growth. District staff described a multi‑year budgeting approach and said the pilot’s essential costs center on math coaches, interventionists and teacher stipends.

The hearing closed after public comment from students, parents and educators who invited supervisors to visit pilot classrooms. Supervisors said they would press for predictable funding and stronger city‑district coordination to allow the pilot to expand without diluting fidelity.

The board took no ordinance or contract vote at the hearing; the matter was heard and filed for follow‑up oversight and budget conversations.