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Parents and teachers press SFUSD board to stop cuts as special‑education vacancies grow
Summary
Dozens of public commenters — parents, special‑education teachers and union leaders — urged the San Francisco Board of Education to halt proposed staff cuts, fill long‑running special‑education vacancies, and provide transparent budgeting for special‑education spending.
At a packed meeting, parents, teachers and union representatives told the San Francisco Board of Education that proposed staff reductions would worsen long‑running vacancies and harm students who rely on special‑education services.
Speakers including Theresa Dolalas, a former parent with SomCan, and special‑education staff from Bryant, Yick Wo and other schools described classrooms that have gone months with substitutes instead of permanent teachers and paras. "No more cuts," Theresa Dolalas told the board, saying four‑ and five‑grade classes at Bessie Carmichael have been understaffed "the entire year." Other commenters reported there are dozens of unfilled special‑education roles and cited an "unexpected" $41,000,000 special‑education cost in the budget report.
United Educators of San Francisco president Cassandra Curry, speaking in person, said understaffing threatens student safety and instruction. Multiple teachers and parents explained how missing special‑day‑class teachers and rotating substitutes have disrupted routines and regressed students. A union representative and CAC chair Hava Kelly urged an independent audit of special‑education budgeting and processes separate from the statewide FCMAT review the district has already engaged.
Public commentators asked the board to prioritize hiring for school sites, spend existing restricted student-success funds that remain unspent, and keep the community better informed about trade-offs and scenarios in the budget. Several parents emphasized language access and transparency in Chinatown and other multilingual communities.
Board members acknowledged the comments and said staff would work to provide more detailed special‑education budget information and that FCMAT findings and additional audits will be part of determining the next steps. The board's budget actions that evening will now be weighed alongside these community concerns as staff prepares a detailed February plan of reductions, positions affected and mitigation measures.
