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Parents urge SFUSD board to ‘bring principal back’ at Visitation Valley amid campus disruptions
Summary
Multiple parents and community members used the public comment period to press the board to reinstate and support Visitation Valley Elementary’s principal, describing fights and classroom disruptions and asking the district for a needs assessment and better support for staff and students.
Several Visitation Valley parents told the San Francisco Unified School District board on Feb. 26 that the school is in crisis while its principal is out of the building and requested urgent district support.
Francisco de Costa, who identified himself as director of environmental justice advocacy, said he canceled meetings to attend and asked the board to "make a needs assessment of the Visitation Valley Elementary School" to help the principal and students. "It pains my heart that when a principal has to work so hard that your directors, superintendents ... do not back up a principal," he said.
Other parents described classroom chaos and at least one on-campus fight, arguing the principal’s presence stabilizes the school. Shirley Robeson said the school "has been complete chaos" while the principal has been absent and asked the board to consider contract renewal. Another parent noted her child is being repeatedly picked on and asked why teachers are not held accountable.
Board procedure: The board reminded speakers that public comment is a time for statements and that staff may follow up with speakers where appropriate.
District response and follow-up: During the question period board members asked for more information and follow-up from staff; the superintendent indicated staff would follow up with the speakers as appropriate. No immediate operational decision was announced at the meeting.
Context: These remarks occurred during the public comment segment and are not a formal board action. The board later moved to closed session for personnel matters and read a number of employment contract decisions on return, but public commenters asking for school-level investigations were told staff might follow up after the meeting.
