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Educators urge board to create priority school-placement for teachers' children
Summary
During public comment the board heard repeated pleas from teachers and school staff who said long commutes and preschool waitlists are driving educators to leave the city; speakers asked the board to adopt a low-cost priority-placement form for employees’ children.
At the Nov. 13 meeting, several SFUSD teachers and staff used the public-comment period to press the board for local policy changes to help retain educators. Speakers described lengthy commutes caused by the district’s enrollment and lottery system, difficulties securing nearby preschool or school placements for their children, and the economic pressures that make living in San Francisco and working in the district increasingly untenable.
Speakers who addressed the board included Heidi Saratan (Access SFUSD teacher), Keith Karamis (17-year veteran teacher), Jen Kababe (special education transition teacher), Ira Splice (special education teacher), and Susan Stauter (longtime SFUSD arts director). Testimony recounted waitlist positions (one speaker said a child was “between 50 to 60th on the wait list” for a nearby early-education center), multiple daily hours lost to commuting, and impacts on classroom supervision when staff must cover for colleagues traveling across the city. Several speakers proposed an administrative solution: a simple form that would allow educators to claim priority placement for their children at nearby preschools or schools at no or minimal cost to the district.
Board members did not adopt a policy during the meeting; public commenters asked the board to consider changes that could be implemented administratively or via board policy to support staff recruitment and retention. The meeting record does not show a formal motion or vote on this specific request; commissioners acknowledged the comments and the issue was raised later in committee discussions on student assignment.
The public commentary underscored staff retention and equity implications for student continuity and safety. The board’s next steps were not specified in the meeting minutes; speakers asked for explicit board action to prioritize educator families in placement policies.
