Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the School Staffing topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Monroe parents tell San Francisco school board overcrowded immersion class lacks certified teachers
Summary
Parents and community advocates told the board that Monroe Elementary’s fifth‑grade Spanish immersion class started the year with about 40–41 students and no permanent certified bilingual teacher; speakers requested immediate hiring of two bilingual teachers and additional support.
Parents from Monroe Elementary appealed directly to the San Francisco Board of Education on Aug. 28, saying a fifth‑grade Spanish immersion class began the school year with roughly 40–41 students and only substitute teachers. Multiple parents and community organizers said the class had cycled through several substitute teachers during the first week and that some families had already transferred children out of the school.
Parent Melissa Rosenberg told the board the cohort has been operating without a certified Spanish immersion teacher for more than a week and that the principal had said she had been trying to hire a permanent Spanish‑immersion teacher since April. "How is it a good plan that one teacher teach a class of 41 students who expect to be ready for their Spanish immersion curriculum next year?" Rosenberg asked.
Coleman Advocates organizer Tommy Craig and other parents said the situation is undermining learning and trust and urged urgent district action to hire qualified bilingual teachers and reduce class size. Peter Hawke, another parent, described the first week as "a disaster by all accounts" and said the district’s communication had been inadequate.
Speakers requested that the district provide two certified bilingual teachers for the class, extra support staff, and immediate steps to stabilize the classroom so students can progress academically and emotionally in their final year at the elementary level. Several speakers said the principal had promised two teachers last year but that staffing departures and administration turnover had produced the current crisis.
Board members acknowledged the testimony and signaled follow-up; the meeting record shows public comment and promises of follow‑up but records no immediate board motion or emergency staffing action during the meeting. District officials and staff were listed as follow-up contacts for parents seeking resolution.
The board did not vote on any staffing item during the meeting; the testimony was recorded for follow-up by district staff.
