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Lafayette parents ask SFUSD to reverse teacher nonrenewal, cite impact on special-needs students
Summary
Parents and educators urged the board to review and reverse a decision not to renew a Lafayette Elementary second-grade teacher's contract, saying the teacher’s inclusive practice helped students with special needs, English learners and that no clear reasons or improvement process were shared.
A group of Lafayette Elementary parents, students and educators pressed the San Francisco Unified School District Board of Education on April 10 to reconsider a decision not to renew a second-grade teacher's contract, saying the change would hurt students who have shown strong gains under that teacher.
Several parents described the teacher as "kind, caring and strong," with concrete examples of improved student progress, social-emotional growth and classroom inclusion. One parent said the teacher engaged students across diverse needs, from English learners to children on the cusp of an ADHD diagnosis, and that their child progressed "more in 2 weeks than an entire previous year." Another speaker noted the teacher's work with special-education accommodations and the challenge of finding qualified staff districtwide.
Speakers repeatedly said they received no clear explanation or prior documented evaluation tied to the nonrenewal, and they asked the board to review the case. A literacy coach and a special-education advocate highlighted the districtwide teacher shortage and argued that losing an effective teacher is counterproductive.
Board members listened and thanked the parents for organizing their testimony; no immediate board vote to reverse the personnel decision was recorded at the meeting. Speakers asked the board to provide a process for review and to consider the impact on students, staffing and school communities before finalizing personnel actions.
