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Parents, paraprofessionals and unions press SFUSD board over staffing guide and pay; call to roll back flawed special‑education allocation
Summary
Multiple speakers at public comment criticized a new staffing guide and special‑education allocation formula they say relies on incomplete data, and unions and paraprofessionals demanded better wages and protections for paraprofessionals and teachers.
A long public‑comment block at the May 27 board meeting focused on staffing and compensation, with parents, teachers and local union leaders raising concerns about a newly announced staffing guide and a district staffing allocation formula for special education.
Diego La Rama, a parent of a student with disabilities, said the staffing formula used by the district "only takes into account very partial data"—specialized academic instruction minutes—and does not reflect indirect services and the full needs of students. "We urge you to roll back this new assignment formula," he said, arguing the approach could cause "irreparable harm." (Transcript remarks.)
United Educators of San Francisco (UESF) members and affiliated community groups pushed the board to provide higher wages and improved benefits for district staff. Ken Trey, UESF political director and veteran teacher, framed the issue as a broader city problem of rising cost of living and erosion of educator pay: "In San Francisco, the rich are getting richer and better educated. The poor are falling further behind," he said, urging the board to reorder district budget priorities.
Paraprofessionals and special‑education parents described real‑world consequences. Francesca Smith, a paraprofessional, said she could earn more at a minimum‑wage job than in her current role and described long tenure with inadequate pay. Another parent and paraprofessional recounted site‑level impacts from the staffing changes and urged a rollback.
Board members acknowledged the concerns and asked staff for clearer explanations of the staffing guideline rollout and the data underlying allocation formulas. Staff representatives said the rollout process and the formula’s data inputs will be reviewed; commissioners encouraged more transparent communications with parents and staff. Several speakers urged immediate talks with bargaining teams to accelerate contract negotiations and address paraprofessional wages.
No formal board action on the staffing guide was taken at the meeting; the comments were entered into the record and commissioners scheduled further budget and LCAP discussions in June.
