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Hundreds testify at SFUSD meeting as parents clash over Paul Revere principal and school reform
Summary
Dozens of parents, teachers and community members filled the public-comment period at the San Francisco Board of Education to either defend or criticize Paul Revere Elementary’s principal, Sheila Salmon. Supporters said reforms improved safety and scores; critics alleged mistreatment and asked the board to investigate. The board said personnel matters limit what it can say publicly but pledged to review comments.
Dozens of parents, teachers and supporters and a smaller but vocal group of critics took the microphone at the Dec. 6 San Francisco Unified School District board meeting to debate the future of Paul Revere Elementary’s leadership.
Supporters, including teachers, alumni and members of Paul Revere’s Building Bridges group, urged the board not to remove Principal Sheila Salmon. They said recent reforms have improved student behavior, increased test scores and restored parental confidence. “If you remove our principal in year 2 of SIG reform, that is the equivalent of shutting down our school,” parent and Building Bridges member Erica Empson said, urging the board to preserve continuity so the school’s progress is not reversed.
Students, staff and volunteers described calmer classrooms, higher expectations and regained momentum after years of low performance. Multiple speakers cited survey results and school performance data to argue the principal’s policies are producing measurable gains and asked the board to allow the transformation effort to continue.
A different group of parents testified that their children had been mistreated, described instances of harsh disciplinary measures, and said they had not received adequate translation or notification from the site about incidents involving their students. Some criticized outside political organizing they said inflamed tensions at the school and asked the board and district for a public response and a formal investigation of the complaints.
Principal Sheila Salmon spoke directly to the board and said earlier investigations had found allegations unfounded. “I don’t believe that the specific allegations that you’ve been hearing have merit despite numerous investigations,” she said, while acknowledging that some parents feel unheard and promising outreach to bring more families into the school’s work.
Board members and the superintendent emphasized legal limits on public discussion of personnel matters. Superintendent Carlos Garcia told the room that personnel issues cannot be debated publicly at the dais but that the district has taken comments under consideration. He also told speakers the board would review written submissions and that decisions, if any, would be communicated following appropriate personnel processes.
Members of the public asked the board to visit Paul Revere, release the results of the parent survey that staff referenced and provide clarity about any personnel investigations or options being considered. Commissioners asked staff for the underlying survey and requested more information about the number of respondents and how results were collected and analyzed.
The public-comment period on Paul Revere took up a large portion of the meeting, with many residents urging mediation and improved communications as an alternative to personnel action. The board closed the public-comment block by reiterating that it has received and will consider written and verbal input, while clarifying that legal constraints limit what it can say about personnel matters in open session.
