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District presents Parent Engagement Plan amid calls for clearer accountability and funding
Summary
SFUSD staff and community partners presented a district Parent Engagement and Partnership Plan that emphasizes professional development, community partnerships and accountability; parents and advocates praised the plan but urged clear timelines, translated materials and budgeted resources for implementation.
The San Francisco Unified School District on June 8 presented a newly drafted Parent Engagement and Partnership Plan aimed at changing the relationship between families and schools by boosting training, community partnerships and accountability.
Dina Zacker of the Office of School Family Partnerships framed the plan’s goals — professional development for staff and parents, collaboration with community partners and clearer accountability measures. "SFUSD is committed to changing the power dynamic between teachers and parents," Zacker said, reading the plan’s opening language describing parent and family definitions and the plan’s intent to embed engagement systemically.
Representatives from community organizations — including Parents for Public Schools, the San Francisco PTA, Coleman Advocates, the Bilingual Community Council and the Parent Advisory Council — spoke in support. They highlighted priorities: translating materials, creating school self‑assessment rubrics, training parent leaders and ensuring the district commits the staff and funds necessary to carry the plan out.
Parent leaders and district partners urged specific accountability steps: an annual timeline, named staff or teams responsible for each strategy, rubrics that move schools from “emerging” to “exemplary” engagement, and a central hub of resources for parents and school staff. Natasha Levine of the PAC said the plan needs deadlines and clarity on who will implement each item.
Several community partners and parent liaisons emphasized that implementation requires dollars and measurable benchmarks. Commissioner Yee and others stressed the plan must be treated as a "living document" and reflected in next year’s budget to avoid becoming symbolic without funding.
What happens next: staff said the rubric and implementation tools will be refined over the summer; the board referred aspects of implementation to the appropriate committees and asked staff to align the plan’s rollout with budget priorities.
