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Students, teachers and parents urge SFUSD board not to cut newcomer programs or counselors
Summary
Dozens of students, teachers, parents and union leaders told the San Francisco Board of Education that proposed staffing and schedule changes would strip newcomer programs, electives and counselors from high-need schools and urged the board and superintendent to preserve supports and improve communications during budget development.
Students, teachers and parents packed public comment to oppose proposed budget-driven staffing changes that would shrink newcomer supports, electives and counseling at high-need San Francisco Unified (SFUSD) schools.
"When I first heard about the budget cuts, I was sad," said Amelia Cook, a seventh-grader at James Denman Middle School, telling the board cuts could cost students critical electives such as public speaking and computer science. "Cutting security means making school less safe… I sincerely ask you to not pass the budget cuts so that others and I can finish our middle school experience feeling safe, happy, and fully educated." (Amelia Cook, student)
A stream of other student speakers described similar concerns. Cora Matthews, a seventh-grader, said losing newcomers teachers and assistant principals would strip English learners of the consistent supports that help them reclassify and progress. Multiple students warned that a shift to a six-period day or the elimination of newcomer pathways would force some learners to change schools or lose vital services.
Teachers and school staff amplified the students’ testimony. "These proposed cuts target small schools and historically marginalized communities," said Laura Simon, an art teacher at Visitation Valley Middle School, who listed cuts including reduced counseling and assistant principal coverage and said the reductions contradicted district equity commitments. Cassandra Curiel, president of United Educators of San Francisco, urged the board and district to keep schools fully staffed and warned that prolonged bargaining stalemates were making matters worse.
Parents and multilingual-education teachers said the allocations released in January left families and site staff confused. An English-learner teacher at James Denman told the board that a $21,000 reduction in multilingual learning funds and loss of assistant-principal time would harm students’ LPAC and reclassification progress; parents warned cuts could accelerate enrollment declines and further weaken already underfunded schools.
The speakers did not propose a single alternative policy; instead they urged the board and superintendent to preserve newcomer programs and electives, restore counselors and assistant principals where possible, and improve transparency. Several asked the district to explain formulas used to determine focal-student funding, discretionary allocations and how schools could appeal site-by-site staffing decisions.
The board did not take action during public comment. Superintendent Sue Hsu and her team later told commissioners they were using restricted funds where possible to restore social-worker and security allocations and planned site-by-site meetings to reconcile allocations and hear principals’ input.
