SFUSD board reviews FCMAT special-education report as parents and staff urge caution on staffing changes

The San Francisco Board of Education heard a presentation of a voluntary FCMAT review of the district's special education services and fielded extended public comment Tuesday as parents, educators and union representatives warned against implementing recommendations without additional analysis.

FCMAT lead analyst Carolyn Benno told the board the review was voluntary and intended to identify areas for improvement. "Your funding is tied to general education enrollment, not special education enrollment," Benno said, explaining why SFUSD's increasing special-education population and declining general enrollment create budget pressure. She recommended clearer, districtwide processes for identification and supports, consistent Multi-Tiered System of Support (MTSS) implementation, and planning for potential district-level programs that could reduce reliance on nonpublic schools.

The report's recommendations prompted dozens of in-person and remote speakers during public comment. Will Patterson, a former district resource specialist, criticized the review for not centering student outcomes: "It never talks about student outcomes in the whole report," he said. Brandy Markman, a parent, described the caseload recommendations as dangerous: "The idea that our caseloads need to be bigger is just asking to put our students and teachers'... in harm's way." UESF representative Tianelle Tilly urged the board to reconsider layoffs of paraprofessionals, school security aides and community-relations specialists, saying those workers are "the eyes and ears of our campuses."

Superintendent Dr. Hsu acknowledged community concerns and said the district will not unilaterally implement recommendations without partnership. "We know that it is not okay to not serve our students and we want to serve our students," Hsu said, and she promised further engagement with parents, unions and the Community Advisory Committee (CAC) as staff develop responses and next steps.

Commissioners pressed both FCMAT and district staff for more evidence tying staffing ratios to improved student outcomes. Several asked that staff produce a clear response to each FCMAT recommendation and share underlying data earlier so the public and board members can review it in advance of policy decisions. FCMAT staff said their "industry standards" reflect California averages and recommended that SFUSD use its locally adopted 1:22 RSP ratio rather than higher statewide maxima when setting targets.

Regina Piper, the district's assistant superintendent for special education, said the administration is analyzing data on nonpublic-school placements, caseloads and expenditures and is exploring whether some county-like programs can be run inside SFUSD. Piper also said the district has convened cross-department teams and will work with parent partners, CAC members and the union to develop detailed plans.

The board did not vote on any programmatic changes during the meeting. Several commissioners asked staff to return with more precise timelines, specific actions the district will take to protect services for students with IEPs, and analysis of program benchmarks drawn from districts that are meeting strong student outcomes.