Top of the class
The presence of 18 candidates on the ballot for the San Francisco Board of Education is a heartening measure of the level of engagement and concern for the city’s public schools. It’s an impressive group that includes parents, teachers and others with expertise.
Three will get elected in November, and a fourth could be appointed if current school board member Matt Haney prevails in a highly competitive race for the Board of Supervisors District Six.
Michelle Parker, Phil Kim and Alida Fisher stood out for their energy, ideas and records of service to public education during a recent candidate session with our editorial board.
Parker, parent of three public-school students, has proved to be an advocate and leader for policies that advance school quality. She co-founded “Parent PAC,” a group dedicated to ensuring that the perspective of families be represented in city decision making. She also is a past president of the district Parent Teacher Association and has served on an array of advisory committees at the state and local level. She comes across as informed and practical — and eminently prepared to contribute to the board from day one.
Kim, who went into education as a seventh-grade life science teacher at the Kipp Summit Academy in the East Bay, quickly emerged as a leader in development of K-12 Science, Technology, Engineering and Maker (STEM) education. His academic background and determination to build a curriculum that can attract and retain students for the 21st century workforce would bring vital expertise to the board.
Fisher, parent of four public-school students, has a solid record of participation that includes chair of an advisory committee for special education. She would be a strong advocate for families with a grasp of the distinct challenges facing some students, enhanced by her experiences as a foster parent and adoptive mother of African American children.