Sent Aug. 30, 2023

Dear SFUSD Community:

Yesterday, district staff and the Board of Education held a discussion about the current state of our schools and what steps we need to take to make them a better place for our students.

I’m going to be real with you. Enrollment is shrinking, and we have a teacher shortage. We know these challenges are not unique to SFUSD—but the impacts of these realities are felt every day by students and staff in schools that don’t have enough resources to sustain them.

I hear from our students that they want basics like clean bathrooms, great food, and to be in engaging classroom situations. Of course they do.

Our students deserve the best. They should have qualified teachers and caring adults in schools. They should feel safe in their schoolyards. They should learn and play and thrive so that they are ready to engage with the world and feel like they have options at every turn.

In order to make this a reality for everyone, we are going to make some tough decisions in the coming months and all the options are on the table. 

There will be many opportunities to discuss, and we are going to start with a set of guiding principles. We will have a robust community engagement process. We cannot do it alone.

The stakes are high. We know that the status quo doesn’t work and we have to adjust the sails. If we don’t, these things are not going to get better, but worse. 

Yesterday, we held a special board meeting to share our plans to address these challenges. No decisions were made, and we had a robust public discussion.

These are major decisions, and it will not be an easy or simple process, and we are committed to making sure that you have the information you need so that you can share your thoughts with us. 

I know that you are reading this because you deeply care and love your schools, your teachers, and your students. I do too. We are here to listen and we will continue to listen as we progress.

It is important to me that families and staff have access to current information and can share their feedback and thoughts. Please visit sfusd.edu for the most up-to-date and accurate information. 

In community,
Dr. Wayne