Phil KimPhil Kim

We recommend voting for Phil Kim for Board of Education.

Phil has both the experience and the track record that SFUSD needs. Phil is a former public school student and teacher, and a lifelong educator. He led STEM education and policy at K-12 public schools across 20+ states and 300+ schools (/voter-guide/questionnaires/june-2026/phil-kim/). He has a Masters in Education, and is currently pursuing his doctorate in Education. Since he joined the Board in 2024, Phil has used his deep understanding of how other school systems have improved student outcomes to begin the process of improving SFUSD's. He was unanimously elected President (https://www.sfusd.edu/about-sfusd/sfusd-news/press-releases/2026-01-16-sf-board-education-elects-leaders-2026) by his fellow commissioners in January of this year.

We think Phil has done a great job working with the Board and our Superintendent over the last year and a half to get SFUSD back on track, and would like to see him continue his work.

"We are seeing literacy and math outcomes improving for the first time in years, even as we underwent significant budget reductions last year. As a Board, we must stay focused on effective progress monitoring of our student outcome goals, and holding the superintendent accountable to our guardrails."
Phil Kim, Board of Education President

Phil's top policy goals are:

1. Student Outcomes

Phil believes school systems exist to improve student outcomes, and has shown relentless focus on bringing 3rd grade reading, 8th grade math, and college and career readiness markers to a competitive level. For the first time in years, we're seeing improvements. Most recently, Phil was one of only four commissioners who voted to bring algebra back to 8th grade (https://sfstandard.com/2026/03/25/sfusd-algebra-eighth-grade-extended-school-year/) — ending a 12-year ban that had denied SF students access to the math course that most of the country considers standard. The vote was 4-3. There's a lot of work to be done to get SFUSD where we all want it to be, but we think Phil is uniquely positioned, and experienced, in driving all parts of the school system towards the right outcomes.

2. Safety & Stability

Phil believes that a safe school is one that is properly resourced with highly competent and trained educators and school operators. He worked with the Board and Superintendent to prioritize and protect teachers' jobs during budget cuts. Phil states that steadiness in personnel is also important towards students feeling safe, and that training, coaching and development are needed to ensure great teachers stay. He is also committed to partnering with the Board and Superintendent to ensure school security staff are better trained and coordinated to prevent and respond to incidents.

3. Access

San Francisco has one of the largest percentages of students enrolled in private schools. Phil believes we must offer language immersion and other sought-after programs in San Francisco to attract more families to SFUSD, and drive enrollments up.

On other issues

1. Data Transparency

Phil is committed to making data publicly accessible. While SFUSD does report its data (https://www.sfusd.edu/rpa-dept/data-accountability-and-analysis) biannually, it's hard to find, and harder to understand. This is unacceptable. Phil Kim aims to fix that by aligning the Board and Superintendent on goals, the strategies to achieve them, and the data to measure progress. We look forward to seeing clearer, more digestible, public facing dashboards in the future.

2. Fiscal sustainability

One of Phil's first actions as President of the Board of Education was to ensure our Superintendent was evaluated on metrics that would align SFUSD with fiscal sustainability. As a result, the district has gone from "negative" fiscal certification to "qualified" (/news/2025-12-11-sfusd-near-stable-budget/) and is aiming for the highest, "positive" certification by July of next year, completing the rapid transition out of state oversight.

Source (https://growsf.org/voter-guide/san-francisco-voter-guide-june-2026-election/#board-of-education)

After meeting with all three candidates, Phil stood out because he understands the important role the Board of Education plays and brings a clear, grounded vision for how to lead in a time when both students, particularly immigrant and queer students, and public education itself are under attack. He demonstrates a strong command of education policy and governance with a nuanced and lived understanding of how decisions made at the school board level directly impact classroom, educator, and student outcomes.

Importantly, Phil brings a clear and actionable vision for advancing gender equity in San Francisco schools. His work reflects an understanding that gender equity must be embedded across systems, not treated as a standalone issue. From fighting to expand access for girls, particularly girls of color, in STEM pathways, to strengthening protections against harassment and improving Title IX processes so they are accessible, trauma-informed, and equitable, Phil impressed us with both the values he holds close and the policy knowledge needed to be an effective school board member.

We do want to acknowledge that we are recommending endorsing a male candidate in a field that includes two qualified women. This was not a decision we took lightly. All three candidates bring strong perspectives, lived experience, and a clear commitment to students and teachers.

Ultimately, we believe Phil Kim’s knowledge and preparedness to protect and fight for students on day one set him apart at a time when the stakes for our schools and students are especially high.

SFWPC endorsed Virginia Cheung in 2024 and is happy to see her continued commitment to public service through her candidacy. While she remains a thoughtful and dedicated advocate for students, the PAC Committee had concerns about her depth of knowledge on key policy issues relevant to the role.

As a former ESL teacher, a current SFUSD parent, and community organizer, Brandee Marckmann brings a valuable perspective rooted in both classroom experience and community advocacy, particularly for multilingual learners and families. While we respect the voice she brings to these issues, the Committee ultimately felt that the candidate recommended for endorsement is better prepared at this moment to navigate the full scope and complexity of Board governance.

Source (https://sfwpc.org/pac-recommendations-for-june-2026-election/)

Dual Endorsement for the Board of Education

Vote for either Phil Kim or Virginia Cheung. This dual endorsement is because CADC has endorsed both Phil and Virginia in the past. CADC would like Phil to continue to serve. As new seats open for November, both deserve support.

Source (https://www.sfcadc.org/6_2_26_endorsement_partial)

• Turning SFUSD around: Under Phil’s leadership, SFUSD has reduced its structural deficit (https://www.sfusd.edu/about-sfusd/sfusd-news/press-releases/2025-06-24-sf-board-education-adopts-budget-2025-26-school-year) and is beginning to see signs of enrollment recovery (https://sfstandard.com/2025/03/17/sfusd-enrollment-surge-tk/).
• Real classroom experience: Extensive experience in education (https://www.philkim.org/), including serving as a 7th grade science teacher, and spending years developing science curriculum in schools.‍
• Backed by public school parents: Phil has earned the support of major parent advocates like SF Parents Action (https://sfparentaction.org/june-2026-endorsement/).

Simply put, Phil has the experience and focus needed to get SFUSD back on track and we’re already seeing progress under his leadership. SFUSD is finally moving in the right direction. Now’s not the time to go backward.

A vote for Phil is a vote for SFUSD’s recovery. You can find out more about him by checking out: https://www.philkim.org/

Source (https://www.sfblueprint.org/advocacy/why-this-junes-board-of-education-election-matters)

After a thorough endorsement process (https://sfparentaction.org/endorsements/#process)led by families, for families, SF Parents Action is proud to endorse Phil Kim for his steady leadership on the Board of Education, his background as an educator, and the trust he has built with families during a critical moment for SFUSD.

Parents value Phil’s clear understanding of district challenges, recent board history, and the systems shaping student outcomes. Throughout our endorsement process, he has demonstrated preparedness, thoughtful engagement, and a strong focus on students.

Source (https://sfparentaction.org/june-2026-endorsement/)

My occupation is School Board President.

As a former 7th-grade science teacher, I know how it feels to stand in front of 30 students with different needs and different strengths and be responsible for helping each one succeed. I know that a school district is only as strong as each of its classrooms. Our educators and students work incredibly hard. They deserve leadership that understands their challenges, provides clear direction, and fights to get them the resources they deserve. I know from experience that when teachers and parents feel supported, students succeed. Throughout my career, from the classroom to the district level, and now as School Board President, my focus remains the same: engage students, support teachers, and ensure resources reach the kids who need them. I ran for the School Board because I saw that decisions affecting our classrooms were being made by people who have never taught in one. We need educators on the School Board. Leaders who understand instruction, curriculum, and what it takes to help students grow. Our parents deserve stable schools. Our teachers deserve strong partners. And our students deserve the best school district in the country. Let’s make it happen. Endorsed by: Mayor Daniel Lurie Senator Scott Wiener Assemblymember Matt Haney Assemblymember Catherine Stefani Board of Supervisors President Rafael Mandelman Former Supervisor Jane Kim Former School Board President Jenny Lam

Phil Kim is a unicorn in the often-ignored, routinely-used-as-a-political-launching-pad world of SF Education Board politics. He actually knows what he's doing! During his 12 years as an educator, with a Master's in Education Policy and currently pursuing a doctorate, he had hands-on experience running programs inside SFUSD itself before ever sitting on the Ed Board. He was appointed by former mayor London Breed, was unanimously elected board president by his colleagues and immediately got to work on the unglamorous but essential stuff, like dragging SFUSD's fiscal certification up from "negative" to "qualified." (Do we dare dream we might see “positive” one day?)

Under his watch, the board set operational standards for itself, adopted a new K-8 math curriculum, set measurable goals for 3rd grade literacy and 8th grade math proficiency and established real accountability metrics for the Superintendent for the first time in years. This is not a guy simply treating the School Board as a résumé line item on his way to something else. What a relief!

Source (https://www.connectedsf.com/board-of-education-seat)

Kim is the incumbent School Board President and has begun turning around the beleaguered SFUSD. He’s endorsed by GrowSF as well as Mayor Lurie, Scott Wiener, and other growth-oriented elected officials.

VIG listing; Occupation: School Board President; former 7th-grade science teacher; endorsed by Mayor Daniel Lurie

The San Francisco League of Conservation Voters supports Phil Kim for Board of Education based on a comparative assessment of candidates’ responses on environmental priorities, fiscal constraints, and district governance.

Across the field of candidates, there is broad agreement on core issues. Brandee Marckmann, Virginia Cheung, and Kim all support expanding outdoor and experiential learning, improving environmental health conditions in schools, and utilizing district property for teacher housing. Each candidate also acknowledges the connection between safe, sustainable school environments, and student outcomes.

Differences emerge in how these priorities would be implemented. Kim’s proposals more consistently focus on integrating environmental goals into existing district systems, particularly for facilities planning, budgeting, and accountability structures. He identifies specific gaps, such as the absence of an environmental safety workforce, and proposes aligning capital investments and audits to address health hazards and infrastructure needs.

By comparison, Marckmann emphasizes a broader “Sustainable Community Schools” and a Green New Deal framework, with a focus on community-driven programming and structural reforms, while Cheung prioritizes partnerships, capital improvements, and a whole-child model tied to environmental health. These approaches share similar goals but rely more heavily on future program development or external funding.

On fiscal issues, Kim places greater emphasis on multi-year planning, transparency, and aligning new investments with existing constraints. Other candidates focus more on revenue generation, governance restructuring, or program expansion, with less specificity on how environmental initiatives would be prioritized within the current budget context.

Regarding school closures/consolidation and facilities use, Kim does not take a categorical position but instead frames environmental health, access to green space, and community impact as key decision-making criteria. Marckmann opposes closures outright, and Cheung supports a moratorium, reflecting differing approaches to managing enrollment decline and infrastructure.

Kim’s integrated approach, which embeds environmental priorities within core district functions and maintains a focus on implementation, distinguishes his candidacy in this evaluation.

SFLCV encourages voters to support Phil Kim for Board of Education.

Source (https://www.sflcv.org/blog/2026/4/28/june-2026-sflcv-endorses-phil-kim-for-board-of-education)