Virginia CheungVirginia Cheung

Wow, did y’all catch that badass teachers’ strike in February? It was an incredible citywide lovefest in solidarity with educators and in support of San Francisco’s students and schools. But as much as we love any opportunity to march in the streets with our communities, the strike should not have had to happen. The teachers and educators’ union, UESF, negotiated in good faith for nearly a YEAR without getting anywhere close to the contract they deserved. The Board of Education could have and should have directed the Superintendent to negotiate and prevent the strike, or make it shorter than the 4 days it ended up lasting. Superintendent Maria Su responded to the successful strike by threatening hundreds of teacher layoffs, which is so not the vibe. School Board President Phil Kim’s lack of leadership was especially disappointing. And guess what? It’s Kim’s seat on the ballot in this June election to complete his term (since he was appointed by the Mayor in between elections). Luckily, we have a chance to elect Board of Education members in June and November who can turn the ship around.

Virginia Cheung, our pick for school board on this June ballot, was right there with her labor allies on the picket line at her own child’s school, part of a growing movement calling for a new vision for public education in San Francisco. If elected, she’d be the only Chinese-American on the Board, and a strong voice with roots among educators and community organizations.  

The current school board and SFUSD leadership are stuck in a doom loop. Austerity hawks have convinced them that there’s an inevitable fiscal cliff right around the corner, which means our kids and educators have no choice but to do more with less, which means fewer families will trust public schools, which means even fewer resources in the system. The massive public support of the educators’ strike, though, sent a clear message: San Francisco deserves a great school system, and we need our leaders to fight for the resources to make it happen. Virginia Cheung’s priorities show us a path forward: SFUSD can stabilize our schools to improve retention for teachers and families; invest in the arts, language, and special education programs that set SFUSD apart; expand community schools to support working class families, and restore trust by increasing transparency for critical issues like budgeting and facilities decisions. 

Brandee Marckmann is the other progressive candidate in this race. While we respect Brandee’s advocacy to prevent school closures and curtail privatization within SFUSD, our members decided that Virginia is the team player we need who can work with the other board members, as well as city leaders, to build the school system our city deserves. And PS: the teachers we met on the picket lines agree: Virginia earned the sole endorsement of their union, UESF!

Vote Virginia Cheung for Board of Education!

Source (https://www.theleaguesf.org/blog#BoardOfEducation)

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)

My occupation is Nonprofit Educator / Mother.

I was mute throughout school. As immigrants, we learned early to hide. On my first day of kindergarten, I stood at the bus stop crying. I didn’t speak English. I knew no one. A teacher noticed. She took my hand and rode with me to school. Because she saw me that day, I became the first in my family to graduate from college. My older brother did not have that chance. He never received the interventions he needed and dropped out of high school. For years, I believed I was lucky to receive help. Now, as a mother, I know better: a child’s future should never depend on luck. My family’s story is not unique. Too many children—language learners, BIPOC students, and students with disabilities—are still denied opportunities to succeed. Every child deserves to be safe, seen, valued, and heard. Our classrooms should honor their languages, cultures, and lived experiences. A teacher helped me find my voice. Now I’m fighting for every child to find theirs. The educator strike united us around our common goal of fully staffed, stable schools. It’s time for educators and communities to unite to ensure the excellent public schools every child deserves.

VIG listing; Occupation: Nonprofit Educator/Mother; first in family to graduate college; advocates for language learners

The school board race is a three-way fight between the incumbent (appointed by the mayor) and two public school parents involved in parents’ group organizing. Honestly, all of the school board candidates’ websites are pretty thin, but Virginia has the best combination of stated goals (improving attendance, enrollment, and finances) with measures to do so (offering competitive programs, improving the predictability of the school lottery, and more). She is also endorsed by the local teachers’ union.