Alida FisherAlida Fisher

SFUSD Board of Education – Autumn Brown Garibay

SFWPC recommends Autumn Brown Garibay for endorsement. A working mom with three small children, Autumn is a candidate who understands the challenges of students, parents, and teachers, and is ready to jump into work at the Board of Education. Her approach to intersectional feminism aligns closely with SFWPC’s values, and her policy platform has been shaped by years of listening to the community through her PTA and school advocacy work.

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

SFWPC early endorsed Phil Kim prior to the PAC interviews for this recommendation slate.

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

SFWPC early endorsed Alida Fisher prior to the PAC interviews for this recommendation slate.

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

Autumn Brown Garibay is an SFUSD parent, PTA leader, former member of the SF Parents Leadership Council, and a regular attendee at Board of Education meetings advocating for students and families. Through a long history of parent leadership and advocacy, she has worked closely with families across different school communities and seen firsthand where district systems can fall short.

SF Parents Action has known Brown Garibay for years, and she is unquestionably committed to making SFUSD a better place for students and families. Her positions demonstrate that she is committed to improving student outcomes across SFUSD's broad student population and that she fully supports our teachers. While she doesn't have the same depth of policy knowledge as the two incumbents we're also supporting, her knowledge already runs deeper than any of the other candidates, and we believe she is the perfect candidate for the open seat and will become a strong board member ready to lead for our district's students.

Families especially appreciate Brown Garibay's strong understanding of how SFUSD systems affect families in practice, her belief in the power of parent voice, and her focus on whether district decisions are actually improving outcomes for students. We are excited about her ability to connect the dots of district policy conversations and to ground decision-making in the day-to-day realities of SFUSD students, teachers, and families. Read Autumn's full candidate questionnaire here. (https://sfparentaction.org/wp-content/uploads/Autumn-Brown-Garibay-November-2026-Candidate-Questionnaire.pdf)

Source (https://sfparentaction.org/endorsements-2026-nov/)

Phil Kim is the current Board President, a former 7th-grade science teacher, and the only credentialed educator on the current Board. He received the SF Parents Action endorsement for the June 2026 election after overwhelming parent support, and Kim won that election decisively.

Before joining the Board, Kim worked inside SFUSD within the Office of the Superintendent, making him the only current commissioner with experience working within district administration. During his tenure on the Board, he helped guide SFUSD’s fiscal recovery from “negative” to “qualified” to “positive” certification, established the district’s first short-term Superintendent evaluation metrics, and launched new efforts around progress monitoring and public engagement. He has a strong record of increasing student instruction time in core subjects, supporting teachers, and pushing for a responsible district budget.

Despite some concerns about his governance style and recent challenges in the relationship between Phil Kim and the Superintendent, the vast majority of parents we heard from still believe Phil is one of the strongest champions for students, teachers, and families on the board. Families especially value Kim’s deep understanding of SFUSD systems, his classroom experience, and his focus on academic outcomes. Parents also appreciate his ability to communicate complex district issues clearly and his leadership during a particularly challenging period for SFUSD. Read Phil's full candidate questionnaire here. (https://sfparentaction.org/wp-content/uploads/Phil-Kim-November-2026-Candidate-Questionnaire.pdf)

Source (https://sfparentaction.org/endorsements-2026-nov/)

Alida Fisher is an incumbent school board commissioner, an SFUSD parent, a longtime special education advocate, and a former SFUSD advisory committee chair. During her time on the Board, Fisher has focused on fiscal stabilization, academic achievement, and strengthening district systems during a challenging period for SFUSD. She supported the adoption of a new literacy curriculum, expansion of Transitional Kindergarten, and efforts to maintain balanced budgets while protecting investments closest to classrooms.

Families especially value Fisher's deep understanding of special education, her focus on high-needs students, and her collaborative and professional leadership style. With literacy and math program adoptions and fiscal stabilization plans still underway, parents see real value in keeping experienced commissioners like Fisher on the Board — commissioners who know the history, relationships, and complexity of what's already in motion and can see it through.

Though SF Parents Action did not endorse Fisher in 2022 and we haven't agreed on every issue, families have been increasingly impressed by her principled actions and values-focused leadership. She has been a genuinely strong board member, and with critical work still underway, we believe she has earned another term. Read Alida's full candidate questionnaire here (https://sfparentaction.org/wp-content/uploads/Alida-Fisher-November-2026-Candidate-Questionnaire.pdf).

Source (https://sfparentaction.org/endorsements-2026-nov/)