Phil KimPhil Kim

We recommend voting for Phil Kim, Autumn Brown Garibay, and Tim Tung for Board of Education.

Voters may cast votes for up to 3 candidates in this race, and we think these three should earn your vote.

SFUSD has climbed from a "negative" budget certification to "qualified" (https://growsf.org/news/2025-12-11-sfusd-near-stable-budget/) and brought algebra back to 8th grade (https://sfstandard.com/2026/03/25/sfusd-algebra-eighth-grade-extended-school-year/) after a 12-year ban. But reading and math proficiency remain among the lowest in California, the district has made no progress (https://growsf.org/voter-guide/questionnaires/november-2026/tim-tung/) on the literacy and math goals it set for itself in 2022, and the overhaul of student assignment has slipped to 2028-29 (https://growsf.org/news/2026-05-21-sfusd-pushes-back-enrollment-overhaul/). Three seats are open, and these three candidates each bring something the Board needs.

Phil is a former public school teacher who led STEM policy across 20+ states and 300+ schools (https://growsf.org/voter-guide/questionnaires/june-2026/phil-kim/), and his colleagues elected him Board President (https://www.sfusd.edu/about-sfusd/sfusd-news/press-releases/2026-01-16-sf-board-education-elects-leaders-2026) unanimously in January. Since joining in 2024 he has pushed the district toward things you can measure. He was the deciding vote that brought algebra back to 8th grade (https://sfstandard.com/2026/03/25/sfusd-algebra-eighth-grade-extended-school-year/), and he made fiscal sustainability part of how the superintendent is evaluated, helping move SFUSD out of the budget hole that nearly cost teachers their jobs.

"We are seeing literacy and math outcomes improving for the first time in years, even as we underwent significant budget reductions last year."

Phil Kim, Board of Education President

Autumn is a public school parent of three and a former PTA president who still serves on her school's executive team. Most of what she has done for SFUSD families is unglamorous and useful: walking parents through the enrollment lottery, aftercare, special education, and the mid-year staffing changes nobody warns you about.

That work led her to a question: if literacy and math are SFUSD's top priorities, what are the plans to improve them? She read the school achievement plans looking for the answer. It isn't there.

"In my preliminary review of school site plans, I am not seeing a clear line of sight between SFUSD's district-wide goals and the SPSAs [School Plans for Student Achievement] schools are being asked to develop."

Autumn Brown Garibay, SFUSD Parent / Former PTA President

That's how a district announcement fails to turn into progress, and exactly what she'd fix. She'd push on both problems she knows first-hand: enrollment that families can navigate without insider knowledge, and goals that are traceable into the site plans, budgets, staffing, and teacher training meant to deliver them.

Tim has 20 years of experience auditing and balancing budgets, exactly the expertise the district needs to solve its budget crisis. He started in the City of San Jose's finance department, building the scenario models the city used to close structural deficits through the 2008 crash. He then spent 12 years at S&P Global Ratings reviewing the budgets and long-term forecasts of hundreds of local governments, testing what officials promised against what they actually delivered, and downgrading the ones that fell short. Today he chairs San Francisco's Citizens' General Obligation Bond Oversight Committee (https://www.sf.gov/profile--tim-tung), which audits how the City spends its bond money.

He is also an SFUSD parent who chairs his school's site council. He wants to stop the delay (https://growsf.org/news/2026-05-21-sfusd-pushes-back-enrollment-overhaul/) on zone-based student assignment and build a real reserve before the teacher-pay parcel tax expires in 2038.

"Policy without rigorous oversight is simply a wish list."

Tim Tung, Bond Oversight Committee Chair

Together, these three are a dream team: an educator who put algebra back in 8th grade, a parent who caught the district promising one thing and planning another, and an auditor who balanced city budgets through the 2008 crash.

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

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)

SFUSD is in a fragile recovery. Under Kim's leadership as Board President, SFUSD’s structural deficit has shrunk (https://www.sfusd.edu/about-sfusd/sfusd-news/press-releases/2025-06-24-sf-board-education-adopts-budget-2025-26-school-year) and enrollment is showing positive signs of recovery (https://sfstandard.com/2025/03/17/sfusd-enrollment-surge-tk/). Additionally, he’s well credentialed (https://www.philkim.org/). He's a former 7th grade science teacher who spent years developing science curriculum. His steady leadership and qualifications have won him the endorsements (https://www.philkim.org/endorsements) of Mayor Daniel Lurie, the SF Democratic Party, SF Parents Action, and others. In the previous June special election, residents overwhelmingly voted (https://www.sfchronicle.com/election/article/sfusd-school-board-22279313.php) to keep Kim on the School Board. Let’s make sure he can keep up the good work and re-elect him this November. Having a steady hand on the Board of Education is critical for SFUSD’s recovery.

Source (https://www.sfblueprint.org/advocacy/november-2026-voter-guide)

Autumn Brown Garibay is an SFUSD parent and PTA leader with a long history of advocating for students and parents. When she was a member of the SF Parents Leadership Council, she was heavily involved in promoting better educational outcomes for students, participating in SF Parents Kids Can’t Wait (https://sfparents.org/sf-kids-cant-wait-press-release/) campaign and raising awareness about unequal academic results using hard data. She has a record of engaging with various stakeholders across the city, bringing people together, and standing up for students and parents in front of the SF Board of Education. She has demonstrated extensive knowledge (https://sfparentaction.org/wp-content/uploads/Autumn-Brown-Garibay-November-2026-Candidate-Questionnaire.pdf) of the challenges facing SFUSD such as the budget crisis, and shown a willingness to take them head on instead of kicking the can down the road. Now she is running for the Board of Education to give families a direct seat at the table. In addition to her advocacy work, Garibay brings private sector acumen to the position, currently working in a senior customer success role involved with strategy. She is endorsed (https://www.autumnforschoolboard.com/) by Mayor Daniel Lurie, the SF Democratic Party, SF Women’s Political Committee, SF Parents Action, and more. Vote for Autumn Brown Garibay to ensure families have a strong voice on the School Board.

Source (https://www.sfblueprint.org/advocacy/november-2026-voter-guide)

While much-needed progress has been made, SFUSD still faces a long-term budget deficit. A financial expert on the Board of Education would help SFUSD right the ship. That’s where Tim Tung comes in. Tung is a finance professional with decades of experience and the credentials to match. A Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA), Tung’s experience includes serving as the Acting Debt Administrator for the City of San Jose for four years and working as a Director for major credit rating firm, S&P Global, for more than decade. Today, he works for a major asset management firm, Allspring Global Investments. In addition to his professional work, Tung has been a member of San Francisco’s Citizens’ General Obligation Bond Oversight Committee, which is responsible for ensuring the City’s bond dollars are responsibly spent, since 2023. Tung’s competence and commitment earned him Mayor Daniel Lurie’s re-appointment (https://www.sf.gov/news-mayor-lurie-announces-key-appointments-to-city-commissions-committees-and-boards) to the committee in 2025. Demonstrating his fellow committee members’ confidence in him, Tung is currently the committee’s Chair. He is endorsed (https://www.timtung.com/endorsements) by Mayor Daniel Lurie, the SF Democratic Party, United Democratic Club, labor unions, and more. Vote for Tim Tung to set SFUSD on the right financial path.

Source (https://www.sfblueprint.org/advocacy/november-2026-voter-guide)

Our public schools should focus on outcomes: reading, math, and preparing kids for real opportunity. We recommend Laurence Lee, Phillip Kim, and Tim Tung for the Board of Education.

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

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/)