• Office: Board of Education
• Election Date: June 2, 2026
• Candidate: Phil Kim
• Due Date: December 12, 2025
• Printable Version

Thank you for seeking GrowSF's endorsement for the June 2, 2026 election! GrowSF believes in a growing, beautiful, vibrant, healthy, safe, and prosperous city delivered via common sense solutions and effective government. Our work includes running public opinion polls to understand what voters want, advocating for those changes, and ensuring that the SF government represents the people.

The GrowSF endorsement committee will review all completed questionnaires and seek consensus on which candidates best align with our vision for San Francisco.

This questionnaire will be published on growsf.org, and so we hope that you use this opportunity to communicate with voters.

Please complete this questionnaire by December 12, 2025 so we have enough time to adequately review and discuss your answers.

Note: This questionnaire will use the initialism “SFUSD” when referring to the San Francisco Unified School District.

• Your Goals
• Executive Leadership
• The Issues
• Personal
• Thank you

Your Goals

We’d like to get some details about your high-level goals and how you intend to use your elected office to achieve them.

What do you believe is your most relevant experience, perspective(s), or idea(s) that makes you uniquely qualified to be an effective Board Member? How do you intend to use that experience to build a stronger district?
I am a former teacher and lifelong educator. I have led STEM education and policy at the local, state, and national levels. I know what it takes to change systems and behaviors to improve student outcomes. From instructional coaching to curriculum implementation, I am using my experience as an education policy leader every day to ensure our Board and SFUSD stay focused on improving student outcomes.

Will the power of the office of the Board of Education be enough to achieve these goals?
SFUSD has three big goals: 3rd grade reading, 8th grade math, and college and career readiness. The Board has an important role in ensuring we progress monitor toward these goals, hold the Superintendent accountable to our guardrails, and connect and engage the community as we live out our vision and values. But it takes deep partnership with the Superintendent, who is responsible for the day-to-day operations of our district, and the community to ensure we build the necessary conditions for student success.

What is an existing Board of Education policy you would like to reform?
The Board of Education has never done a full “policy diet” of all Board Policies and Resolutions to align all Policies and Resolutions to our effective governance framework. This is the next phase of our governance work, through an Ad-hoc Committee on Policy that I introduced in March 2025. This policy diet is intended to ensure our Board Policies and Resolutions align with our good governance model, and focused on our vision, values, goals, and guardrails for the district.

What is an "out there" change that you would make to state/local government policy, if you could? For the purpose of this question, you are not constrained to the office of the Board of Education.
There is a really interesting report that came out from Policy Analysis for California Education (PACE) that considers a recommendation to put the California Department of Education under the governor to clarify responsibilities so that an expert manager can run the Department. It suggests that weaknesses in the current system undermine student progress, and positions the State Superintendent as the “evaluator-in-chief” of school programs and spending. I think this warrants more discussion and thinking to imagine ways for us to increase accountability and prioritize outcomes for kids.

Executive Leadership

We’d like to learn more about your leadership style and plan to execute effectively once you assume office.

Please describe your experience running or governing large organizations, managing teams (including hiring, firing, and performance management), driving cultural change and clear communication throughout all levels, effective financial management (budgets, reporting, audit, etc.), and any other relevant experience.
Prior to joining SFUSD, I was leading STEM teaching and learning, curriculum, coaching, and leadership development across K-12 public schools throughout the country. This included teachers, coaching, assistant principles, Chief Academic Officers, and Superintendents across 20+ states and over 300+ schools, leading change management initiatives to improve outcomes for students.

One of the most critical roles for the Board of Education is to hire/fire, evaluate, and hold accountable the Superintendent of Schools. Please describe your experience working with an executive leader to hold them accountable.
Note: Please remember that this questionnaire will be public, so do not include any personally identifiable information.
In my current position as Board President, I established short-term evaluation metrics for Superintendent Su, the first time our Board created such metrics, to be able to evaluate her progress toward critical operational and financial milestones to stabilize SFUSD. That work has led us to receive a “qualified” fiscal certification on our first interim report that was unanimously approved by the Board in December 2025. This was a significant milestone for SFUSD toward regaining local control of our budget.

In general, how do you approach making difficult decisions that you deem necessary even if unpopular? Please share a relevant example, if applicable.
I pick up the phone and call people. We live in a city with so many resources and people who are incredibly connected and care deeply about SFUSD. There are also leaders across the country who grapple with the same challenges that SFUSD does. I believe that we should tap the expertise, experience, and lessons folks across the K-12 sector have to offer so that we can learn from and build upon the work that is being done nationwide.

The Issues

Next, we will cover the issues that voters tell us they care about. We hope to gain a better understanding of your policy positions, and we hope that you use this opportunity to communicate with voters.

SFUSD remains under fiscal oversight by the California Department of Education (CDE), and continues to experience an ongoing structural deficit. What do you believe is most critical to do to stabilize the district’s financial and operational challenges, in both the short and long term?
I am proud to have recently announced that we are moving from a “negative” fiscal certification to “qualified.” This means that the hard decisions and stabilization plan that the District enacted last year is moving us closer to solvency. Long-term, we must diligently and properly forecast revenues, budget appropriately, and leverage our restricted and unrestricted dollars in sustainable ways, spending within our means and maintaining a focus on our multi-year projections.

SFUSD is off track in meeting student outcome goals. Our reading and math proficiency rates are among the lowest in California. What should our outcome goals be in the short and long term? What do you believe is required to ensure SFUSD achieves these outcomes, and what would you do as Board Member to champion closing the achievement gap?
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. We must also look structurally at the conditions of our schools to ensure we are building a sustainable portfolio that ensures all students have what they need to succeed.

Safety and violence prevention remains a top priority for families. As a Board Member, what do you believe is necessary to do to improve school safety so that students are able to learn?
In a recent meeting with the Student Advisory Council (SAC), SFUSD students told us that more training and coordination of our existing T-10 security staff would make them feel more safe in their schools. I am interested in partnering with the Superintendent and Board to make sure that we have central supports and site-based strategies that support our T-10s.

SFUSD continues to face a teacher shortage, especially in special education, STEM, and bilingual programs. What concrete steps do you recommend the Superintendent, with support from the Board, take to recruit and retain great educators?
The Board and Superintendent chose to prioritize and protect classroom teachers during our budget and staffing reductions last year. That resulted in 95% of general education classrooms being filled with a teacher on day 1. In order to retain those educators, we must focus on training, coaching, and development so that teachers have the tools they need and support required to grow in their practice, be successful in their profession, and be valued in their school communities.

One reason for the budget deficit is declining enrollment. Approximately 30% of children attend private schools, and that percentage is growing. Each student not in SFUSD takes away nearly $15,000 in State funding. What are the top 3 things you believe SFSUD leadership must do to make SFUSD more attractive to prospective students and parents? In your role as Board Member, how will you advocate for these things?

1. Safety and Stability. Our staffing model and resource allocation strategies should focus on ensuring safe and stable school environments. Students should feel welcomed, included, and safe to learn. All our schools should have continuity in their staffing and resources year-over-year.
2. Access. Programs across SFUSD, such as language immersion, are some of the most sought-after programs in San Francisco. We must learn from and build more programs such as these that attract families to SFUSD.
3. Outcomes. School systems exist to improve student outcomes. We must deliver on the promise of delivering a world-class education in our world-class city by ensuring that all students are reaching their learning goals.

How can SFUSD improve data transparency and performance reporting, particularly around student achievement, attendance, and spending?
I am very committed to ensuring that the District makes more data publicly accessible. Oakland Unified School District (OUSD)’s Public Dashboards are a great model here. We must first ensure we are clear on our goals, outline the strategies we will use to achieve those goals, and agree on the data that informs our progress. Then, we should make that data publicly accessible for everyone, including the Board.

What examples of effective leadership from SF, or other California school districts, would you emulate in SFUSD? Please be specific with your examples of their leadership and impact.
While I don’t think there is a silver bullet in K-12 education, I do think there are districts around the country doing great work and seeing promising results:

• Houston Independent School District (HISD) has undertaken major structural reforms (standardized curriculum, leadership accountability, personnel changes) that have correlated with dramatic shifts in performance ratings. The district is also expanding early college and career programs so more students can earn college credits or associate degrees before graduating high school. HISD cut the number of “low-rated” campuses drastically through focused governance and instructional reforms, and now implements post-secondary pathways districtwide.
• LAUSD has improved in literacy and math outcomes, which leaders attribute to more deliberate equity-focused funding and a cohesive curriculum strategy. These improvements suggest that aligning resource allocation with instructional priorities can support measurable academic progress even in very large, diverse districts.
• The League of Innovative Schools includes dozens of districts nationwide recognized for leadership in technology use, equity strategies, personalized learning, and community engagement. Being part of this cohort means access to shared research, pilots, and collaboration aimed at scaling what works. Networks like this point to systemic transformation via professional learning, shared metrics, and evidence-based innovation that goes beyond just single-school pilots.

Personal

Tell us a bit about yourself!

Do/Did you have children in SFUSD? If so, what have you learned about SFUSD that other parents would benefit from? If not, why not?
I do not, but my partner and I hope to one day! We have been family-planning for a while. I am currently in an education doctorate program at UC Berkeley, in addition to my service on the Board and my day job. I’m grateful to have the time and capacity to engage in these areas at this time, and look forward to growing our family in the future.

Did you attend SFUSD or public primary schools in other cities? How do our schools differ from when you were a student?
I attended public schools K-12, received my BS from Bucknell University (a private college), Masters in Education from Loyola Marymount University-Los Angeles (a private university), and am currently pursuing my doctorate in education at UC Berkeley’s School of Education (a public university).

Perhaps the biggest shift I see today is in our content standards, particularly Common Core and the Next Generation Science Standards. These standards significantly pushed schools to shift their teaching practices and, therefore, how and what students learn.

How long have you lived in San Francisco? What brought you here and what keeps you here?
I moved to the Bay in 2012 by way of Teach for America, living in Oakland while I was teaching in San Lorenzo. I moved to San Francisco in 2014 and have called SF my home ever since.

What do you love most about San Francisco?
We have big city energy in a small 7x7 town. I live in the Castro, and love that I can’t walk one block without running into someone I know. We have access to so many world-class restaurants, industries, people, etc. right in our own backyard! But in a tiny little peninsula that has perfect weather and access to the outdoors. Don’t we live in the best city?

What do you dislike the most about San Francisco?
The affordability crisis. I want and plan to raise a family here with my partner. But the challenges to do so are real. The cost of living is prohibitively high for so many people and families. We must do all that we can to build more housing, provide greater opportunities for our most vulnerable, and ensure sustainable city systems (i.e. schools, transit) so individuals and families can afford to live, grow, and thrive here.

Tell us about your current involvement in the community (e.g., volunteer groups, neighborhood associations, civic and professional organizations, etc.).
I am proud to work for the San Francisco Human Rights Commission, a city department that I feel incredibly passionate about. I have the great privilege of working alongside a dedicated staff who is deeply connected to the community. I also serve on the Board of Directors for the Alice B. Toklas LGBTQ Democratic Club, a club that keeps me focused and grounded in the issues that matter most for our LGBTQ neighbors.

Why do you want to run for public office?
I originally ran for office in 2016 because, at that time, not a single Commissioner was an educator. I am proud to serve on this Board now, as a former teacher and lifelong educator, centering teaching and learning in every decision we make.

Thank you

Thank you for giving us your time and answering our questionnaire. We look forward to reading your answers and considering your candidacy!