Alida Fisher

• Office: Board of Education
• Election Date: November 3, 2026
• Candidate: Alida Fisher
• Due Date: July 1, 2026
• Printable Version

Thank you for seeking GrowSF's endorsement for the November 3, 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 July 1, 2026 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?

Beyond my experience as a member of the San Francisco Board of Education, I’m a mom. My journey advocating for my own children as we navigated disabilities and learning differences transformed me from an active parent into a parent activist, and ultimately inspired me to seek public office. That lived experience continues to shape how I approach every decision: with empathy, determination, and an unwavering focus on improving student outcomes for all.

I am a policy wonk and a data-driven leader with more than a decade of service on district-level committees. As the former Chair of the SFUSD Community Advisory Committee for Special Education and a member of numerous advisory boards, committees, and working groups, I have built a reputation as a collaborative partner and coalition builder. I work alongside educators, district leaders, families, community organizations, and city officials to strengthen our schools, secure resources, and improve student outcomes. At a time when our district faces both significant opportunities and complex challenges, we need Board members who know how to bring people together to solve problems on behalf of students.

My background as a special education advocate also brings critical expertise to the Board. I have a deep understanding of the laws, funding structures, and accountability systems that govern special education services. Just last week, the Board approved a Special Education Local Plan Area (SELPA) budget of approximately $350 million, which is more than one-quarter of SFUSD's total budget. As we continue strengthening our fiscal stewardship, it is essential that the Board provides informed oversight to ensure these resources are aligned with student needs and produce meaningful results.

My experience as a foster parent has also given me a unique perspective on the challenges many families face as they navigate multiple public systems. It has reinforced my belief that SFUSD should be more than another institution families must navigate—we should be a trusted partner. While I am proud of the dedication and compassion shown by so many of our educators and staff, there is still important work to do to remove barriers, improve access to services, and ensure every family feels welcomed, supported, and empowered to help their children succeed.

Will the power of the office of the Board of Education be enough to achieve these goals?

The Board cannot accomplish these goals alone. Our responsibility is to set the vision, adopt policies, approve the budget, establish measurable goals, and hold the Superintendent accountable for achieving them. Lasting change happens when the Board, Superintendent, educators, families, students, labor partners, and community organizations work together toward shared priorities.

I have seen firsthand that strong collaboration can produce meaningful results. Over the past several years, our Board has made difficult but necessary decisions to restore the district's financial stability, strengthen accountability, and focus our work on improving student outcomes. Those accomplishments demonstrate what is possible when the Board provides coherent direction and remains focused on its governance role.

There is still much work ahead, but I believe the Board has both the responsibility and the ability to drive meaningful progress. By setting clear expectations, making data-informed decisions, investing resources where they have the greatest impact, and building strong partnerships across our community, we can continue moving SFUSD forward and ensure every student has the opportunity to succeed.

What is an existing Board of Education policy you would like to reform?

I am looking forward to our upcoming work to reform Board Policy 5101 (including 5101.2), our student assignment policy.

Our current enrollment system isn’t working. The urgency of our work is reflected in our enrollment trends. Today, only 64.3% of San Francisco’s school-aged children attend SFUSD schools. At the same time, only 27% of K–5 students attend their home attendance area school.

Streamlining enrollment must therefore go hand-in-hand with building trust in the district’s ability to provide high-quality programs and equitable access across all schools and neighborhoods. How do we ensure every school offers a high-quality educational experience? How do we guarantee equitable access to language pathways, special education services, STEM programs, and inclusive learning environments across all enrollment zones? How do we invest in under-enrolled schools so that families see them as strong and desirable options?

The work to revisit the student assignment system creates an important opportunity to take a more asset-based and community-centered approach. Rather than viewing under-enrolled schools as liabilities, SFUSD must invest in the programs and supports families consistently say they value, including language pathways, STEM opportunities, inclusion models, arts programming, and wraparound supports. We know that when schools are thoughtfully resourced and aligned with community priorities, families are more likely to choose and remain in those schools.

Ultimately, streamlining enrollment is about more than simplifying paperwork or assignment algorithms. It is about creating a system that families can understand, trust, and access equitably. A successful enrollment system reduces barriers, increases transparency, strengthens neighborhood community schools, and ensures that every student has access to high-quality educational opportunities throughout 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.

Fully fund public education, including special education!

I also still believe we must revisit the California Ed Code changes implemented after AB3632 replaced AB114, which shifted full responsibility for ERMHS (Educationally Related Mental Health Services) from county-level mental health departments to school districts. ERMHS services are often provided by licensed therapists rather than school psychologists, positions which are not traditionally overseen or credentialed by school districts. This has led to a substantial increase in special education contracts and a significant increase in special education costs.

I mentioned this same topic in my 2022 GrowSF questionnaire, and it is still just as relevant today. In fact, perhaps it’s even more relevant.

Executive Leadership

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.

My years in the corporate world were spent as an individual contributor and my nonprofit experience has been in leading a relatively small (albeit mighty) organization. The majority of my relevant experience in executive leadership, frankly, has come from my term on the Board of Education.

During my term as commissioner, our Board has:

• Adopted a balanced 2025–26 budget while advancing a multi-year fiscal stabilization plan, moving SFUSD from negative to qualified certification and positioning the district for positive certification next school year;
• Adopted new curriculum in English language arts, math, social studies, history, and ethnic studies, providing educators with stronger instructional tools and creating greater stability and coherence across the district;
• Modernized outdated financial and HR systems through the implementation of Frontline and Red Rover, improving operational effectiveness and helping ensure employees are paid accurately and on time;
• Reached bargaining agreements with all labor partners; and
• Successfully implemented a major districtwide Transitional Kindergarten expansion, increasing access to early learning opportunities for families across San Francisco.

I believe it's important to recognize that these accomplishments were possible because, as a Board, we are aligned in our understanding of the distinct roles of governance and operational management. Effective governance requires the Board to set a clear vision, establish priorities, and hold the Superintendent accountable for achieving them. My role, alongside my fellow commissioners, is to provide clear direction, set high expectations, and ensure the Superintendent has the resources and support needed to deliver results. By respecting these complementary roles, we have built a strong partnership that allows the district to stay focused on what matters most: improving student outcomes.

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.

Holding a superintendent accountable begins with establishing clear expectations, measurable goals, and open communication. Accountability is most effective when everyone is aligned around a shared vision for student success and understands how progress will be measured.

One of the reasons our Board adopted the Student Outcomes Focused Governance (SOFG) model is because it creates a strong framework for accountability. Under SOFG, the superintendent's evaluation is tied directly to the student outcomes, priorities, and metrics established by the Board. This keeps the focus where it belongs: on improving results for students.

Effective governance also requires the Board to lead with clarity and consistency. While each board member brings a unique perspective, our collective responsibility is to provide unified direction around our adopted goals and priorities. When expectations are communicated clearly and the Board speaks with one voice on its commitments, we create the conditions for the superintendent to lead effectively and be held accountable for delivering results.

Ultimately, accountability is not about looking backward—it's about creating the alignment, trust, and focus needed to move our district forward. When the Board and superintendent are united around shared goals and a commitment to continuous improvement, our students are the ones who benefit most.

In general, how do you approach making difficult decisions that you deem necessary even if unpopular? Please share a relevant example, if applicable.

The old adage “you're damned if you do, and damned if you don't” seems appropriate here. There is very rarely a decision that makes all members of our community happy, and frankly making everyone happy cannot and will not be my goal. However, I do work very hard to ensure that every decision reflects my commitment to equity and keeps students at the center. With that comes a recognition that I will receive community pushback.

Receiving community pushback requires an understanding that a lack of criticism would not be a sign that everything is working well; it would, in fact, be a sign that we are not fully engaging the community in the work of our schools.

When there is disagreement, it is important to treat pushback not as resistance to be managed, but as information to be understood. Community concern often reflects real experiences in schools and deserves to be heard with seriousness, even when decisions cannot shift in every direction requested. Strong leadership involves explaining the “why” behind decisions, including the values and evidence guiding them, while also acknowledging tradeoffs transparently.

Leading with values means being consistent. Equity, student opportunity, and high-quality instruction should remain the compass even when external pressure is strong or perspectives differ. At the same time, leaders must be willing to refine approaches when new information or patterns of concern emerge.

Ultimately, the goal is not unanimity, but trust. Trust is built when communities see that leaders are steady in their commitments, honest about challenges, and genuinely responsive to feedback. In that way, even moments of tension can become opportunities to deepen understanding and strengthen the shared work of supporting all students. Progress happens when we listen to one another, stay focused on students, and are willing to work through differences in service of a common goal: improving student outcomes.

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 in stabilizing the district’s financial and operational challenges in the short and long term?

SFUSD is on track to self-certify a positive First Interim Budget this December. This means we will have sufficient revenue and reserves to meet our financial obligations not only for the upcoming school year, but for the following two years as well.

Achieving a balanced budget is a major milestone for SFUSD and an important step toward long-term financial stability. Reaching this point has required years of hard work and difficult decisions. Over the past five years, we have invested in new ERP systems, developed position control procedures, implemented fiscal stabilization plans, and made significant budget reductions to put the district on a more sustainable financial path.

While this progress is worth recognizing, our work is not finished. The next phase, which we began this year and discussed extensively during our June Board meetings, is ensuring that every dollar we spend is student-centered and equity-based. Our goal is not only to maintain fiscal stability, but also to align our investments with the needs of our students and our commitment to educational rigor, excellence, and equity. We must close our equity gap. This includes re-investing in restorative practices and multi-tiered systems of support. It includes revisiting the current school staffing model to ensure that school funding is baseline-sufficient to meet student needs.

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 improves student outcomes, and what would you do as Board Member to champion closing the achievement gap?

Providing a high-quality education to every student is at the heart of why our Board of Education adopted the Student Outcomes Focused Governance (SOFG) model and committed to prioritizing our three core goals: improving third grade reading proficiency, strengthening eighth grade math proficiency, and ensuring students graduate prepared for college and careers. While I am in agreement with these goals, they require more than aspiration; they require sustained investment in evidence-based curriculum, strong instructional support, and the staffing structures necessary to help all students succeed.

For more than a decade, both as a commissioner and previously as a parent advocate, I have worked alongside families, educators, and administrators to push for high-quality, evidence-based curriculum aligned with the science of reading. That advocacy led to the adoption of our new literacy curriculum, and we are now in our second full year of implementation. Importantly, our staffing model includes a Literacy Coach at every school to help support this work. Combined with targeted interventions through the “Each and Every” initiative, these efforts have already contributed to meaningful progress, including a nine-point increase in kindergarten literacy proficiency among African American and Pacific Islander students over the past two years.

While these results demonstrate what is possible when we invest strategically in students and educators, significant work remains to ensure all students benefit from high-quality instruction and support. Recent staffing model changes have reduced coherent Tier 2 academic interventions and shifted responsibility to individual school sites to identify alternative funding streams for critical student supports. At the same time, educators are asking for additional high quality professional development with dedicated time during the work day, additional staff support, and collaborative planning time so they can effectively differentiate instruction to meet the needs of all learners. As we continue implementing our new literacy and math curricula, targeted professional development, co-planning opportunities, and instructional support will be essential to achieving the outcomes we want for students across every school in SFUSD. As I stated in the answer to the last question, we must reinvest in MTSS, or multi-tiered systems of support. In my opinion, these areas would be excellent short-term metrics to monitor as we work towards our larger goals.

Safety and violence prevention remains a top priority for families. As a Board Member, what do you believe is necessary to improve school safety so students are ready to learn?

Safety stems from a self of welcoming and belonging. So, let me be clear: There is no place for sexism, racism, ableism, discrimination, harassment, or bullying in our schools. All students deserve to feel safe, included and valued at their school.

The Board of Education has a fundamental responsibility to ensure every student is safe, supported, and able to learn in an inclusive environment. That responsibility begins with establishing districtwide expectations that foster belonging and make clear that discrimination, bullying, harassment, and the use of racist or homophobic language have no place in our schools.

Every school should have the three essential "P's" in place: strong policies, consistent procedures, and effective programs to prevent harm, respond appropriately when it occurs, and repair relationships. This includes implementing schoolwide systems such as Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS) alongside clearly communicated expectations for students and staff. These policies must be consistently applied across SFUSD so that every student knows they will be treated with dignity and protected from harm.

At the same time, accountability and restoration must go hand in hand. When implemented with fidelity, restorative practices provide a powerful framework for repairing harm, rebuilding trust, and strengthening school communities. But the greatest impact of restorative practices is preventative. By intentionally building relationships, fostering a strong sense of belonging, and celebrating the diversity of our school communities, we create environments where students are less likely to harm one another in the first place. When harm does occur, restorative practices help students take responsibility, repair relationships, and move forward in ways that strengthen—not divide—our school communities.

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?

I appreciate the framing of what is “superintendent work” versus “board work” as this is a distinction that our current board has been striving to make.

SFUSD is not alone in facing challenges with educator recruitment and retention. To date we have made many large investments to recruit and retain our much loved and appreciated staff members. We have built Shirley Chisholm Village, the largest educator workforce housing in California at the time it opened. We will now offer fully funded dependent health care benefits to educators, per the bargaining agreement we reached with UESF this February.

One of SFUSD’s most successful educator recruitment and retention tools have been our “grow your own” programs such as the Para to Teacher Program and the San Francisco Urban Teacher Residency Program. Through these programs, educators received on-the-job coaching and support in clearing their credentials, which significantly reduced burnout and increased retention. Historically, 94% of participating teachers returned for a second year, and 84% returned for a third. By reducing barriers for classified staff, the district has helped to build a teaching force that mirrors its student population; approximately 65% to 81% of the program's graduates are educators of color.

There is much we can learn from peer districts across California. For example, San Diego Unified recently averted an educator strike by including provisions in its contract that lowered special education caseloads as a recruitment and retention strategy. This is an important benchmark for SFUSD, particularly because special education remains one of our most understaffed areas. If we want stable schools, strong student outcomes, and long-term fiscal sustainability, we must prioritize the staffing conditions that allow educators and students to thrive.

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 SFUSD 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?

As I mentioned in the answer to your question about a policy I’d like to reform, I believe that SFUSD needs to (1) reform and simplify the enrollment process, and (2) ensure that all of our schools are equitably resourced. The third priority must be to provide more consistent and robust mechanisms for community engagement.

One prime example is the public outcry surrounding the Fall 2025 Fiscal Stabilization Plan, which initially proposed massive cuts to mental health services at schools. L ast December, families, students, and educators spoke powerfully about the importance of Wellness Center staff, social workers, and other wraparound supports. Their advocacy reinforced how essential these services are to student well-being and school climate. At the same time, communities should not have to organize public campaigns or repeatedly appeal to the Board in order to preserve critical supports. We need systems that consistently center student needs and community voice in our budgeting and planning processes from the outset. This point was consistently reinforced in the work done by the board’s Ad Hoc Committee on Community Engagement, of which I was a member.

How can SFUSD improve data transparency and performance reporting, particularly around student achievement, attendance, and spending?

Transparency builds trust, and trust is essential to a strong public school system. Families, educators, and taxpayers deserve timely, accurate, and accessible information about how our students are performing, how public dollars are being invested, and whether our strategies are producing results.

As a Board member, I support expanding public reporting through easy-to-understand dashboards that provide regular updates on key indicators such as student achievement, attendance, graduation rates, literacy and math outcomes, and college and career readiness. These data should be disaggregated by student group so we can identify disparities, measure our progress toward equity, and ensure that every student has the opportunity to succeed. We have discussed creating dashboards in the past, and I look forward to this being the year we operationalize the work.

Financial transparency is equally important. SFUSD must continue strengthening its public reporting by clearly showing how resources are allocated and how investments align with our strategic priorities and student outcomes. Our community should be able to see not only what we spend, but also the impact those investments are having.

The Board's role is to establish clear goals, monitor progress, and hold the Superintendent accountable for delivering results. By regularly reviewing meaningful data in public meetings and communicating that information in a clear, accessible way, we can make better decisions, strengthen public trust, and keep our focus on improving outcomes for every student.

We have already begun this work by dedicating one Board meeting each month to a workshop focused on reviewing data related to one or more of our adopted goals and guardrails. This creates a structured opportunity to examine progress, ask thoughtful questions, and identify areas for improvement. The next step is to formally adopt the monitoring reports presented during these workshops, reinforcing our commitment to transparent governance, continuous improvement, and accountability for student outcomes.

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.

To me, effective leadership involves cultivating a positive district culture and aligning resources to support student achievement. Within the SOFG training I have taken, I have had the opportunity to benchmark other districts and meet with various school board trustees throughout the country. I have been impressed by the members of the Charlotte Mecklenberg School District in North Carolina. Their strategic focus on their goals and data-driven approach is quite impressive, and I hope we can become that aligned as board and leadership team this school year.

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 certainly do! I’m entering my 22nd year as an SFUSD parent. I have a rising senior at Mission High School, and my other three children graduated in 2018, 2022, and 2024.

Did you attend SFUSD or public primary schools in other cities? How do our schools differ from when you were a student?

I grew up in a suburb of Cincinnati, Ohio, and attended public schools there. My mom was a teacher in my school district. The demographics of my school district were different; we had much less socioeconomic, racial, and ethnic diversity. While I am grateful for my upbringing and my opportunities, I’m proud to be raising my children here here in San Francisco.

How long have you lived in San Francisco? What brought you here and what keeps you here?

My husband and I moved to San Francisco in 2000 as part of the tech boom. Initially, we thought we’d spend a few fun years in the city before moving back to Ohio to start our family. We fell in love with the rich cultural diversity, amazing food, and inclusiveness of San Francisco.

When my husband and I decided to become foster parents, and eventually adoptive parents, staying in San Francisco made sense because we were among so many blended families. When we visited other parts of the country, we would get a lot of questions (very often from well-intentioned people) that made our children feel out of place; here in SF, our family has always felt like the norm. We have built a chosen family here in the city and Bay Area, and cannot imagine living anywhere else.

What do you love most about San Francisco?

I love our diversity and creativity! People are drawn to San Francisco for the innovative spirit that is pervasive throughout our culture.

What do you dislike the most about San Francisco?

I dislike the widening inequities, including the wealth gap that has become a chasm. I dislike seeing friends priced out and pushed out of the city; I dislike that my children and many of their friends who grew up in San Francisco cannot afford to live independently in their home city.

Tell us about your current involvement in the community (e.g., volunteer groups, neighborhood associations, civic and professional organizations, etc.).

I am a:

• Parent Mentor, Support for Families of Children with Disabilities (a parent training center here in San Francisco)
• Member, Oceanview-Merced Heights-Ingleside Community Collaborative (OMI CC) and Invest Black
• Parliamentarian, SF District 11 Democratic Club
• Member, Harvey Milk Democratic Club, and SF Womens Political Committee
• Active member in my religious community, St. Paul’s Episcopal Church of Oakland

Why do you want to run for public office?

As an SFUSD parent, special education advocate, and current School Board Commissioner, I am running to continue building strong, equitable, and student-centered public schools.

I am running to continue my work as a School Board Commissioner because, while I am proud of what we have accomplished together, there is still important work ahead. As an SFUSD parent of one current student and three graduates, a special education advocate, and a former advisory committee chair, I have built strong coalitions and worked collaboratively with educators, district leaders, families, labor partners, and city officials to strengthen our schools and improve outcomes for students.

Throughout my term, I have focused on fiscal stabilization, academic excellence, and rebuilding public trust through collaborative leadership and transparent governance. I am proud of the Board’s work to adopt a balanced budget, expand Transitional Kindergarten, adopt new curriculum in core subject areas, modernize district operational systems, and reach agreements with all labor partners while protecting investments closest to classrooms.

My experience in special education advocacy has reinforced the importance of early intervention, inclusive practices, wraparound supports, and recruiting and retaining qualified staff. It has also given me firsthand insight into how operational decisions, staffing models, enrollment policies, and budgeting choices affect students furthest from opportunity. I believe strong governance requires listening closely to families, understanding how systems function in practice, and ensuring decisions are grounded in both data and lived experience.

SFUSD faces significant challenges, including declining enrollment and long-term fiscal pressures, but also tremendous opportunities to redesign systems in ways that better serve students and families. Academic excellence rooted in equity remains at the center of my work. Every student deserves access to high-quality instruction, meaningful supports, and pathways that allow them to thrive, and I remain committed to ensuring SFUSD delivers on that promise for all students.

Thank you

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