Reina Tello

• Office: Board of Education
• Election Date: November 3, 2026
• Candidate: Reina Tello
• Due Date: July 22, 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 22, 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?

I am running because our public school system is a critical component of the support network that allows low-income and working-class families to remain in San Francisco. Born and raised here, I attended Daniel Webster, Everett, and graduated from Mission High School. My experience as a long-time community organizer at PODER (People Organizing to Demand Environmental and Economic Rights) and as a Board Member of several organizations has taught me that educators, students, and families are an untapped resource. I intend to use my experience in community organizing to bridge the gap between district management and school sites, ensuring that solutions are co-created with those closest to the classroom.

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

Genuine relationships, partnerships, and consistent community engagement are the foundation for advancing real, lasting solutions. While the Board office provides legislative power, it is the partnership with the community and the alignment of district policy with family needs that will drive actual change.

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

I would reform the current attendance-based funding approach. We need to shift away from models that penalize schools for factors often outside their control and instead provide resources and investment to address the root causes of chronic absenteeism.

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.

I would propose repurposing SFUSD’s extensive public land holdings to create truly affordable housing for both our educators and the families the district serves. Additionally, I would support the creation of a San Francisco Public Bank to help bridge the funding gaps that often prevent equitable community development.

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 leadership experience is rooted in community organizing and advocacy. At PODER, I have spent seven years analyzing and reporting on many public issues such as affordability, and leading campaigns to pass initiatives like Prop M, which creates revenue for housing subsidies. My approach to management is rooted in transparency and "no back-door dealing." I believe in democratic decision-making where students, families, and educators have a seat at the table. As a board member of the Community Council of Housing Organizations. I have experience in organizational budget management and reporting.

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.

Accountability comes from clear expectations and open communication. In my work, I have consistently held government agencies accountable by centering the needs of the community and demanding data transparency. If elected, I will approach the Superintendent’s evaluation by measuring their performance against student outcomes and their responsiveness to school-site staff.

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

When a decision is difficult, I facilitate transparency and involve the people most impacted early in the process. I am willing to take unpopular stances if they serve the interest of our most vulnerable students, provided the rationale is evidence-based and the community has been authentically engaged in the decision-making process. I attended all of the Community Engagement Ad Hoc meetings and I too believe in the recommendations that surfaced in that process. Students, parents/guardians, and school-based educators all care deeply about SFUSD, and they are willing to make hard decisions— they just want to be engaged from the beginning. The unpopular decisions are a direct result of non-authentic engagement and lack of outreach.

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?

Thanks to significant progress over the past few years, it’s no longer accurate to say that SFUSD has an ongoing structural deficit. Over the past five years, although SFUSD has projected large deficits each year, in reality the district has accumulated massive reserves (up to 35% of the General Fund). We need to spend these down to a reasonable level—closer to the state-required 2%—to ensure today’s dollars are spent on today’s students, rather than holding funds in reserve while classrooms go under-resourced. Families cannot be expected to believe in a district that doesn’t invest in its current students. Overall, my philosophy around budget allocations is to focus on student impact by prioritizing student-facing positions first.

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?

Our goals must be to meet students where they are and prepare them for success, whether that is higher education or high-paying vocational careers. Research shows that educator quality is the biggest factor in determining student learning. To close the achievement gap, we must:

1. Continue to increase educator pay and benefits so we attract and retain the most highly qualified staff.

2. Provide educators with dedicated preparation time to review curriculum and monitor student work.

3. Ensure collaboration between General Education and Special Education teachers. 4. Provide high-quality, relevant professional development and coaching, rather than "one-size-fits-all" training.

5. Upgrade technology and classroom resources so teachers have the tools 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 improve school safety so students are ready to learn?

School safety is best achieved through a community school model that includes wrap-around services. We must integrate health care, mental health support, and social services directly into the academic program. I support expanding the network of community schools and leveraging partnerships with City government and CBOs to ensure nurses and mental health practitioners are available at every site, particularly those with the highest needs.

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?

To attract and retain the best educators, SFUSD must become the district that prioritizes budgets that put money in the classroom. Additionally, we must tackle the cost of living by finding the solutions for teacher housing. Finally, creating a respectful work environment where educators are treated as professionals—with adequate prep time and a voice in decision-making—is essential to retention.

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. Fix the Enrollment System: Create a user-friendly, predictable system that assigns families to schools reasonably close to their homes.

2. Invest in Student-Facing Resources: Ensure all schools are fully staffed and resourced, ending the narrative that only "certain" schools are good.

3. Expand Community Services: Build out the community school model so that families view SFUSD as a one-stop hub for student success and family support.

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

I propose holding regular, school-site town hall meetings where the budget is explained in plain language. Transparency isn't just about posting data online; it’s about engaging communities in the budget process so they understand where money is going and have the opportunity to define "people’s priorities." My work with the city budget through the People’s Budget Coalition has proven that these methods work.

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.

I look to "positive outlier" districts that have succeeded in closing the achievement gap for Black and Latine students. A consistent trait of these districts is their ability to maintain a highly qualified, stable teaching force. I would emulate their approach of prioritizing educator retention and funding equity—ensuring that resources follow the student and reach the most marginalized schools first.

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?

Yes, I have two children in public schools.

I know what it feels like to push and wait just so my children could access their education.Through my experience, I have learned the vital importance of the wrap-around support provided by community schools, particularly regarding IEP and 504 plan accommodations.

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

Yes, I was born and raised in SF and attended Daniel Webster, Everett, and Mission High School. I see a lot of the same issues, the difference I see is when I was a student there was communication from parent leaders and the leadership at SFUSD. I attended many meetings at the district with my parents. School site visits felt common, the District Advisory Committee and Bilingual Advisory Committee were very active.

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

I have lived in San Francisco all 44 years of my life. My family roots, my community, and my dedication to the working-class families of this city keep me here. My parents built a beautiful legacy or mutual aid in so many different ways. My parents volunteered in food distribution, which connected many families at SFUSD to food. I saw how my dad fundraised for our school regardless of who needed it he wanted all pathways had the funding they needed to be successful. My parents leadership motivated me to like the Mocktrial. I am proud to pass that onto my children.

What do you love most about San Francisco?

I love the resilience of our working-class families and the rich cultural history of our neighborhoods. I love the deep rooted advocacy and organizing that made San Francisco the leader in progressive values that have made such a big impact nationwide.

What do you dislike the most about San Francisco?

I dislike the systemic divestment from our public institutions and the displacement of the families that make this city vibrant. I dislike the erosion of our social safety net, one that took decades of hard work and fight, there is so much wealth in SF and we have the opportunity to invest in the best public school system available.

Tell us about your current involvement in the community (e.g., volunteer groups, neighborhood associations, civic and professional organizations, etc.). I am involved in Housing Justice because I know that a stable roof over your head as much as good nutrition are the backbone of the ability to function, every person deserves those as a baseline. I am involved in Economic Justice, I believe that budgets are moral documents that reflect values. Education is a vital survival tool for our young people, and feel passionate about the importance of a well rounded and culturally relevant education.

Why do you want to run for public office?

I spent 13 years at SFUSD as a student. I’ve also spent the last 13 years as a parent at SFUSD. I am mother to a 7th grader at James Lick with an IEP, and a 12th grader at June Jordan School for Equity. I also work with an active multigenerational group of community members, that include SFUSD families.

As a community organizer, I’ve spent decades advocating for good governance of our public school system and our city. Good governance means ensuring that the government works for everyone, especially impacted communities.

Academic excellence and equity support each other. When students who need the most support have their needs met, the students already excelling aren’t held back. Equity means all students have the support necessary so everyone achieves academic excellence.

Thank you

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