San Francisco, CA – Today, Mayor London N. Breed, Superintendent Tony Thurmond and local leaders released the following statements on the news that the Board of Education intends to appoint Dr. Maria Su as the Superintendent of the San Francisco Unified School District (SFUSD) through June 2026. Dr. Su has served the Executive Director of San Francisco’s Department of Children, Youth and Families (DCYF) for the last 15 years.
“Dr. Maria Su has been a champion for families and children in our city and she has my full confidence in this new role leading our public schools,” said Mayor London Breed. “The most important thing right now is for the School District to close its budget deficit to prevent a state takeover and to instill trust and confidence in the District. I know Maria has what it takes to lead this process with clarity, compassion and a commitment to strong communications with families and educators. Maria is a tremendous leader, and the City will continue to provide Maria the city resources and capacity she needs in this new role. We are one city and if our city is going to thrive, SFUSD needs to thrive.”
“My team and I will continue to work closely with Mayor Breed, Maria Su, and the San Francisco Unified Board, staff, educators and families, as we support SFUSD to work successfully through the district’s current challenges,” said California State Superintendent Tony Thurmond. “We will build on the hundreds of millions of dollars in state funding already provided to support educators’ professional development as well as students’ academic achievement and mental health. We will also continue to provide fiscal experts to help SFUSD balance its budget and build the fiscal systems needed to support the world-class education system that all San Francisco families deserve.”
“I am so grateful to Dr. Maria Su for taking on this role and I know she is doing so because she cares so much about the wellbeing and success of our students,” said Supervisor Hillary Ronen. “With her leadership, I am optimistic that we will transcend this difficult moment, avoid a state takeover, and return the district to one of excellence.”
In 2009, Dr. Su was appointed by then Mayor Gavin Newsom. As Executive Director of DCYF, she has dedicated her career to advancing the well-being of children, young people and families by implementing innovative policies and grant-making initiatives, including the landmark Children and Youth Fund, which provides comprehensive services to children, youth, transitional-age youth (TAY), and families throughout the City and County of San Francisco. Dr. Su oversees an annual budget of approximately $350 million to fulfill DCYF's mission of ensuring San Francisco’s children and youth receive the necessary supports to thrive.
The San Francisco Board of Education announced its intent to appoint Dr. Su as the Superintendent of the School District after accepting Dr. Matt Wayne’s resignation. In addition to her duties leading the Department of Children Youth and their Families, Dr. Su has served as one of the co-leads of the Mayor Breed’s School Stabilization Team, along with Recreation and Parks Department General Manager Phil Ginsburg.
The School Stabilization Team has been working in collaboration with SFUSD District staff to improve multiple major structural issues so that the district can restore its operational health and maintain local control. In the three weeks since its inception, the School Stabilization team has begun deploying City staff to support teacher hiring, expediting teacher credentialing, and is conducting a desk audit to improve the district’s budget functions.
“I am very happy for San Francisco,” said Dr. Carl Cohn, special advisor to Mayor London Breed’s School Stabilization Team. “This is a bold, smart, and innovative choice. I was very impressed with Dr. Su and really felt like she has a strong sense of what children and families need, and how schools and communities should work together to support our youngsters.”
Dr. Carl Cohn has done extensive work with non-traditional superintendents and is one of the founding advisors to the Broad Superintendents Academy at Yale University. He has worked with superintendents in various capacities and served as a former superintendent in school districts at Long Beach and San Diego. Dr. Cohn has been providing strategic guidance to the School Stabilization Team, particularly on the importance of maintaining local control of SF public schools.
If the Board of Education votes to formally approve Dr. Su to the position of Superintendent on October 22nd, Mayor Breed has committed to continuing resources from the City, remaining available to Dr. Su in the work she faces ahead.
"We have been so worried and scared about the future of our school," said Kelvin Chun, a limited English proficient parent at Sutro Elementary School. "I am so relieved that Maria Su has agreed to lead in this moment."
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