Parents and Sheridan staff urge SFUSD board to halt midyear teacher consolidations

Dozens of parents, teachers and students told the San Francisco Board of Education that midyear consolidations at Sheridan Elementary are harming students and prompting staff to leave the district.

At the board’s Aug. 23 meeting, multiple speakers described the loss or reassignment of a reading-intervention teacher who, they said, provided essential classroom instruction and wraparound supports including transportation and food assistance. Naomi Perlman, a speech pathologist who identified herself as part of Sheridan’s special education team, said removing teachers “disrupts their learning and their sense of community” and contradicts SFUSD’s stated core values.

“We are united against the decisions that are being made without our input that will have a significant schoolwide impact on our Sheridan students and community,” Perlman said.

Other Sheridan staff described concrete consequences if positions are consolidated: Darcy Chan Blackburn, a first-grade teacher, said at least five of nine classrooms would change teachers and that kindergarten and first grade could be forced to split into a combined class. She warned that split-grade assignments “treat our students and teachers like inanimate objects” and would cause trauma for children who had already formed classroom relationships.

Parents and students who spoke at the meeting echoed that point. A Sheridan fifth grader said, “Please don't take away any of our teachers. We need stability to learn,” while parents warned consolidations would push families to leave SFUSD and reduce enrollment and funding.

Speakers asked the board to prioritize student-centered decisions, to avoid reassigning staff during the school year, and to consider alternatives for addressing districtwide staffing shortages. Several teachers said consolidations have already led colleagues to resign, leaving vacancies that have gone unfilled.

Board members did not take an immediate vote on Sheridan staffing during the public comment period. The superintendent acknowledged staffing and payroll challenges earlier in his report and said staff would bring resources and follow-up items to the board, including a possible special meeting to address urgent operational issues.

The board accepted written public comments at boardoffice@sfusd.edu and indicated it would continue listening tours and outreach to better inform next steps for governance and district operations.