Grand Jury: SFUSD Teacher Staffing "Not Making the Grade"

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Jun 16, 2023, 07:06 ET

2022–2023 San Francisco Civil Grand Jury Report Identifies Low Pay, Hiring and Recruiting Challenges

SAN FRANCISCO, June 16, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The 2022‒2023 San Francisco Civil Grand Jury released findings that the San Francisco Unified School District (SFUSD) employs too few credentialed teachers to furnish a quality education to every San Francisco student.

"The state and SFUSD both mandate credentialed teachers for our students, but the District falls short," said Karen Kennard, Jury Foreperson. "It's urgent to understand what's broken—and to remediate this crisis."

In the most recent reporting year, just 77% of SFUSD teaching roles were staffed by fully credentialed teachers and 9% of its staffing assignments were classified "ineffective" by the State Department of Education. By comparison, the average for all Bay Area school districts is one fifth more credentialed teachers and one third fewer "ineffective" assignments. Statewide data was similar.

The Jury's report details a yearlong investigation of SFUSD classroom, wage, and benefits data relative to Bay Area and California averages. The Jury also interviewed District leadership and staff, representatives of the San Francisco Board of Education, staff from SFUSD's teacher accreditation program, school principals, and teachers.

Longstanding factors that affect recruiting and retention include low teacher pay relative to many other Bay Area school districts, SFUSD's poor marketing of benefits like its pension plan and housing subsidies and an ongoing payroll fiasco. The District also has had an annual teacher attrition rate of 9–10% for more than a decade. The Jury found that the COVID-19 pandemic only worsened this trend.

The investigation also uncovered that the District does not maintain tracking data about why applicants turn down job offers, nor does it conduct exit interviews of teachers who leave. "We are concerned that SFUSD does not collect the kind of recruiting and HR data that is commonplace in other organizations," Kennard said. "The District has room to improve in its willingness and ability to track, recognize and communicate the challenges it faces."

"A more data-driven and forthright management culture would only help the District's efforts to recruit and retain credentialed teachers," Kennard said.

To read the full report, please visit https://civilgrandjury.sfgov.org/2022_2023/2023%20CGJ%20Report_Not%20Making%20the%20Grade%20-%20San%20Francisco's%20Shortage%20of%20Credentialed%20Teachers_061523.pdf

About the San Francisco Civil Grand Jury

The Superior Court selects 19 San Franciscans to serve year-long terms as Civil Grand Jurors. The Jury has the authority to investigate City and County government by reviewing documents and interviewing public officials and private individuals. At the end of its inquiries, the Jury issues reports of its findings and recommendations. Agencies identified in the report must respond to these findings and recommendations within either 60 or 90 days, and the Board of Supervisors conducts a public hearing on each Civil Grand Jury report after those responses are submitted. For more information, visit the San Francisco Civil Grand Jury website: https://civilgrandjury.sfgov.org.

SOURCE San Francisco Civil Grand Jury