Experts urge San Francisco to embrace patience in school reform

Former superintendents Laura Schwalm and Chris Steinhauser, who led the Garden Grove and Long Beach school districts to national recognition, believe San Francisco can achieve similar results. They advise current Superintendent Maria Su to prioritize patience and clear objectives over immediate political wins. Both former leaders spent a combined 32 years running major districts and now offer guidance as San Francisco attempts its own educational turnaround.

Schwalm took over Garden Grove in 1999 when test scores were among the worst in Orange County. By 2004, the district won the Broad Prize for Urban Education. Steinhauser’s Long Beach district received the same award the previous year. Their success relied on making difficult decisions, setting specific goals, and maintaining honest communication about results. They note that Su faces a more politically charged environment but possesses the background to navigate it effectively.

Su, who has served as superintendent since 2024, recently secured board approval to replace the enrollment lottery with neighborhood schools. This change, effective in the 2028-29 school year, aligns San Francisco with the majority of California districts. Su acknowledged that the transition will take years rather than months. Her contract runs through June 2028, and she aims to stabilize outcomes for a district of approximately 48,500 students.

Demographic differences exist between San Francisco and the two successful districts. Long Beach serves over 61,000 students, with 59% from low-income families. Garden Grove serves about 36,000 students, with 78% from low-income backgrounds. San Francisco’s low-income student share is 54%. Long Beach also has a higher percentage of Black students compared to San Francisco, which has a smaller Black student population. These disparities influence the specific challenges each district faces.

Schwalm focused on expanding college-prep access and training teachers to support disadvantaged students. She set a goal for every student to gain one year of learning per year in the district. Under her leadership, the percentage of students meeting UC and CSU eligibility requirements rose from 19% to between 55% and 60%. Steinhauser aimed to ensure that 75% of eighth graders took algebra, with the student body reflecting district demographics by 2016.

San Francisco’s recent history contrasts with these models. The district eliminated honors math classes in 2014 but voted in March to bring back eighth-grade Algebra 1. State test data from this spring showed that 25.3% of Black students in Long Beach met the math standard, compared to 11.2% in San Francisco. Hispanic students in Long Beach and Garden Grove performed better than their San Francisco counterparts as well. Su’s tenure has seen minimal movement in these scores, with math and reading results shifting less than one point.

Both former superintendents emphasized the importance of rejecting good ideas to maintain focus. Steinhauser noted that boards often face pressure to adopt every new suggestion. Schwalm described the need to say no to distractions to achieve long-term gains. This discipline is particularly difficult in San Francisco, which has experienced board recalls, a federal investigation, and its first teachers strike in fifty years in the last five years.

Building trust requires transparency and consistency. Schwalm argued that leaders must share both positive and negative data to maintain credibility. Steinhauser demonstrated this by moving his own son to a lower-performing school he administered, signaling confidence in his ability to improve it. Su has hired John Davis, a veteran educator from Baltimore and Washington D.C., to oversee academics. Davis has told the board that turning around a district typically takes five to ten years.

The new enrollment system places responsibility on the district to make every neighborhood school attractive. Schwalm supports this approach, arguing that students should not need to leave their neighborhoods for quality education. She believes San Francisco’s schools will improve if the community grants Su the necessary time. The former leaders advise celebrating early milestones to maintain momentum while keeping the long-term vision in focus.