Dr. Maria Su appointed as new Superintendent for San Francisco Unified School District

SAN FRANCISCO — Dr. Maria Su, formerly Executive Director of the San Francisco Department of Children, Youth and Their Families, was appointed by the San Francisco Board of Education with 6-1 votes to immediately take over the position as the new Superintendent for the San Francisco Unified School District (SFUSD).

Su was nominated by the Board of Education President Matt Alexander on October 18 to succeed Dr. Matt Wayne who resigned as Superintendent on the same day. Wayne's school closure plan in which 11 schools were proposed to be closed starting the school year of 2025-26 has been widely opposed by affected schools' students and parents including four high Asian enrollment elementary schools serving the Chinatown, Nob Hill, North Beach, and the Richmond Chinatown neighborhoods.

With Kevine Boggess as the solo school board member to oppose, the City's Board of Education voted 6-1 to approve the nomination of Su in the October 22 meeting where the Board also approved a resolution to waive the credential requirement of Su, the chief administrative officer of the school district, pursuant to California Education Code Section 35029.

Under the state's Education Code Section 35028, anyone shall not be eligible to hold a position as a school district superintendent unless the person is the holder of both a valid school administration certificate and a valid teacher's certificate, and unless the person is employed as a deputy, associate, or assistant superintendent in a purely clerical capacity. Su has never been a teacher.

Su was appointed by former Mayor Gavin Newsom in 2009 as the Executive Director of the San Francisco Department of Children, Youth and Their Families to head the city's services for the young people from birth to 24 years of age.

During the past 15 years leading the department, Su has not been seen active within the Asian community and very few Asian community leaders have known her well except the nonprofit organizations whose services are related to children and their families.

According to the information released by the SFUSD, Su will remain a city employee although she serves as the Superintendent. Su's position will serve under a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between SFUSD and the City. The MOU will be valid through June 2026.

In the October 22 meeting, the Board of Education also approved the contract for Dr. Karling Aguilera-Fort to serve as Deputy Superintendent of SFUSD. Aguilera-Fort is responsible for integrating all services and departments related to school operations including supervision, curriculum, teaching and learning, programs and services.

Su holds a Bachelor of Science degree in psychology from Boston University and a Doctor of Psychology degree from Alliant International University.

On September 22, Su was appointed by Mayor London Breed to co-lead a 7-member School Stabilization Team from city officials with Phil Ginsburg, General Manager of the City's Recreation and Parks Department, to work with the school district on the issues of a $400 million budget deficit and school closures.

On October 10, Dr. Matt Wayne announced a list of 11 schools to be permanently closed at the school year of 2025-26.

A total of four schools on the list proposed to be closed were high Asian enrollment schools. All four schools were elementary schools including Yick Wo in Chinatown/North Beach, Jean Parker in Chinatown, Spring Valley in Nob Hill/Chinatown, and Sutro in the Richmond District near Richmond Chinatown. The Asian Justice Movement has questioned if the list was unfairly targeted and impacted the Asian American families.

Since serving under a new role as the School Superintendent, Su has announced no school would be closed in the upcoming new school year. "As I step into this new role, my immediate priorities are to balance SFUSD’s budget to maintain local control, rebuild trust with our community, and tackle the operational hurdles that have hampered our progress," said Su in a video and written statement.

"These challenges are complex, and there are no shortcuts. Throughout the process I will keep you updated frequently with timely, accurate, and accessible information. I am confident that, with the support of our dedicated educators, staff, families, and City and State partners, we can turn the corner together," Su stated.