Mayor says school board appointees will put children above politics

Mayor London Breed Friday appointed three women to replace the San Francisco Board of Education commissioners who were ousted in last month’s historic recall election. 

The new commissioners — Ann Hsu, Lainie Motamedi and Lisa Weissman-Ward — were sworn in Friday at the Galileo Academy of Science and Technology. They will fill seats left open by the recalled commissioners: Gabriela López, Faauuga Moliga and Alison M. Collins.

Breed said she “agonized” over the appointment decisions, adding:

“This is probably the hardest decision that I’ve ever had to make as mayor because it’s about the future of our children.”

The mayor’s office said Breed went through a “comprehensive process” to identify and interview potential candidates before making her final selections. She also met with parents across the city and with the United Educators of San Francisco, the labor union representing school district teachers.

Breed said all three of her choices have children who attend schools in the district and have a common theme of service and who want things to be better for the students and teachers of the district. She noted that they are three people who can “ignore the politics” and focus on the district’s children.

The mayor said:

“This is not about what they will do according to what I want them to do. These are three very strong, capable women.”

Hsu, who lives in the Richmond District, has worked in the technology industry for over 20 years between Silicon Valley and China, and she co-founded and led her own company for 13 years.

She is an active school parent who serves as the president of the Galileo High School PTSA and is chairs the San Francisco Unified School District independent citizens’ Bond Oversight Committee. 

Hsu said she already feels the weight of being school board member, adding:

“I’m now not just responsible for my own kids. I’m now responsible for all the kids of San Francisco.”

Motamedi, an Inner Sunset resident, recently completed her term as co-chair of the Public Education Enrichment Fund Committee and currently serves as a volunteer lead for the National Parks Service in the Golden Gate National Recreation Area. Motamedi formerly served as a San Francisco Bicycle Coalition board member.

In her remarks, Motamedi, said the school district is turning a new page, adding:

“My focus is to bring my experience and our collective experience to help all families and children in the city to get the support they need as we do the really, really challenging work together to get back on track.”

Weissman-Ward, who lives in the Mission District, is the associate director of the Stanford Law School Immigrants’ Rights Clinic. She is an immigration lawyer and educator, and is a member of the National Lawyers Guild and the American Immigration Lawyers Association.

She acknowledged the long list of challenges the school district faces: learning loss, student mental health, a growing opportunity gap for students of color and the district’s financial situation.

Despite the obstacles, Weissman-Ward said:

“We’re here with a sense of hope, and a commitment to working collaboratively to turn things around.”

The new members will serve as appointed through the end of 2022. The three seats will be up for election in November — all three appointees say they intend to run.

Jerold Chinn

Jerold serves as a reporter and San Francisco Bureau Chief for SFBay covering transportation and occasionally City Hall and the Mayor's Office in San Francisco. His work on transportation has been recognized by the San Francisco Press Club. Born and raised in San Francisco, he graduated from San Francisco State University with a degree in journalism. Jerold previously wrote for the San Francisco Public Press, a nonprofit, noncommercial news organization. When not reporting, you can find Jerold taking Muni to check out new places to eat in the city.