Thank You to Our School Principals!

National School Principals' Day is celebrated on May 1 annually to recognize the importance of principals, from elementary to high school, and all the work they do for the betterment of our schools. School principals create a supportive learning environment where all students graduate with the skills and confidence to achieve their goals in college, a career, and life. 

We’re thankful for all of our principals at SFUSD! Meet some of our principals:

Sara Liebert, John Muir Elementary School

“Muir feels like home to me because I’ve been here for 13 years. Over time, I’ve been really able to develop deep relationships with students, families, and staff. One of the reasons I’ve been here for so long is that the community really cares for each other and supports each other. Families, teachers, and students are really involved and really like coming here. I love the positive energy that is John Muir.”

Makaela Manning, George Washington Carver Elementary School

“Principal Manning has so much love for her entire school community. When you spend time at Carver, you know it's a special place for students, staff, families, and alumni, thanks to Principal Manning's amazing leadership and care for the school. She is student-centered and fearless. She is a passionate educator and is always happy to share updates from Carver with the community to help showcase the beauty and brilliance of her school community. During Parent-Teacher-Student conferences last fall, she made sure that each student received a personalized and tailored home learning kit. This is part of Carver's PITCH plan and helps encourage families to spend at least 30 minutes a day using the learning materials in the kits including books, flashcards, games, and other materials that will push students toward their learning goals.” [RAVE Nomination]

Tai-Sun Schoeman, Principal,  A.P. Giannini Middle School

"Mr. Schoeman is the principal of an outstanding school. During the past three years that my son has attended A.P. Giannini, the school has been incredibly organized and results-driven. Under Tai-Sun Schoeman's remarkable leadership, the school's student-success culture permeates the organization at every level. Giannini's kindness and inclusiveness is remarkable especially for an organization of its size and in such a climate of upheaval. Schoeman is a fantastic role model and leader. Every step of the way Giannini has been laser-focused on student success; in spite of the school size and modest PTA funding, it is far more effective and inclusive than other schools I've experienced. During poignant moments, Schoeman has had a light touch in communication that helps transcend difficulties and bond the community." [RAVE Nomination]

To support new principals at SFUSD, the district offers the Transformative Leadership for Equity and Excellence (TLEE) program. The TLEE Program is a part of SFUSD’s leadership pipeline within SFUSD designed to attract, develop, and retain the highest quality school leaders. In this program for all new principals and assistant principals, we develop leaders’ skills on 11 essential leadership priorities that SFUSD has determined are necessary for transformative school leadership through monthly full-day professional development sessions and 1:1 leadership coaching. Leaders also attend an annual summer retreat for professional learning and to develop community.

Since the quality of school leadership is integral to student achievement, it is imperative that we hire, train, support, and sustain a school leadership force that has the right skills to transform San Francisco’s schools into places where all students are loved, feel like they belong, and achieve. If leaders engage in rigorous and personalized support and development during their first several years in an administrative role, we believe they will be on their way to thriving in their role and being effective in transforming their schools into places where ALL students learn and achieve.

Learn more about becoming a principal at SFUSD.