We Are SFUSD

Equity is at the center of everything I do, ensuring every child has equal access to instruction in the classroom. I am always building my knowledge and seeking ways I can improve as an educator and building my capacity so I can show my best self when teaching and interacting with my students and colleagues. I teach my students the power of yet. That we are all still learning, and that it may take someone a little longer to learn something but as long as we’re getting better, as long as we’re improving, that's what really matters.

I know from my experience as an early education administrator and principal at Drew that it’s possible to change the game for students and their families in neighborhoods like the Bayview. But it takes focus, along with an all-hands-on-deck approach to improving instruction, school climate and more. To prevent the gap from undermining student success, children need a strong and seamless foundation of high-quality learning opportunities from PreK through third grade. That means teachers and school administrators need to talk across grades about how students are learning, what they are learning, what’s working, what’s not, and why.

For me, it always goes back to the students. I’ve been here for a long time--18 years--as a teacher, a counselor, instructional coach and then principal for the last 11 years. Every single day when I get up, it’s about the kids. They’re funny, they’re smart, they’re deep, they’re thoughtful, and they see the world in ways that I could never imagine. For me, there’s no question that hanging out with teenagers all day is really the best thing in the world.

I grew a lot at Galileo. Participating in sports and student government gave me more confidence to take on anything after I graduated.

I love my friends, I love my school and I even love gymnastics! I get to do homework. I love homework. The thing I love most is everyone at this school!

I came here four years ago from Pakistan and my teachers have been helping me prepare for college. I want to study pre-med or biology. My plan is to become a neurosurgeon. There’s a lot of stigma surrounding mental health. I started a club called Bring Change to Mind, which is a mental health awareness club. I had my first meeting today.

My friend Grace and I started a student-led environmental club and it really took off. The first year we had 12 students, this year we have 40. When we started engaging students, the most common misconception I found was that students feel they don’t have power. In the environmental club, we’re finding that if we set our minds to something, if we have a positive goal in mind, we can make a difference.

We have an obligation as a school district to ensure that each and every one of our students has access to a high quality educational experience. I believe that to truly live up to the mission of our district, we have to put in place intentional work to support African American students and families, and we have to be unapologetic about doing so.