For years, LGBTQ families and advocates have called on the San Francisco Unified School District to form an advisory panel that could address their needs. The public school system has long had one for LGBTQ students, and parents felt there was a need for a similar group where they could raise their own concerns and issues.
The school board approved the formation of a Queer Transgender Parent Advisory Council in 2022. But citing a lack of funding to staff it at the time, district officials didn't convene it then.
This summer they finally put out a call for applicants interested in serving on it with a deadline of August 30 to apply. Parents and guardians of SFUSD students in any grade from pre-K to 12th grade who are 2SLGBTQIA+, which stands for two-spirit, lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, gender non-conforming, queer, intersex, asexual, and agender, were welcome to apply.
Under the rules governing it adopted by the school board, only LGBTQ parents are to serve in the QTPAC's leadership positions. It was also initially proposed to have 25 members.
Yet, as the Bay Area Reporter recently reported, school district officials have been mum on the details of its makeup or when it will hold its first meeting. Nor have they explained how the district is funding the QTPAC.
Due to the delay in launching the parental advisory body, and the school district facing hundreds of millions of dollars in budget deficits in coming years, the B.A.R. asked this year's Board of Education candidates if they would support continued funding for the QTPAC.
Of the seven contenders running for the four board seats on the November 5 ballot who responded, most told the B.A.R. they see the QTPAC as providing myriad benefits not only for LGBTQ families but the district writ large.
"With an existential budget crisis facing the district, many communities are concerned that programs they value may be on the chopping block. I see the Queer & Transgender Parent Advisory Council, and other advisory councils, as volunteer-driven, cost effective ways to increase trust and transparency within the district," wrote attorney Jaime Huling, a bisexual married mom of two children, one a second grader in the district.
School board President Matt Alexander, a straight ally who is a former longtime teacher and principal in the district, had voted two years ago in support of creating the QTPAC.
"Since my time as a teacher and principal, I have been a strong advocate for LGBTQ students, families, and staff in SFUSD," wrote Alexander, who has two adult sons and now works as a bilingual community organizer.
He noted, "In response to families saying that SFUSD was not following through on our stated commitment to gender inclusivity, I collaborated with LGBTQ families and staff to develop the District's guide for gender inclusive forms and communication. If I'm elected for a second term, I will continue to follow the lead of LGBTQ students, families, and educators."
Lawyer Supryia Ray, who has two kids in the district, told the B.A.R. while she isn't able to "forecast or provide certainty" on what the school district's revenues or allocations will be for the next fiscal year budget, she does believe there is a way to maintain the advisory groups despite the financial issues confronting the district.
"The primary cost of the advisory council is staffing. I would ask the district to look at different staffing models to support the work of the council in the case of a proposed cut," wrote Ray. "Ensuring adequate representation for our school community members should be a priority — and frankly is a small expense on the district-wide budget scale."
Fellow district parent Virginia Cheung also told the B.A.R. she views the advisory groups as needed.
"We must prioritize prevention programs to ensure long-term cohesion and safety of all our students and communities. Peer support groups and advisory councils are essential to fostering a culture of acceptance and belonging at every school," wrote Cheung, who in March stepped down as director of advancement at Wu Yee Children's Services. "We must have leaders with lived experiences to help develop policies that will prevent incidents of bias."
John Jersin, a straight ally who has two kids with his wife, told the B.A.R. there are other ways to save the school district money than getting rid of its various parental advisory bodies, as it has ones for different groups of parents of color that were first convened years ago.
"As mentioned, I am keenly aware that there are a number of places in our budget today where we spend money for little to no results, such as software leftover from the pandemic that no longer serves a strong purpose. It's these kinds of items I would cut instead of important bodies providing representation," wrote Jersin, who works at LinkedIn.
Parag Gupta, a straight ally whose daughter attends a district school, told the B.A.R. that he would work to ensure the future of the QTPAC. For one reason, wrote Gupta, parents need to be able to connect with parents with similar circumstances.
"For families that are not able to connect with other LGBTQ families, the QTPAC can provide a valuable resource. Having been the only Indian family in my grade in elementary school, I recognize the importance of having others that have the same lived experience and creating a sense of belonging," wrote Gupta, the chief program officer at Mercy Housing, the nonprofit affordable housing developer that is working to add to the LGBTQ-affirming senior housing it has built in San Francisco.
He argued that the expense of staffing the advisory group provides dividends for the school district.
"As the shining city on the hill when it comes to LGBTQ-inclusivity, it is important for us to start and continue the QTPAC — especially when we seek to retain families. Given the importance of student retention in the student enrollment funding formula, this advisory council should be classified as a critical revenue generating initiative by attracting and retaining LGBTQ families," noted Gupta.
Laurance Lem Lee, a licensed general contractor who attended city schools and serves as a member of the district's Independent Citizens' Bond Oversight Committee, pledged to ensure the QTPAC is not dissolved for budgetary reasons.
"I will push to have this council funded as it has been approved by the Board of Education. If needed, I will seek funds from the city, or private donors," he told the B.A.R.
Republican Min Chang, CEO of health care company Homebridge, agreed, telling the B.A.R., "I would support this measure and ensure funding is allocated."
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