San Francisco Unified School District Superintendent Vincent Matthews announced Wednesday that he is retiring at the end of June.
Matthews, who became superintendent in May 2017, has headed the school system during a tumultuous period, when SFUSD students and teachers have been restricted to online classes from home because of the COVID-19 pandemic. The district is still in the process of planning to reopen schools that closed in March 2020, even as some other school systems around the Bay Area and the country have brought students back into classrooms, at least part time. Last Friday, SFUSD announced it had come to a tentative agreement with the teachers union to start making in-person classes available to younger students in mid-April.
Because of what has been perceived as a sluggish and even indifferent attitude toward reopening, the district, along with the teachers union and the city's school board, has come under heavy criticism from some parents and elected officials like Mayor London Breed. Last month, City Attorney Dennis Herrera took the extraordinary step of suing SFUSD and the board, alleging the district's plans to reopen were inadequate and didn't meet state guidelines. Some school board members are now being targeted for recall, and a campaign is underway to change the way the board is chosen.
Matthews said he will remain committed to "bringing students back to in-person learning, continuing to provide distance learning and planning for the summer and fall," until he leaves June 30.
He said he would not discuss his decision to retire in more detail because he wants "to support our sustained focus on this challenging task."
San Francisco Board of Education President Gabriela López said the board will work with the superintendent to create a transition plan.
"We are fortunate to have worked with an educator who is a native of San Francisco and proud alumni of our public schools," López said. "We will have more information to share about hiring Dr. Matthews' replacement shortly. In the meantime, we know we will continue to build on the work we have done together."
The San Francisco teachers union, the United Educators of San Francisco, said it would not comment on Matthews' upcoming departure.
—Bay City News, Jon Brooks and Vanessa Rancaño