SFUSD Accused of Undermining Vulnerable Immigrant Students Ahead of Potential Teacher Strike

Immigrant families and educators say the school district is constricting the pipeline to newcomer programs and then cutting their budgets.

Jan. 29, 2026 at 10:07am by Ben Kaplan

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As a potential teacher strike looms in San Francisco, the city's Unified School District is being accused of making rapid and unilateral moves to cut back on its newcomer programs for recent immigrant students. Immigrant parents and educators say the district is reducing resources for these programs while also making it harder for newcomer students to enroll, leading to plummeting enrollment numbers that the district then uses to justify further budget cuts. The district denies these claims, but has not responded to specific questions about its handling of newcomer education.

Why it matters

Newcomer programs provide crucial support and specialized instruction for immigrant students who are still learning English. By undermining these programs, the district is putting some of its most vulnerable students at risk, especially as a potential teacher strike looms that could further disrupt their education. This raises concerns about equity and access to quality education for immigrant families in San Francisco.

The details

The district claims there are fewer newcomer students overall, from 1,856 in 2022-23 to 1,326 in 2025-26. But immigrant parents and educators say the district is actively making it harder for newcomers to enroll, including abruptly transferring students out of the Mission Education Center newcomer school with little notice. The district cited immigration raid fears as the reason, which parents believe was a pretext. Meanwhile, the district has eliminated newcomer programs at some schools while leaving open slots at other newcomer-focused schools, without clear rationale. Staff say the district is making a "backdoor attempt" to close the Mission Education Center.

  • In October 2025, monolingual Spanish-speaking newcomer parents at Mission Education Center were called by the district and told their children would be moved out of the school within hours.
  • In the initial January 2026 budget, the newcomer program for up to 120 students at Visitacion Valley Middle School was wholly eliminated, before being partially restored.
  • In December 2024, district officials told a newcomer parent named "Maria" to bring in paperwork to enroll her children at Mission Education Center, but when she did so just last week, she was told it was too late and the school was no longer accepting new students.

The players

San Francisco Unified School District

The public school district serving the city of San Francisco, which is being accused of undermining its newcomer programs for immigrant students.

Carlos

A newcomer parent whose son was abruptly transferred out of the Mission Education Center without notice.

Yenifer

A newcomer parent who received a similar call to Carlos, being told her children had to transfer out of Mission Education Center the very next day.

"Maria"

A newcomer parent who was told to bring in paperwork to enroll her children at Mission Education Center, but was then told it was too late and the school was no longer accepting new students.

Mission Education Center

A San Francisco school focused on serving newcomer immigrant students, which has seen its newcomer enrollment plummet from over 100 students to just a dozen or fewer.

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What they’re saying

“This was something very unfair for the teachers, parents and children. Among the parents, we came to the conclusion that it was a pretext they used and they took advantage of it to intimidate us so we would all leave that school.”

— Carlos, Newcomer Parent

“The decision to move students without notice or collaboration ... inflicted real harm and didn't allow staff to prepare transition plans. While we understand the intent may have been to address safety concerns, the execution of this plan was unacceptable and reckless.”

— Mission Education Center Staff

What’s next

The judge in the case will decide on Tuesday whether or not to allow Walker Reed Quinn out on bail.

The takeaway

This case highlights growing concerns in the community about repeat offenders released on bail, raising questions about bail reform, public safety on SF streets, and if any special laws to govern autonomous vehicles in residential and commercial areas.