About Alida
From Active Parent To Parent Activist
As the daughter and granddaughter of teachers, Alida grew up believing in the power of public education. School was Alida's happy place. She loved to come home after school and play school. Alida was active in many clubs and extracurricular activities in high school. She went to college at Case Western Reserve University and received her degree in Mechanical Engineering.
Alida and her husband moved to San Francisco in 2000, planning to stay for only a year or two. They fell in love with the city’s diversity and made San Francisco their home. After becoming foster parents in 2003, they adopted their oldest daughter and went on to raise four children.
Alida was an active PTA member, SSC member, and classroom volunteer at all of her children's schools. Her work has spanned more than 20 years and nine schools. However, it was her journey into identifying her children's disabilities and learning differences that transformed her from active parent into parent activist. Alida became a parent mentor with Support for Families of Children with Disabilities, San Francisco's parent training and information center. She changed careers and became a special education advocate. Now Alida works every day to help students and families access services that will improve outcomes for our most vulnerable students. In some cases, this means holding districts accountable when they’re not not providing the supports our students need.
Before taking office in 2022, Alida was a policy wonk and data nerd. She was and still is an active parent in many District-level committees and initiatives. Alida is the past Chair of the SFUSD Community Advisory Committee for Special Education, member of the African American Parent Advisory Council, former member of the LCAP Task Force and Charter School Oversight Committee, and many other committees and working groups. Alida has been a collaborative partner and coalition builder who works with our educators, our district administrators, and city and state leaders to increase funding for our schools and improve outcomes for our students.
From Parent Activist
To Public Servant
Throughout Alida's term as a Commissioner, she has focused on academic excellence, fiscal responsibility and accountability, and rebuilding public trust through collaborative leadership and transparent governance. Working alongside her fellow commissioners, district staff, educators, labor partners, and community members, Alida has helped SFUSD make meaningful progress.
In Alida's term, the Board has:
-
Adopted a balanced 2025–26 budget while advancing a multi-year fiscal stabilization plan, moving SFUSD from negative to qualified certification and positioning the district for positive certification this school year;
-
Adopted new curriculum in English language arts, math, social studies, history, and ethnic studies, providing educators with stronger instructional tools and creating greater stability and coherence across the district;
-
Modernized outdated financial and HR systems through the implementation of Frontline and Red Rover, improving operational effectiveness and helping ensure employees are paid accurately and on time;
-
Passed a $790 million bond to modernize schools and build a new central food preparation kitchen;
-
Reached multi-year agreements with all labor partners, including historic dependent health care benefits for educators; and
-
Successfully implemented a major districtwide Transitional Kindergarten expansion, increasing access to early learning opportunities for families across San Francisco.
First and foremost, mom
One of Alida's proudest moments serving on the Board of Education has been handing her son his diploma as he graduated from Mission High School in 2024.
A Future We Build Together
We envision a district where every voice is heard, every family can thrive, and every child has the opportunity to succeed. It's a vision of progress built on collaboration, transparency, and unwavering commitment to the common good.