Newly focused SF school board to vote on reopening plan Tuesday

San Francisco's school district is set to vote as early as Tuesday on a plan to return kids to class. Families and educators alike are saying they're feeling frustrated.

Some families in San Francisco began organizing an informal classroom in Dolores Park on their own.

"I'm doing Zoom classes, we are having the outdoor school," said Dheyanira Calahorrano.

Calahorrano organized this outdoor classroom with a handful of other families saying her son was becoming depressed sitting at home in front of a computer for months on end.

"Our kids were getting sick, depressed and being isolated is just so hard for them," said Calahorrano.

Calahorrano is a single working mother and said she was shocked when she was told her son, who had been a stellar student in elementary school, was on his way to a failing grade in physical education. She watched his self esteem take a hit.

"He is used to having good grades because he is very responsible and a good student," said Calahorrano. "And right now, at a new school, having an F, it was really impactful for him."

Now, like families throughout the city, her eyes are on the school district, set to vote Tuesday on the proposed plan to return students to the classroom.

At the same time, the school board president announced the board will be shelving the idea of renaming schools for now, an idea that had been widely criticized.

Gabriela López wrote an op-ed reading in part, "But reopening will be our only focus until our children and young people are back in schools. We're canceling renaming committee meetings for the time being. We will be revising our plans to run a more deliberative process moving forward."

For some San Franciscans, it may be too little, too late. An online petition is now circulating aimed at recalling the school board president and two other board members.

KTVU had an opportunity to speak with a teacher about the process of reopening schools, and that teacher said that they're frustrated as well and that teachers very much want to return to the classroom in a safe manner.

The teacher, who did not give a name, said they are frustrated that more wasn't done over the last year to better prepare the schools for the eventual return to in person instruction.