The president of the embattled San Francisco school board resigned Friday, citing personal health issues.
"I have made the difficult decision to step down," Lainie Motamedi said. "Due to my personal circumstances, my immediate priority needs to be my health and my family."
Motamedi has been replaced by Phil Kim, who will fill the rest of her term.
"I am filled with gratitude and determination," Kim said. "I am truly grateful for President Motamedi and her leadership."
The new transition comes as the beleaguered district faces new challenges. Next month, the superintendent will share recommendations for closing some schools – a recommendation the board will have to vote on, likely in December.
"People are protective of their schools, so when we talk about releasing a list, there is more to that," Mayor London Breed said. "You have to be able to go out and have these conversations with these parents and these students as to what this means. We didn’t have time to wait. We had to have someone who was ready to hit the ground running."
The district said it has been spending for years and it's not sustainable. It said the latest fiscal changes are part of a budget stabilization process.
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The mayor's office said Kim has the experience the job needs, noting he's had more than a decade working in education and for the school district.
"What's most important for me is as a commissioner and as a colleague of other board members as well, that we are centering the experiences of our kids first and foremost," Kim said.
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The union representing educators did raise a flag, wondering why it didn't receive any requests from the city to consult over such an important role.
"The focus must continue on stabilizing the school district, make sure we are fully staffed, make sure we are working together to achieve more funds and stabilize the school district’s budget," Frank Lara with the United Educators of San Francisco said.
