San Francisco NAACP calls for Ann Hsu to step down

SAN FRANCISCO - Members of the San Francisco NAACP have joined those calling for school board member Ann Hsu to step down.

They voted unanimously Sunday to call for her immediate resignation after the group's executive board met with her last week.

Hsu touched off a firestorm earlier this month by citing ‘unstable family environments’ as a hindrance to the educational progress of Black and brown students.

Another group called on Hsu to resign on Sunday. San Francisco Latinx Democratic Club wrote on social media, "The Latino community is calling for immediate resignation of Hsu, with escalating actions to follow if not addressed." They said there has been a lack of outreach on Hsu's part to the community since the controversy and that she has demonstrated her bias to the Latino community.  

On Friday, the San Francisco Labor Council called for her resignation. They called Hsu's remarks "completely shocking and unacceptable for any official charged with protecting and advocating for children and families in San Francisco."

Hsu apologized Tuesday on Twitter and reaffirmed her belief in institutional racism, saying she has since revised the questionnaire.

"In trying to convey my thoughts on this subject, I misspoke," Hsu wrote on Twitter. "My statements reflected my own limited experiences and inherent biases. I made a mistake, and I am deeply sorry."

Late Monday evening, Supervisor Hillary Ronen joined several others on the board of supervisors in asking for Hsu to resign. Ronen wrote in a letter, "The opportunities gap has existed in SFUSD for decades. It has been a persistent problem primarily caused by systemic racism, severe underfunding of the public schools, and generational poverty." She adds that there are reasons for optimism going forward, and that there is a new superintendent and school board at the helm and that they are focused on students academic and emotional success. 

Ronen acknowledged Hsu's apology but added, "As we face major challenges at SFUSD, we need School Board leaders who have a deep understanding of both the causes of unequal  outcomes in our schools and the best ways to serve the students who struggle the most." 

Supervisors Shamann Walton, Dean Preston, Connie Chan, and Ahsha Safai have also publicly called for Hsu's resignation.