‘No clue, no heads up’: Newsom shocked by CCA’s abrupt closure after $20M state grant

<div class="content-grid article-content"><div class="Metadata_container__fxAzw"><div class="flex flex-row gap-x-md"></div><div class="Metadata_metadata__W_0LF"><span>By <a class="" href="https://sfstandard.com/author/sam-mondros/">Sam Mondros</a></span><time datetime="2026-01-16T14:00:00.000Z">Published Jan. 16, 2026 • 6:00am</time></div></div><div class="floats"><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">Students and faculty of California College of the Arts weren’t the only ones shocked by <a data-post-id="35b15b95-09b9-4e7c-b302-db5376fa0c21" href="https://sfstandard.com/2026/01/13/california-college-arts-close/">the abrupt announcement</a> Tuesday that San Francisco’s oldest art school would be closing and its campus taken over by Vanderbilt University. </p><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">Gov. Gavin Newsom, who caught flak from the press and lawmakers last year after securing $20 million in the state budget for CCA, was also caught off guard. </p><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">In text messages reviewed by The Standard, Newsom wrote that he “Had no clue” and was given “no heads up” about the 119-year-old CCA’s dissolution, which was announced in an email to students and faculty by CCA president David Howse.</p></div><div class="!p-0 !m-0"></div><div class="floats"><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">In an interview Wednesday, The Standard asked Howse if he had notified the governor about the closure.</p><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">“We have been in touch with the governor’s office, and we’ll continue to keep in conversation with him as we go through this transition,” Howse said, adding that he had not spoken directly with Newsom. </p><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">A spokesperson for CCA said Howse notified the governor’s office of the closure Monday, the day before the news was announced publicly, and has a meeting scheduled with Newsom’s office next week.</p></div><div class="w-full bg-warm-gray-50 border border-warm-gray-300 rounded-xl flex flex-col gap-md px-lg py-[20px]"><div class="flex flex-row text-medium leading-[1.1] text-black font-inter gap-xs"><span class="italic font-normal">More about</span><a href="https://sfstandard.com/tag/california-college-of-the-arts/"><span class="font-bold underline decoration-highlight decoration-[3.2px]">California College of the Arts</span></a></div><ul class="flex flex-col gap-md"><li class="flex flex-row gap-sm pb-md border-b border-warm-gray-300"><a href="https://sfstandard.com/2026/01/16/cca-president-david-howse-closure-shocked-art-world/" tabindex="-1"><div class="flex-none w-[90px] h-[60px] overflow-hidden"><img alt="A bald man wearing round glasses, a navy blue jacket, a blue and white scarf, and a watch poses with his arms crossed, looking confidently ahead." class="object-cover w-full h-full lazyloaded" data-nimg="1" decoding="async" height="666.6666666666666" loading="lazy" src="https://assets.sfstandard.com/image/994911177489/image_qlih2nuk5l2bv8cuv38f3qp733/-C100.00%25x44.44%25%2C0.00%25%2C4.71%25-S2048x1365-FPNG" srcset="https://assets.sfstandard.com/image/994911177489/image_qlih2nuk5l2bv8cuv38f3qp733/-C100.00%25x44.44%25%2C0.00%25%2C4.71%25-S1024x683-FPNG 1x, https://assets.sfstandard.com/image/994911177489/image_qlih2nuk5l2bv8cuv38f3qp733/-C100.00%25x44.44%25%2C0.00%25%2C4.71%25-S2048x1365-FPNG 2x" style="color:transparent;aspect-ratio:1.5;background-size:cover;background-position:50% 50%;background-repeat:no-repeat;background-image:url(&quot;data:image/svg+xml;charset=utf-8,%3Csvg xmlns='http://www.w3.org/2000/svg' viewBox='0 0 1000 666.6666666666666'%3E%3Cfilter id='b' color-interpolation-filters='sRGB'%3E%3CfeGaussianBlur stdDeviation='20'/%3E%3CfeColorMatrix values='1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 100 -1' result='s'/%3E%3CfeFlood x='0' y='0' width='100%25' height='100%25'/%3E%3CfeComposite operator='out' in='s'/%3E%3CfeComposite in2='SourceGraphic'/%3E%3CfeGaussianBlur stdDeviation='20'/%3E%3C/filter%3E%3Cimage width='100%25' height='100%25' x='0' y='0' preserveAspectRatio='none' style='filter: url(%23b);' href='data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw=='/%3E%3C/svg%3E&quot;)" width="1000"/></div></a><a class="h-fit" href="https://sfstandard.com/2026/01/16/cca-president-david-howse-closure-shocked-art-world/"><h3 class="text-medium sm:text-lg leading-[1.3] font-medium text-warm-gray-900 font-ivar-headline">CCA president David Howse on the closure that shocked SF’s art world</h3></a></li><li class="flex flex-row gap-sm pb-md border-b border-warm-gray-300"><a href="https://sfstandard.com/2026/01/16/stanlee-gatti-influential-cca-board-member-resigned-vanderbilt-sale/" tabindex="-1"><div class="flex-none w-[90px] h-[60px] overflow-hidden"><img alt="A man in a dark jacket sits at a cluttered desk filled with papers, books, and a green mug, surrounded by shelves and walls covered with photos, notes, and badges." class="object-cover w-full h-full lazyloaded" data-nimg="1" decoding="async" height="2957" loading="lazy" src="https://assets.sfstandard.com/image/994911177489/image_2mjbpdk61532v32r3sufvsp37o/-S3840x3072-FPNG" srcset="https://assets.sfstandard.com/image/994911177489/image_2mjbpdk61532v32r3sufvsp37o/-S3840x3072-FPNG 1x" style="color:transparent;background-size:cover;background-position:50% 50%;background-repeat:no-repeat;background-image:url(&quot;data:image/svg+xml;charset=utf-8,%3Csvg xmlns='http://www.w3.org/2000/svg' viewBox='0 0 3696 2957'%3E%3Cfilter id='b' color-interpolation-filters='sRGB'%3E%3CfeGaussianBlur stdDeviation='20'/%3E%3CfeColorMatrix values='1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 100 -1' result='s'/%3E%3CfeFlood x='0' y='0' width='100%25' height='100%25'/%3E%3CfeComposite operator='out' in='s'/%3E%3CfeComposite in2='SourceGraphic'/%3E%3CfeGaussianBlur stdDeviation='20'/%3E%3C/filter%3E%3Cimage width='100%25' height='100%25' x='0' y='0' preserveAspectRatio='none' style='filter: url(%23b);' href='data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw=='/%3E%3C/svg%3E&quot;)" width="3696"/></div></a><a class="h-fit" href="https://sfstandard.com/2026/01/16/stanlee-gatti-influential-cca-board-member-resigned-vanderbilt-sale/"><h3 class="text-medium sm:text-lg leading-[1.3] font-medium text-warm-gray-900 font-ivar-headline">Stanlee Gatti, influential CCA board member, resigned over Vanderbilt sale</h3></a></li><li class="flex flex-row gap-sm"><a href="https://sfstandard.com/2026/01/13/california-college-arts-close/" tabindex="-1"><div class="flex-none w-[90px] h-[60px] overflow-hidden"><img alt='A modern campus setting features a building with large "CCA" letters and students walking across a spacious, tree-lined courtyard under a partly cloudy sky.' class="object-cover w-full h-full lazyloaded" data-nimg="1" decoding="async" height="2752" loading="lazy" src="https://assets.sfstandard.com/image/994911177489/image_7597er8q2l2qffuue1co5mdk68/-S3840x2560-FPNG" srcset="https://assets.sfstandard.com/image/994911177489/image_7597er8q2l2qffuue1co5mdk68/-S3840x2560-FPNG 1x" style="color:transparent;background-size:cover;background-position:50% 50%;background-repeat:no-repeat;background-image:url(&quot;data:image/svg+xml;charset=utf-8,%3Csvg xmlns='http://www.w3.org/2000/svg' viewBox='0 0 4128 2752'%3E%3Cfilter id='b' color-interpolation-filters='sRGB'%3E%3CfeGaussianBlur stdDeviation='20'/%3E%3CfeColorMatrix values='1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 100 -1' result='s'/%3E%3CfeFlood x='0' y='0' width='100%25' height='100%25'/%3E%3CfeComposite operator='out' in='s'/%3E%3CfeComposite in2='SourceGraphic'/%3E%3CfeGaussianBlur stdDeviation='20'/%3E%3C/filter%3E%3Cimage width='100%25' height='100%25' x='0' y='0' preserveAspectRatio='none' style='filter: url(%23b);' href='data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw=='/%3E%3C/svg%3E&quot;)" width="4128"/></div></a><a class="h-fit" href="https://sfstandard.com/2026/01/13/california-college-arts-close/"><h3 class="text-medium sm:text-lg leading-[1.3] font-medium text-warm-gray-900 font-ivar-headline">Century-old California College of the Arts to close, handing campus to Vanderbilt </h3></a></li></ul></div><div class="floats"><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">Newsom’s office did not respond to requests for comment. </p><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">When Newsom initially proposed providing $20 million to the private arts college, lawmakers balked because of the state’s precarious budget situation.  CCA was the only private college to receive state funds this year. In California, funding private colleges is not within the state’s scope of responsibility and has been done very rarely.</p><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">All four Democrats on an education finance budget subcommittee voted against the governor’s request. Sen. Scott Wiener backed Newsom’s proposal. </p><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">“Given that this was such a tough budget year, it doesn’t make sense to me why we are giving $20 million to a private college,” Assembly Education Chair Al Muratsuchi <a href="https://www.politico.com/newsletters/california-playbook-pm/2025/08/07/private-school-bailout-00498831" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">told Politico<span class="sr-only"> (opens in new tab)</span></a>. “I’m sure the California College of the Arts provides worthwhile educational programs, but our first priority should be to support our public universities, especially when the Trump administration is defunding public higher education.”</p><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">The Student Aid Commission for California’s nonpartisan legislative analyst’s office also recommended rejecting the grant, noting that California State University campuses were also struggling and pointing to recent state grants and private donations. </p><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">“Though we recognize CCA’s difficult financial situation, it is not the only campus in the state facing budget challenges,” read the recommendation. “Given supporting private schools is not part of the state’s core mission, we recommend rejecting this proposal.</p><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">Prior to the $20 million grant, the state provided $2.5 million from the general fund in the 2024-25 budget to support CCA, which the school used to fund scholarships to aid enrollment growth.</p><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">Shortly after Newsom proposed the $20 million grant, $45 million in donations came in — half from the Jen-Hsun &amp; Lori Huang Foundation and the rest matched by private donors. The contribution by the Nvidia CEO’s foundation was the largest donation in the school’s history by $5 million.</p><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">Newsom previously defended his decision to include the additional CCA funding in the state budget. </p><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">“At a time when Donald Trump is attacking the humanities, this is a simple choice: Let the last remaining nonprofit arts college in San Francisco die, or step in to save it,” Newsom spokesperson Izzy Gardon told Politico in May. “The governor is choosing to save it — and in doing so, protecting what makes California, California: our creative economy.”</p><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">The last time the state gave money to private colleges was $50 million to the Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and Science in 2021 to support the construction of a building that is allowing the university to develop and expand a medical school, and $5 million in 2022 to support an effort by the California Indian Nations College to pursue accreditation. </p><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">“Both of those appropriations were for specific purposes that have an obvious statewide interest,” stated a committee staff <a href="https://abgt.assembly.ca.gov/system/files/2025-02/sub-3-march-4-final-agenda.pdf" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">report<span class="sr-only"> (opens in new tab)</span></a>.</p></div></div>

Wiener pitches $23B ‘science bond’ to backfill Trump research cuts

<div class="content-grid article-content"><div class="Metadata_container__fxAzw"><div class="flex flex-row gap-x-md"></div><div class="Metadata_metadata__W_0LF"><span>By <a class="" href="https://sfstandard.com/author/garrett-leahy/">Garrett Leahy</a></span><time datetime="2026-01-16T14:00:00.000Z">Published Jan. 16, 2026 • 6:00am</time></div></div><div class="floats"><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">Sen. Scott Wiener on Friday proposed a $23 billion bond measure to bolster scientific research in California, framing the effort as a response to mass federal funding cuts to universities, government agencies, and research institutions. </p><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">The measure, backed by the University of California and the United Auto Workers, would fund research grants, loans, and facilities focused on health, agriculture, pandemic preparedness, and wildfire resilience. If approved by lawmakers and signed by Gov. Gavin Newsom, the bond will appear on the November 2026 ballot. </p><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">Soon after coming into office last January, President Donald Trump ordered a <u><a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/M-25-13-Temporary-Pause-to-Review-Agency-Grant-Loan-and-Other-Financial-Assistance-Programs.pdf" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">temporary pause<span class="sr-only"> (opens in new tab)</span></a></u> on federal spending — including research grants, threatening scientific research <u><a data-post-id="d8563cff-60fc-40a2-837b-e7784f1960c5" href="https://sfstandard.com/2025/02/14/trump-nih-cuts-cost-bay-area-billions/">across the Bay Area</a></u>. Cuts affected projects at the <u><a href="https://www.sfpublicpress.org/effects-of-research-funding-cuts-ripple-through-san-francisco-labs-clinics-and-lives/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">San Francisco VA Medical Center<span class="sr-only"> (opens in new tab)</span></a></u> and UCSF last year, including <u><a href="https://www.sfchronicle.com/science/article/federal-grants-vaccine-research-20232506.php" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">shingles vaccine research<span class="sr-only"> (opens in new tab)</span></a></u>.</p></div><div class="!p-0 !m-0"></div><div class="floats"><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">Wiener selected the $23 billion bond amount to match the estimated losses the University of California would face over four years of federal science funding cuts under Trump, according to his spokesperson Erik Mebust.</p><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">The bond would create a new California Foundation for Science and Health Research to administer the funding. Researchers and research institutions would be eligible to apply for grants from the new foundation in a competitive process similar to those from the  National Institutes of Health and National Science Foundation. </p></div><div class="w-full bg-warm-gray-50 border border-warm-gray-300 rounded-xl flex flex-col gap-md px-lg py-[20px]"><div class="flex flex-row text-medium leading-[1.1] text-black font-inter gap-xs"><span class="italic font-normal">More about</span><a href="https://sfstandard.com/tag/politics/"><span class="font-bold underline decoration-highlight decoration-[3.2px]">Politics</span></a></div><ul class="flex flex-col gap-md"><li class="flex flex-row gap-sm pb-md border-b border-warm-gray-300"><a href="https://sfstandard.com/2026/01/07/called-terrorist-sympathizer-now-ai-company-valued-3b/" tabindex="-1"><div class="flex-none w-[90px] h-[60px] overflow-hidden"><img alt="A smiling bald man with a goatee wears a dark shirt, set against a torn, layered background featuring orange code and a blue-black net pattern." class="object-cover w-full h-full lazyloaded" data-nimg="1" decoding="async" height="1600" loading="lazy" src="https://assets.sfstandard.com/image/994911177489/image_4e70jhqanh28v7hkicshnrsv1e/-S3840x2560-FPNG" srcset="https://assets.sfstandard.com/image/994911177489/image_4e70jhqanh28v7hkicshnrsv1e/-S3840x2560-FPNG 1x" style="color:transparent;background-size:cover;background-position:50% 50%;background-repeat:no-repeat;background-image:url(&quot;data:image/svg+xml;charset=utf-8,%3Csvg xmlns='http://www.w3.org/2000/svg' viewBox='0 0 2400 1600'%3E%3Cfilter id='b' color-interpolation-filters='sRGB'%3E%3CfeGaussianBlur stdDeviation='20'/%3E%3CfeColorMatrix values='1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 100 -1' result='s'/%3E%3CfeFlood x='0' y='0' width='100%25' height='100%25'/%3E%3CfeComposite operator='out' in='s'/%3E%3CfeComposite in2='SourceGraphic'/%3E%3CfeGaussianBlur stdDeviation='20'/%3E%3C/filter%3E%3Cimage width='100%25' height='100%25' x='0' y='0' preserveAspectRatio='none' style='filter: url(%23b);' href='data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw=='/%3E%3C/svg%3E&quot;)" width="2400"/></div></a><a class="h-fit" href="https://sfstandard.com/2026/01/07/called-terrorist-sympathizer-now-ai-company-valued-3b/"><h3 class="text-medium sm:text-lg leading-[1.3] font-medium text-warm-gray-900 font-ivar-headline">He was called a ‘terrorist sympathizer.’ Now his AI company is valued at $3B</h3></a></li><li class="flex flex-row gap-sm pb-md border-b border-warm-gray-300"><a href="https://sfstandard.com/pacific-standard-time/2026/01/07/immigration-citizenship-trump/" tabindex="-1"><div class="flex-none w-[90px] h-[60px] overflow-hidden"><img alt="A woman with glasses and long hair stands with clasped hands outside the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services building." class="object-cover w-full h-full lazyloaded" data-nimg="1" decoding="async" height="666.6666666666666" loading="lazy" src="https://assets.sfstandard.com/image/994911177489/image_9aejf1dvb93ct0o96u7f31a04u/-C100.00%25x100.00%25%2C0.00%25%2C0.00%25-S2048x1365-FPNG" srcset="https://assets.sfstandard.com/image/994911177489/image_9aejf1dvb93ct0o96u7f31a04u/-C100.00%25x100.00%25%2C0.00%25%2C0.00%25-S1024x683-FPNG 1x, https://assets.sfstandard.com/image/994911177489/image_9aejf1dvb93ct0o96u7f31a04u/-C100.00%25x100.00%25%2C0.00%25%2C0.00%25-S2048x1365-FPNG 2x" style="color:transparent;aspect-ratio:1.5;background-size:cover;background-position:50% 50%;background-repeat:no-repeat;background-image:url(&quot;data:image/svg+xml;charset=utf-8,%3Csvg xmlns='http://www.w3.org/2000/svg' viewBox='0 0 1000 666.6666666666666'%3E%3Cfilter id='b' color-interpolation-filters='sRGB'%3E%3CfeGaussianBlur stdDeviation='20'/%3E%3CfeColorMatrix values='1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 100 -1' result='s'/%3E%3CfeFlood x='0' y='0' width='100%25' height='100%25'/%3E%3CfeComposite operator='out' in='s'/%3E%3CfeComposite in2='SourceGraphic'/%3E%3CfeGaussianBlur stdDeviation='20'/%3E%3C/filter%3E%3Cimage width='100%25' height='100%25' x='0' y='0' preserveAspectRatio='none' style='filter: url(%23b);' href='data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw=='/%3E%3C/svg%3E&quot;)" width="1000"/></div></a><a class="h-fit" href="https://sfstandard.com/pacific-standard-time/2026/01/07/immigration-citizenship-trump/"><h3 class="text-medium sm:text-lg leading-[1.3] font-medium text-warm-gray-900 font-ivar-headline">The Trump administration is making it harder to become a citizen. She’s trying anyway</h3></a></li><li class="flex flex-row gap-sm"><a href="https://sfstandard.com/2026/01/01/women-electing-freeze-their-eggs-as-normal-part-life-planning/" tabindex="-1"><div class="flex-none w-[90px] h-[60px] overflow-hidden"><img alt="Multiple translucent petri dishes contain clusters of glowing cells, with one dish showing a larger, irregularly shaped glowing mass." class="object-cover w-full h-full lazyloaded" data-nimg="1" decoding="async" height="2000" loading="lazy" src="https://assets.sfstandard.com/image/994911177489/image_uo9vor1tjd4mv62nm8o2kinv7b/-S3840x2560-FPNG" srcset="https://assets.sfstandard.com/image/994911177489/image_uo9vor1tjd4mv62nm8o2kinv7b/-S3840x2560-FPNG 1x" style="color:transparent;background-size:cover;background-position:50% 50%;background-repeat:no-repeat;background-image:url(&quot;data:image/svg+xml;charset=utf-8,%3Csvg xmlns='http://www.w3.org/2000/svg' viewBox='0 0 3000 2000'%3E%3Cfilter id='b' color-interpolation-filters='sRGB'%3E%3CfeGaussianBlur stdDeviation='20'/%3E%3CfeColorMatrix values='1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 100 -1' result='s'/%3E%3CfeFlood x='0' y='0' width='100%25' height='100%25'/%3E%3CfeComposite operator='out' in='s'/%3E%3CfeComposite in2='SourceGraphic'/%3E%3CfeGaussianBlur stdDeviation='20'/%3E%3C/filter%3E%3Cimage width='100%25' height='100%25' x='0' y='0' preserveAspectRatio='none' style='filter: url(%23b);' href='data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw=='/%3E%3C/svg%3E&quot;)" width="3000"/></div></a><a class="h-fit" href="https://sfstandard.com/2026/01/01/women-electing-freeze-their-eggs-as-normal-part-life-planning/"><h3 class="text-medium sm:text-lg leading-[1.3] font-medium text-warm-gray-900 font-ivar-headline">More women are electing to freeze their eggs as a normal part of life planning</h3></a></li></ul></div><div class="floats"><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">Funding would be available to both research institutions and independent researchers, but would require proof of research experience and access to research facilities, among other requirements. Funding caps have yet to be determined, Mebust said.</p><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">The bill includes provisions aimed at lowering health care costs for Californians. </p><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">Pharmaceuticals developed with bond-funded research would be sold at a discount in the state, and the government could recoup a share of licensing and royalty revenue from successful drugs. The measure would also allow the state to manufacture certain drugs through the state-run pharmacy program <u><a href="https://calrx.ca.gov" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">CalRx<span class="sr-only"> (opens in new tab)</span></a></u> and sell them at cost to residents and at a profit to other states.</p><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">Wiener is currently <u><a data-post-id="83e79b3f-e7ab-4355-88e1-d466b32d0876" href="https://sfstandard.com/2026/01/05/san-francisco-politics-2026-elections/">campaigning for Nancy Pelosi’s</a></u> congressional seat and has made increasing healthcare access a key cornerstone of his argument to voters. </p><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">“Science has fueled California’s prosperity for decades. Now, it’s time to spread the benefits of that prosperity to all Californians, preserving our scientific leadership while lowering health care costs for families,” Wiener said in a statement</p><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">The UC received <u><a href="https://ucop.edu/communications/_files/federal-investment-in-uc-research-2025.pdf" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">$5 billion<span class="sr-only"> (opens in new tab)</span></a></u> in total federal research funding in 2024. UCSF is San Francisco’s <u><a href="https://media.api.sf.gov/documents/ACFR_2025.pdf" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">second-largest employer<span class="sr-only"> (opens in new tab)</span></a></u> with 29,475 employees, according to a 2025 city financial report.</p><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">“Reductions in federal funding are already disrupting critical UC research that supports thousands of jobs, drives medical innovation, and leads to life-changing solutions that benefit everyone,” UC President James B. Milliken said in a press release.</p><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">The life sciences industry supports about 1.15 million jobs in California and generates nearly $396 billion in economic output, according to <a href="https://www.biocom.org/news/eir/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">the <span class="sr-only"> (opens in new tab)</span></a><u><a href="https://www.biocom.org/news/eir/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Life Science Association of California<span class="sr-only"> (opens in new tab)</span></a></u>. </p></div></div>

The Standard’s most impactful stories of the year

<div class="content-grid article-content"><div class="Metadata_container__fxAzw"><div class="flex flex-row gap-x-md"></div><div class="Metadata_metadata__W_0LF"><span>By <a class="" href="https://sfstandard.com/author/the-standard-staff/">The Standard Staff</a></span><time datetime="2025-12-31T14:00:00.000Z">Published Dec. 31, 2025 • 6:00am</time></div></div><div class="floats"><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">Great reporting doesn’t just document — it can lead to real change. This year our reporting launched inquiries and lawsuits, inspired civic fixes and hefty private donations, and even ended a few political careers. Each of these stories is a reminder of how journalism can turn public attention into public action. </p></div><h2 class="heading-block article-body text-left"><b>The 200-hour supervisor</b></h2><div class="floats"><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">Just days after Mayor Daniel Lurie appointed <u><a href="https://sfstandard.com/tag/isabella-alcaraz/">Isabella “Beya” Alcaraz</a></u> as Sunset supervisor, The Standard was the first to publish an investigation into <u><a data-post-id="14a603bb-ef07-4f5e-b4d5-2b1d433a90a9" href="https://sfstandard.com/2025/11/10/san-francisco-alcaraz-daniel-lurie-sunset-supervisor-animal-connection-pet-store/">questionable business practices at the pet shop</a></u> she used to own. The exposé showed that Alcaraz had left the Sunset shop in squalor for the next owner, with hundreds of dead mice and trash strewn throughout. The story led to <u><a data-post-id="3aed2535-574d-43c5-9d73-c8b604d43761" href="https://sfstandard.com/2025/11/13/isabella-beya-alcaraz-sunset-supervisor-resigns/">Alcaraz’s resignation</a></u> within a week, in a scandal that marked <u><a data-post-id="9a4f5708-d1e0-4db4-9616-fbf2d530e3ec" href="https://sfstandard.com/2025/11/15/san-francisco-daniel-lurie-isabella-beya-alcaraz/">the biggest misstep</a></u> of Lurie’s <u><a data-post-id="46be59b2-0556-40e8-90f9-1aa06df5db46" href="https://sfstandard.com/pacific-standard-time/2025/11/26/lurie-sunset-beya-alcaraz/">administration so far. </a></u></p></div><div class="!p-0 !m-0"></div><h2 class="heading-block article-body text-left"><b>The illegally shared license plate reader data</b></h2><div class="floats"><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">In recent years, license plate surveillance has proliferated across the Bay Area, with law enforcement agencies relying on the tech to track stolen vehicles and crack down on sideshows. <u><a data-post-id="a51d6dd2-456f-4069-ae1c-53b3fad923fd" href="https://sfstandard.com/2025/07/14/oakland-san-francisco-ice-license-plate-readers/">Investigations by The Standard</a></u> revealed that San Francisco and Oakland police appeared to be <u><a data-post-id="7b5c2b0d-ff28-45bb-8433-1341229a244a" href="https://sfstandard.com/2025/07/23/california-police-sharing-flock-license-plate-data/">illegally sharing license plate surveillance data</a></u> <u><a data-post-id="ba60bc48-a09e-467e-9811-d551a7573a2f" href="https://sfstandard.com/2025/09/08/sfpd-flock-alpr-ice-data-sharing/">with out-of-state agencies</a></u> — including for cases related to Immigration and Customs Enforcement. The stories <u><a data-post-id="851fa9ce-2afc-4ccc-9e09-69f4c1bdca36" href="https://sfstandard.com/2025/11/18/oakland-police-opd-lawsuit-flock-surveillance/">spurred a lawsuit</a></u> against the Oakland Police Department and protests across the Bay Area.</p></div><h2 class="heading-block article-body text-left"><b>The unfunded PTAs</b></h2><div class="floats"><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left"><u><a data-post-id="a2a9c6be-5da7-4ddd-813e-f9581ea3a155" href="https://sfstandard.com/2025/04/02/sf-parents-pta-dark-money-crackdown-public-schools/">An investigation by The Standard</a></u> revealed the deep divide between SF’s haves and have-nots when it comes to private fundraising used to pay for extra staff and programs at public schools. In the 2023-24 school year, half of San Francisco’s public schools raised a combined $11 million. The other half raised just $352,000. Our story highlighted Guadalupe Elementary in the Excelsior, a Title 1 school where nearly three-quarters of students are socioeconomically disadvantaged. Its students excelled at soccer but had to play on cracked concrete. </p><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">After The Standard published our investigation in April, a private-school parent donated $20,000 to the school for a soccer field. The turf was unveiled in May.</p></div><h2 class="heading-block article-body text-left"><b>The spending (and cutbacks) at a city agency</b></h2><div class="floats"><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">City Hall observers were shocked in March, when Kimberly Ellis, who ran the city’s Department on the Status of Women, was put on leave pending an investigation into alleged misspending at her agency. The Standard subsequently reported on a <u><a data-post-id="35304684-e6fb-43fb-9f5a-f52be569bb35" href="https://sfstandard.com/2025/03/28/san-francisco-kimberly-ellis-shift-happens-womens-summit/">$600,000 summit the department hosted</a></u> that involved questionable expenditures and <u><a data-post-id="0f2c130e-a2b7-4866-9f12-b94d73bd77a2" href="https://sfstandard.com/2025/03/27/san-francisco-kimberly-ellis-tahoe-department-status-women/">a city contract Ellis gave</a></u> to a “dear friend.” The resulting stories ended in Ellis being <u><a data-post-id="be4780b2-e9a0-4b47-8cd8-4aba1619a0bf" href="https://sfstandard.com/2025/04/23/kimberly-ellis-status-women-department-ousted/">ousted by the department’s oversight body</a></u> and an <u><a href="https://link.sfstandard.com/view/6598287d041a52d41b07dc9apl62u.30g/ffeb1876" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">ethics investigation<span class="sr-only"> (opens in new tab)</span></a></u> into one of its members.  </p><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">Ellis’ departure had an impact on the department’s future. Lurie’s administration merged the agency, still reeling from scandal and with the bulk of its budget gone, with the Human Rights Commission, effectively placing the SF women’s department under the control of a man. The Standard’s <u><a data-post-id="a876ea1f-128c-4221-844b-807113779bdc" href="https://sfstandard.com/2025/10/14/kimberly-ellis-gutting-sf-department-on-women/">reporting revealed how this move</a></u> — along with Ellis’ legacy as the department’s head — potentially hurts shelters, hotlines, and legal services dedicated to addressing gender-based violence.</p></div><h2 class="heading-block article-body text-left"><b>The falling-apart playground</b></h2><div class="floats"><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">Parents in the Sunset had been pleading with the city to repair a playground in disrepair. The city informed them that it would take years to allocate funds from the budget to fix the site’s deteriorating rubber safety surface, which was causing children to trip and ingest the material. The parents reached out to The Standard, which <u><a data-post-id="228cdde0-0439-4e91-9e7b-fd06c3bd224d" href="https://sfstandard.com/2025/05/02/san-francisco-playground-sunset-park-playground-cost-price/">published a story about the playground</a></u> and the whopping $600,000 price of the repair, pushing the city to push up the schedule. In November, the city announced it had started construction, with an expected completion date of March.</p></div></div>

Gavin Newsom worries AI will make it impossible for your kids to find a job

Lurie to appoint City College trustee Alan Wong to Sunset supervisor seat

‘They’re going to hate this’: Billionaire Tom Steyer jumps into crowded governor’s race

<div class="content-grid article-content"><div class="Metadata_container__fxAzw"><div class="flex flex-row gap-x-md"></div><div class="Metadata_metadata__W_0LF"><span>By <a class="" href="https://sfstandard.com/author/hannah-wiley/">Hannah Wiley</a></span><time datetime="2025-11-19T14:00:00.000Z">Published Nov. 19, 2025 • 6:00am</time></div></div><div class="floats"><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">Billionaire climate activist and former hedge fund manager Tom Steyer announced Wednesday that he is running for California governor, becoming the most prominent San Franciscan to join the crowded 2026 field. </p><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">In a video announcing his campaign, Steyer, 68, a <a href="https://time.com/6980235/tom-steyer-climate-activism/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">climate activist<span class="sr-only"> (opens in new tab)</span></a> who earned his fortune as the founder of Farallon Capital and his fame as an advocate for President Donald Trump’s impeachment, focused on California’s affordability crisis and pledged to solve the problems he attributes to rising costs, including the housing shortage and corporations not paying their “fair share.” </p><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">“The richest people in America think that they earned everything themselves. Bullshit, man,” Steyer said in the video. “That’s so ridiculous.”</p></div><div class="!p-0 !m-0"></div><div class="floats"><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">A liberal Democrat who last ventured into politics with a <u><a href="https://www.npr.org/2020/02/29/801952931/tom-steyer-to-drop-out-of-2020-presidential-race" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">2020 bid for president<span class="sr-only"> (opens in new tab)</span></a></u>, Steyer was long expected to join the race to replace Gov. Gavin Newsom, who terms out of office next year. </p><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">The field includes high-profile Democrats such as former Orange County Rep. Katie Porter, former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, and former California Attorney General Xavier Becerra, as well as Republicans <u><a data-post-id="ce1e6ef5-3a20-4102-a0c1-575c72beedbc" href="https://sfstandard.com/2025/02/16/steve-hilton-california-governor-doge-elon-musk/">Steve Hilton</a></u>, a former Fox News host, and Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco. </p></div><div class="floats"><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">Current candidates were quick to criticize Steyer, with contenders from both parties focusing on his wealth. </p><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">Porter, who is considered a frontrunner in the race, noted that Steyer was promising to crack down on industries that she claims made him money. </p><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">“A new billionaire in our race claims he’ll fight the very industries he got rich helping grow — fossil fuel companies, tobacco, and private immigration detention facilities — at great cost to Californians,” Porter wrote in a <a href="https://x.com/katieporteroc/status/1991233723296014742" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">social media post<span class="sr-only"> (opens in new tab)</span></a>. “I call bullshit.”</p></div><div class="!p-0 !m-0"></div><div class="floats"><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">“The last thing California needs is a billionaire ‘climate’ fanatic who wants more of the same ‘climate’ elitism that gave us the highest gas prices, electric bills, and housing costs in America,” Hilton said in a statement. </p><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">Steyer’s deep pockets make him an easy target, but they’re also what could render him a formidable candidate. He’ll have endless cash to prop up his campaign and finance the advertising necessary to increase his name ID in large swaths of the state that might be unfamiliar with his activism. </p><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">Steyer over the last 15 years has championed several California ballot measure campaigns that took aim at oil companies, big corporations, and the tobacco industry. </p><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">“I wanted to build a business here. Now it’s worth billions of dollars. And I walked away from it because I wanted to give back to California,” he said in his announcement. </p><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">He most recently dumped <u><a href="https://www.latimes.com/politics/story/2025-10-09/billionaire-tom-steyer-12-million-support-november-redistricting-ballot-measure" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">$12 million<span class="sr-only"> (opens in new tab)</span></a></u> into the effort to pass Newsom’s redistricting measure Proposition 50 in the Nov. 4 special election. His efforts rankled some within his party, who saw the spending as a self-serving <u><a href="https://www.politico.com/news/2025/10/16/tom-steyer-infuriating-democrats-again-00612185" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">attention grab<span class="sr-only"> (opens in new tab)</span></a></u> in preparation for a likely campaign announcement.  </p><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">Steyer said his goals are to make it easier to live in the Golden State, and he promised to drive a housing boom and lower electricity costs by breaking up the “monopolistic power of utilities,” while bolstering the state’s education system. </p><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">“Let’s get down to brass tacks,” he said. “Californians deserve a life they can afford. But the Californians who make this state run are being run over by the cost of living. We need to get back to basics.” </p><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">As someone with a history of disrupting the Democratic status quo, Steyer said he would take on Sacramento politicians who are “afraid to change up the system.” </p><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">“I’m not,” he said. “They’re going to hate this.”</p></div></div>

Conservatives descended on UC Berkeley. Now the feds are investigating

<div class="content-grid article-content"><div class="Metadata_container__fxAzw"><div class="flex flex-row gap-x-md"></div><div class="Metadata_metadata__W_0LF"><span>By <a class="" href="https://sfstandard.com/author/gabriel-greschler/">Gabe Greschler</a></span><time datetime="2025-11-11T23:24:46.846Z">Published Nov. 11, 2025 • 3:24pm</time></div></div><div class="floats"><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">Protests that erupted Monday in response to the conservative political group Turning Point USA’s event at UC Berkeley have caught the attention of President Donald Trump’s Department of Justice.</p><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">On Tuesday, Assistant Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon launched an investigation into the demonstrations, describing them in an X <a href="https://x.com/AAGDhillon/status/1988361125684007147?s=20" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">post<span class="sr-only"> (opens in new tab)</span></a> as “mob assault and thuggish intimidation” of the event attendees exercising their right to free speech.</p><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">Dhillon’s Civil Rights Division will be probing “potential failures at UC Berkeley and any who enabled such violence,” she said on X.</p></div><div class="!p-0 !m-0"></div><figure class="ImageBlock_ImageFigure__ZnquR inset-image mobile-grid-full mobile-grid-full" data-align="none"><div class="relative"><div><img alt="A man with a bloodied face wearing a red “FREEDOM” shirt is being held by multiple police officers in helmets and tactical gear." class="block lazyloaded" data-nimg="1" decoding="async" height="3592" loading="lazy" sizes="(min-width: 1001px) 600px, (min-width: 768px) 700px, 100vw" src="https://assets.sfstandard.com/image/994911177489/image_4hnv2195ad4hvca26fg77blm6d/-S3840x2560-FPNG" srcset="https://assets.sfstandard.com/image/994911177489/image_4hnv2195ad4hvca26fg77blm6d/-S640x427-FPNG 640w, https://assets.sfstandard.com/image/994911177489/image_4hnv2195ad4hvca26fg77blm6d/-S750x500-FPNG 750w, https://assets.sfstandard.com/image/994911177489/image_4hnv2195ad4hvca26fg77blm6d/-S768x512-FPNG 768w, https://assets.sfstandard.com/image/994911177489/image_4hnv2195ad4hvca26fg77blm6d/-S828x552-FPNG 828w, https://assets.sfstandard.com/image/994911177489/image_4hnv2195ad4hvca26fg77blm6d/-S1024x683-FPNG 1024w, https://assets.sfstandard.com/image/994911177489/image_4hnv2195ad4hvca26fg77blm6d/-S1080x720-FPNG 1080w, https://assets.sfstandard.com/image/994911177489/image_4hnv2195ad4hvca26fg77blm6d/-S1200x800-FPNG 1200w, https://assets.sfstandard.com/image/994911177489/image_4hnv2195ad4hvca26fg77blm6d/-S1920x1280-FPNG 1920w, https://assets.sfstandard.com/image/994911177489/image_4hnv2195ad4hvca26fg77blm6d/-S2048x1365-FPNG 2048w, https://assets.sfstandard.com/image/994911177489/image_4hnv2195ad4hvca26fg77blm6d/-S3840x2560-FPNG 3840w" style="color:transparent;background-size:cover;background-position:50% 50%;background-repeat:no-repeat;background-image:url(&quot;data:image/svg+xml;charset=utf-8,%3Csvg xmlns='http://www.w3.org/2000/svg' viewBox='0 0 5388 3592'%3E%3Cfilter id='b' color-interpolation-filters='sRGB'%3E%3CfeGaussianBlur stdDeviation='20'/%3E%3CfeColorMatrix values='1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 100 -1' result='s'/%3E%3CfeFlood x='0' y='0' width='100%25' height='100%25'/%3E%3CfeComposite operator='out' in='s'/%3E%3CfeComposite in2='SourceGraphic'/%3E%3CfeGaussianBlur stdDeviation='20'/%3E%3C/filter%3E%3Cimage width='100%25' height='100%25' x='0' y='0' preserveAspectRatio='none' style='filter: url(%23b);' href='data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw=='/%3E%3C/svg%3E&quot;)" width="5388"/></div></div><figcaption class="basis-full mt-[10px] text-xs text-gray-550 font-inter leading-[18px]">Protests broke out Monday at the Turning Point USA event at UC Berkeley’s campus.<span class="image-caption-divider"> | </span><span class="image-credit"><span class="sr-only">Source: </span>Jungho Kim for The Standard</span></figcaption></figure><div class="floats"><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">The demonstrations against the event, which hosted conservative figures including actor Rob Schneider, led to several arrests. Four students were <a href="https://www.dailycal.org/news/campus/4-uc-berkeley-students-arrested-on-felony-vandalism-charges-for-anti-tpusa-art-installation/article_c65ad4c0-2c69-4d6f-b630-ba111573fd5a.html" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">taken into custody<span class="sr-only"> (opens in new tab)</span></a> earlier in the day for trying to install an anti-Turning Point USA art installation. Another <a href="https://www.dailycal.org/news/campus/3-arrested-in-violent-altercation-ahead-of-tpusa-event-at-uc-berkeley/article_ed9bd581-bef3-46d1-b175-814db25835ba.html" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">three<span class="sr-only"> (opens in new tab)</span></a> were arrested amidst the protests, two for a physical fight and another for attempting to cross a barrier.</p><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">The conservative group was founded by the late political activist Charlie Kirk and advocates for right-wing policies on college campuses. Kirk was assassinated by a gunman in September.</p></div><div class="floats"><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">In a Tuesday letter addressed to UC Berkeley, Dhillon requested communications from the university’s board members and campus administrators related to the Turning Point event, policies and manuals about campus speakers, and all video and audio recordings by the school of the protests on Monday.</p><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">Dhillon said she was investigating whether the school violated the University of California’s commitment to provide adequate security for the event in response to a 2018 settlement involving another conservative group. The law firm Dhillon founded sued UC Berkeley in 2016 over allegations of suppressing conservative speech on campus.</p></div><div class="!p-0 !m-0"></div><figure class="ImageBlock_ImageFigure__ZnquR inset-image mobile-grid-full mobile-grid-full" data-align="none"><div class="relative"><div><img alt="A crowd of protesters holding signs like “ABOLISH ICE” and “NO PATIENTS IN SPACE” faces a line of police officers in riot gear at night." class="block lazyloaded" data-nimg="1" decoding="async" height="3319" loading="lazy" sizes="(min-width: 1001px) 600px, (min-width: 768px) 700px, 100vw" src="https://assets.sfstandard.com/image/994911177489/image_oc2dncs3nh6encmk333al9rs6s/-S3840x2560-FPNG" srcset="https://assets.sfstandard.com/image/994911177489/image_oc2dncs3nh6encmk333al9rs6s/-S640x427-FPNG 640w, https://assets.sfstandard.com/image/994911177489/image_oc2dncs3nh6encmk333al9rs6s/-S750x500-FPNG 750w, https://assets.sfstandard.com/image/994911177489/image_oc2dncs3nh6encmk333al9rs6s/-S768x512-FPNG 768w, https://assets.sfstandard.com/image/994911177489/image_oc2dncs3nh6encmk333al9rs6s/-S828x552-FPNG 828w, https://assets.sfstandard.com/image/994911177489/image_oc2dncs3nh6encmk333al9rs6s/-S1024x683-FPNG 1024w, https://assets.sfstandard.com/image/994911177489/image_oc2dncs3nh6encmk333al9rs6s/-S1080x720-FPNG 1080w, https://assets.sfstandard.com/image/994911177489/image_oc2dncs3nh6encmk333al9rs6s/-S1200x800-FPNG 1200w, https://assets.sfstandard.com/image/994911177489/image_oc2dncs3nh6encmk333al9rs6s/-S1920x1280-FPNG 1920w, https://assets.sfstandard.com/image/994911177489/image_oc2dncs3nh6encmk333al9rs6s/-S2048x1365-FPNG 2048w, https://assets.sfstandard.com/image/994911177489/image_oc2dncs3nh6encmk333al9rs6s/-S3840x2560-FPNG 3840w" style="color:transparent;background-size:cover;background-position:50% 50%;background-repeat:no-repeat;background-image:url(&quot;data:image/svg+xml;charset=utf-8,%3Csvg xmlns='http://www.w3.org/2000/svg' viewBox='0 0 4978 3319'%3E%3Cfilter id='b' color-interpolation-filters='sRGB'%3E%3CfeGaussianBlur stdDeviation='20'/%3E%3CfeColorMatrix values='1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 100 -1' result='s'/%3E%3CfeFlood x='0' y='0' width='100%25' height='100%25'/%3E%3CfeComposite operator='out' in='s'/%3E%3CfeComposite in2='SourceGraphic'/%3E%3CfeGaussianBlur stdDeviation='20'/%3E%3C/filter%3E%3Cimage width='100%25' height='100%25' x='0' y='0' preserveAspectRatio='none' style='filter: url(%23b);' href='data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw=='/%3E%3C/svg%3E&quot;)" width="4978"/></div></div><figcaption class="basis-full mt-[10px] text-xs text-gray-550 font-inter leading-[18px]">Turning Point USA advocates for conservative policies at college campuses.<span class="image-caption-divider"> | </span><span class="image-credit"><span class="sr-only">Source: </span>Jungho Kim for The Standard</span></figcaption></figure><div class="floats"><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">"We are also determining whether recent events provide a basis for additional investigation of violations of federal rights, including, without limitation, violations of the First and Fourteenth Amendments to the United States Constitution,” Dhillon wrote.</p><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">UC Berkeley spokesperson Dan Mogulof declined to comment. He noted that while the letter was addressed to UC Berkeley, it names James Milliken as a respondent, who is actually the president of the University of California system.</p><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">Dhillon <a href="https://sfstandard.com/sf-100/profile/harmeet-dhillon/">previously</a> worked as an employment lawyer in San Francisco but has since become a prominent figure within the Trump administration’s Department of Justice. </p><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">Since his inauguration, Trump has been quick to target universities for what he perceives as bastions of left-wing ideology and activism.</p></div></div>

Lowell High bars pro-Israel speaker invited by Jewish student club

<div class="content-grid article-content"><div class="Metadata_container__fxAzw"><div class="Metadata_metadata__W_0LF"><span>By <a class="" href="https://sfstandard.com/author/ezra-wallach/">Ezra Wallach</a></span><time datetime="2025-10-30T22:20:34.335Z">Updated Oct. 30, 2025 • 3:20pm</time><time datetime="2025-10-30T21:16:00.647Z">Published Oct. 30, 2025 • 2:16pm</time></div></div><div class="floats"><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">Lowell High School has barred a Yemen-born activist and journalist from meeting with the campus’ Jewish club, claiming it was not given enough warning about his appearance. </p><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">Luai Ahmed, who lives in Sweden, is an openly gay Muslim man who regularly writes on Jewish-Muslim relations and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. On <u><a href="https://www.instagram.com/justluai/?hl=en" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">his Instagram account<span class="sr-only"> (opens in new tab)</span></a></u>, which has more than 300,000 followers, Ahmed regularly posts videos decrying antisemitism and radical Islam.</p><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">Ahmed, who is on a nationwide speaking tour, had been invited to speak to Lowell High School’s “Jew Crew” student group on Nov. 4.</p></div><div class="!p-0 !m-0"></div><div class="floats"><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">A club member filled out a form this week asking the school for approval, but in an Oct. 30 email obtained by The Standard, Assistant Principal Isaac Alcantar denied the request. “If a speaker is not vetted, we could land in a situation where what they say may impact members of our community in a way that the group/staff had not intended,” Alcantar wrote to the club.</p><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">Alcantar said the students had not given administrators the requisite five-day notice and that school officials need to review a presenter’s slides before an appearance.</p></div><div class="floats"><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">The club member responded that she submitted a form seeking speaker approval Oct. 28, a week prior to the scheduled event. She wrote that Ahmed wouldn’t be using slides and could not provide the presentation in advance.</p><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">“The students in Jew Crew, and many others that [are] interested in coming, desperately need a way to ask questions, create dialogue, and learn from diverse opinions,” the student wrote. “Preventing this from happening is counter to what Lowell stands for.”</p><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">Alcantar had not responded to that email by publication time. When The Standard reached Ahmed on Thursday afternoon, he was unaware that the Lowell event had been canceled.</p></div><div class="!p-0 !m-0"></div><div class="floats"><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">“Students deserve to hear voices that challenge them to think critically about propaganda, identity, and moral courage,” Ahmed <u><a href="https://docs.google.com/document/d/1wBtzWbl1CfC7Uq6i_h7_24HdjfLXKFxspWraeS1FIlE/edit?usp=sharing" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">wrote.<span class="sr-only"> (opens in new tab)</span></a></u> “Silencing or postponing such conversations does not protect students, it deprives them of the chance to confront reality. How many gay Muslim Arabs who grew up under Islamic theocracy and dictatorship do your students get to listen to?”</p><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">Lowell was not the only Bay Area high school to cancel an event with Ahmed this week.</p><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">Ahmed had been slated to speak Thursday at Alameda High School at an event titled “Beyond Labels: A Journey from Extremism to Empathy,” but administrators postponed the appearance after a pro-Palestine activist group objected. </p><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">Alameda Families &amp; Friends for Collective Liberation, working with the Arab Resource and Organizing Center and the Council on American-Islamic Relations, launched a <u><a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/DQaP3ZUEtwk/?hl=en&amp;img_index=1" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">social media campaign<span class="sr-only"> (opens in new tab)</span></a></u> to stop the “self-proclaimed Zionist” from speaking on campus.</p><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">The groups accused Ahmed of engaging in “pinkwashing,” using his identity as a gay man to “project a progressive image of certain communities while vilifying Islam as inherently queerphobic.”</p><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">Alameda High School officials sent out a notice Wednesday stating that Ahmed would not be making a presentation until they had an “opportunity to learn more about the speaker and the subject matter,” according to a screenshot of the <u><a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/DQa9bUEEScw/?hl=en&amp;img_index=1" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">email posted on social media<span class="sr-only"> (opens in new tab)</span></a></u>.</p><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">The Alameda Unified School District confirmed to The Standard that Ahmed’s talk had been postponed. “This falls under our board policy on controversial issues,” AUSD Senior Manager for Community Affairs Susan Davis said. “We want to make sure the principal knows that it’s happening and that there’s alternative viewpoints.</p><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">Prior to the postponement, Ahmed commented on an Instagram post from the community groups, encouraging members to come to the event to engage in dialogue. Ahmed met with students Tuesday at Hillel of Silicon Valley. </p><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">“Come and learn, ask questions — I am willing to answer,” he wrote.</p><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">The cancellations come amid controversies over antisemitic content in California school curricula. The San Francisco Unified School District this year revoked its <u><a data-post-id="ca0e65b0-2b64-439e-b9aa-175f7a85f841" href="https://sfstandard.com/2025/05/30/sfusd-new-ethnic-studies-mandate/">ethnic studies</a></u> curriculum over concerns about its characterization of Israel and omission of Jewish identity.</p><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">In a <u><a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/15t4AOHmKZo5gBLx2zomW40aV8qoNJpkf/view?usp=sharing" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">report released this month<span class="sr-only"> (opens in new tab)</span></a></u> by the California Department of Education, the Oakland Unified School District was found to have “contributed to a discriminatory environment for Jewish students and staff” by organizing districtwide teach-ins about Palestine and flying a Palestinian flag on campus.</p><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">Lianne Gensler, parent of a Jew Crew member at Lowell, said the administration’s decision to cancel Ahmed’s appearance reflects a double standard applied to Jewish students. </p><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">“I am frankly shocked and dismayed that our progressive school, which should be fostering open dialogue and critical thought, is instead silencing voices that speak against extremism,” she wrote in an email to Lowell’s principal, Jan Bautista.</p><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">SFUSD spokesperson Laura Dudnick said that Lowell “is still considering the most appropriate path forward for this student club-sponsored event.”<br/><br/>“Administrators are obligated to conduct due diligence when evaluating potential guest speakers,” she said, “particularly with regard to student safety and the integrity of the learning environment.”</p><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left"><i>Correction: An earlier version of this article incorrectly stated that an Oct. 7 event hosted at Lowell, “Remembrance for the Martyrs of Palestine,” had not been canceled.</i></p></div></div>

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SF parents want a Mandarin charter school. They have to get past the unions first


<p>When it came time for Brian Hollinger to send his kids to school, he knew exactly where they’d go.</p>



<p>Hollinger and his wife, Yunita Tjhai, who is of Indonesian and Chinese descent, wanted their three sons to grow up fluent in Mandarin. They enrolled the eldest two in a Mandarin-immersion program at Starr King Elementary School in Potrero Hill, available to only a handful of students in the San Francisco Unified School District.&nbsp;</p>



<p>The immersion program has paid off.&nbsp;</p>



<p>“My boys are off the charts,” Hollinger said. “People think Chinese is their mother tongue. It’s my proudest accomplishment as a parent.”</p>



<p>Hollinger knows his kids are lucky. Starr King is one of only two elementary schools and one middle school in the San Francisco Unified School District that provide Mandarin-immersion courses.&nbsp;</p>



<p>Hollinger sees an opportunity to change that. In recent months, he and a group of parents and educators organized a petition to open a K-8 public Mandarin-immersion school in a city where more than 180,000 residents identify as Chinese and private Mandarin schools have grown in popularity. More than 200 parents and 10 teachers signed the petition, according to the coalition.&nbsp;</p>



<p>But Hollinger chose a politically challenging path.&nbsp;</p>



<p>The coalition wants to open <a href="https://www.dragongateacademy.org/">Dragon Gate Academy</a> as a charter school —&nbsp;a controversial idea in union-friendly San Francisco.&nbsp;</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" height="1668" width="2500" src="https://content.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/9195008193_chineseschool_041.jpg?w=2500" alt="A person in a light blue shirt and jeans stands with hands in pockets on a street with cars lined up, near a traditional green-roofed archway." class="wp-image-406055" srcset="https://content.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/9195008193_chineseschool_041.jpg 3000w, https://content.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/9195008193_chineseschool_041.jpg?resize=300,200 300w, https://content.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/9195008193_chineseschool_041.jpg?resize=768,512 768w, https://content.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/9195008193_chineseschool_041.jpg?resize=2500,1668 2500w, https://content.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/9195008193_chineseschool_041.jpg?resize=1536,1025 1536w, https://content.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/9195008193_chineseschool_041.jpg?resize=2048,1366 2048w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 2500px) 100vw, 2500px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Hollinger, who has three sons, is leading the effort to launch Dragon Gate Academy.</figcaption></figure>



<p>SFUSD oversees 13 charter schools, few compared with public school districts in other major California cities. The Board of Education hasn’t approved a new charter school in more than a decade, while the state Legislature has in recent years passed laws that make it increasingly difficult <a href="https://www.politico.com/states/california/story/2019/12/18/charter-school-war-to-resume-as-lawmakers-plan-new-round-of-restrictions-1233464">for charters to open and operate in California</a>.&nbsp;</p>



<p>Dragon Gate Academy would receive both state and local funding as a public charter school, though it’s unclear how much it would cost to open. Hollinger said it’s likely the new academy would pay rent to the district by using an existing school site with available space. The coalition leading the campaign has a website that identifies at least four possible sites across the city.&nbsp;</p>



<p>SFUSD officials have hinted at their opposition to Dragon Gate Academy amid concerns from labor groups representing educators.&nbsp;</p>



<p>But Hollinger is undeterred. The coalition on Monday filed a formal proposal with the district to open Dragon Gate Academy, kicking off a 60-day review period. The board will hold public hearings on the proposal before voting on it.&nbsp;</p>



<p>The group behind Dragon Gate Academy wants to open the school by August 2026, according to their website. If the application is denied, the coalition said, it would appeal the decision to the state Board of Education.&nbsp;</p>



<p>&#8220;To the doubters, we say, ‘Yes we can,’” Hollinger said during a press conference Tuesday at the district’s downtown headquarters. &#8220;We’re moving forward with unstoppable urgency.”</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-high-demand-for-mandarin-instruction">High demand for Mandarin instruction</h2>



<p>San Francisco has several private schools that provide full <a href="https://sfstandard.com/2024/09/09/private-chinese-mandarin-schools-san-francisco/">Mandarin-immersion instruction</a>. Those schools are popular among affluent families that see Mandarin instruction as a valuable opportunity in an increasingly globalized world.</p>



<p>In contrast, thousands of SFUSD students have to compete for only dozens of slots in Mandarin programs.</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" height="1667" width="2500" src="https://content.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/20231223-chinatownhistorydigitize-01.jpg?w=2500" alt="A hand rests on an open book with handwritten Chinese characters. The page margins are red, and the hand wears a ring and bracelet." class="wp-image-235055" srcset="https://content.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/20231223-chinatownhistorydigitize-01.jpg 3456w, https://content.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/20231223-chinatownhistorydigitize-01.jpg?resize=300,200 300w, https://content.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/20231223-chinatownhistorydigitize-01.jpg?resize=768,512 768w, https://content.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/20231223-chinatownhistorydigitize-01.jpg?resize=2500,1667 2500w, https://content.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/20231223-chinatownhistorydigitize-01.jpg?resize=1536,1024 1536w, https://content.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/20231223-chinatownhistorydigitize-01.jpg?resize=2048,1365 2048w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 2500px) 100vw, 2500px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">A volunteer scans a document, dated 1941, from the Chinese Consolidated Benevolent Association.</figcaption></figure>



<p>Starr King Elementary offers a Mandarin-immersion program to 26 native speakers in each grade. Another 18 seats are reserved in each grade for non-native speakers, according to district data.</p>



<p>Jose Ortega Elementary School in Ingleside provides a similar immersion program to 13 native speakers and nine non-native speakers in every grade, with dozens more on waiting lists.&nbsp;</p>



<p>Aptos Middle School, also in the Ingleside area, offers a combined 66 seats for programs at each grade level that serve both native and non-native speakers.&nbsp;</p>



<p>Jose Ortega’s Mandarin programs <a href="https://sfstandard.com/2025/03/26/sf-public-schools-ranking-admissions/">rank among the top five</a> most competitive of SFUSD’s 108 kindergarten programs, according to an analysis by The Standard.</p>



<p>The district also runs one Cantonese immersion school, which teaches the Chinese language that is preferred by <a href="https://sfstandard.com/2022/01/06/sfs-chinese-community-struggles-to-save-cantonese-as-mandarin-takes-over/">many immigrants in San Francisco</a> but not spoken as widely as Mandarin.</p>



<p>Those who support Dragon Gate Academy see it as a way to fill the gaps and ensure more kids have access to Mandarin education.</p>



<p>“Too many students have been denied access to Mandarin immersion education because SFUSD has not prioritized its expansion,” Susan Fong Wong, a member of the Dragon Gate coalition, said in a statement. “This new school will offer that exceptional education many seek.”</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-a-political-minefield">A political minefield</h2>



<p>The debate around charter schools in California revolves largely around funding and employment. Charter schools receive public money but generally operate independently from the district. They typically employ nonunion teachers, a major issue in San Francisco, with its powerful teachers union. </p>



<p>Board President Phil Kim, a former charter school educator, and Superintendent Maria Su are working on a separate plan to open a district-run Mandarin immersion school by 2027 — what many see as a thinly veiled attempt to persuade Hollinger to abandon his plans for Dragon Gate Academy.</p>



<p>“SFUSD has an opportunity to expand its offerings for language immersion programs to attract and retain students and families, but also to provide robust instructional offerings that support our student outcome goals,” Kim said in a statement. “Our focus is on SFUSD. And we welcome anyone who wants to partner with us in service of kids and student outcomes.&#8221;</p>



<p>But with SFUSD facing a dire financial crisis that could force layoffs and school closures, it’s unclear when any new district-run immersion school would open.&nbsp;</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" height="1668" width="2500" src="https://content.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/8558191580_sfusdpresser_001.jpg?w=2500" alt="A person with short hair and glasses stands behind a podium with microphones, wearing a suit and a pink shirt, looking serious. An American flag is blurred in the background." class="wp-image-371817" srcset="https://content.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/8558191580_sfusdpresser_001.jpg 3000w, https://content.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/8558191580_sfusdpresser_001.jpg?resize=300,200 300w, https://content.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/8558191580_sfusdpresser_001.jpg?resize=768,512 768w, https://content.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/8558191580_sfusdpresser_001.jpg?resize=2500,1668 2500w, https://content.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/8558191580_sfusdpresser_001.jpg?resize=1536,1025 1536w, https://content.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/8558191580_sfusdpresser_001.jpg?resize=2048,1366 2048w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 2500px) 100vw, 2500px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">School board president Phil Kim is working on a competing plan to open a district-run Mandarin immersion school by 2027.</figcaption></figure>



<p>Josh Davidson, a representative of Service Employees International Union 1021 and a chef for SFUSD Student Nutrition Services, said his union is firmly against the expansion of charter schools.</p>



<p>“At a time when leaders at the SFUSD are starting again to raise the possibility of <a href="https://sfstandard.com/2024/10/08/school-closure-list-sfusd/">public school closures</a>, we are deeply concerned that these closures may pave the way for the privatization of public spaces through charter conversions,” Davidson said in a statement.</p>



<p>The United Educators of San Francisco has similarly come out against the new charter.&nbsp;</p>



<p>“It is understandable that families are demanding quality language programs from SFUSD,” the union said in a statement. “UESF is happy to work with families to expand the services our public schools offer. This also means the union will advocate to keep all the resources for our public schools.”</p>



<p>Margaret Lee, a retired educator and a member of UESF who supports the Dragon Gate proposal, disputes the idea that the charter school’s proponents are anti-union. She said she and others in the Dragon Gate coalition are committed to providing union-level protections for teachers at their school.</p>



<p>“For the employees who work for our Dragon Gate Academy, they will have the same rights and benefits,” Lee said.&nbsp;</p>



<p>Hollinger is resolute, despite the mounting opposition to his proposed school.&nbsp;</p>



<p>“We’re undaunted,” he said. “Parents and children in the district are saying this is something that we want.&#8221;</p>


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