We wrapped up October with some Halloween activities at our schools, where I got to join several events across the district to see creativity displayed by our students and staff with their costumes. It has not been an easy time in education, so it’s important to take advantage of these moments of joy in our school communities.

Whereas October ended with some fun, the start of November reinforced the urgency with which we need to address our EMPowerSF issues. I have been focusing on our payroll issues from my first day as superintendent and taken measures to try to resolve them. However, it has become clear our efforts have to this point fallen woefully short, in spite of the tireless work of our dedicated district staff. That’s why, this week, I declared a state of emergency to implement extraordinary corrective actions and bring meaningful resources to fix EMPowerSF. You have my assurance, and the assurance of SFUSD, that these problems are my number one priority and will be rectified.

While our payroll challenges can feel overwhelming, I do want to lift up the many bright spots in our schools. We recently had a ribbon cutting ceremony at Marina Middle School for their new cafeteria. While there, I had a chance to speak to students about the new space and menu. They were excited that students had helped design the cafeteria and said the food is so much better. Of course, their favorite item was still pizza! Please keep reading the SFUSD Insider to learn more about this and other highlights of what is happening in our district.

November is also the time of year when we give thanks, so I want to end by letting you know how much you are appreciated for all you do for our students and families. I hope that you are able to find some time for well-deserved rest during fall break.

Benefits, Leaves, and Payroll Call Center: 415-463-1550

Please note the following about the Call Center:

• Hours: 9 a.m. - 5 p.m. Monday - Friday, excluding holidays

• Focus: Intake to understand your issue or issues and ensure we have a ticket that reflects the information needed to direct your issue to an appropriate person who can support a resolution. Your issue will likely not be resolved on the call, especially as we ramp up, as it can take up to a week or more to fully resolve an issue, depending on the complexity. 

• Note: Our Call Center does not currently have a voicemail system for messages. It will be too challenging to have to keep track of new messages. We will be monitoring how many calls we receive to determine if we need to add capacity or adjust the process. 

Timesheet Office Hours for Supervisors and Office Clerks

To support the accurate and timely approval of timesheets, which often impact pay, we have re-launched office hours for managers, supervisors, and clerks. Dates and times are located on the EMPowerSF website. 

Known Issues & Issues Under Review

We continue to update the Known Issues and Resolution page on the EMPowerSF website with updates related to known issues that the team is researching and working to resolve. Please review the updates provided last week related to 403bs, benefits, deferred net pay (DNP), and STRS service credits. We update this page every Wednesday with known issues, resolutions, and progress updates.