SFUSD names John L. Davis Jr. as deputy superintendent of educational services

San Francisco Unified School District has handed one of its most consequential jobs to John L. Davis Jr., a veteran urban-school leader now charged with helping stabilize classrooms, academic services and districtwide reforms at a time when families are still waiting for clearer signs of recovery.

The San Francisco Board of Education unanimously approved Davis on May 12, and SFUSD announced the hire on May 15. Davis is scheduled to start July 1 as deputy superintendent of educational services, a post that sits near the center of the district’s academic work and reaches into curriculum, instruction, student support and school improvement.

That matters because SFUSD is still trying to steady itself after years of turmoil over school closures, staffing churn and uneven academic progress. The district says it has lost more than 4,000 students since the 2012-13 school year, and that decline has hurt revenue because state funding is tied to attendance and enrollment. For a district serving about 49,000 students and managing a $1.2 billion budget, the challenge is not just filling vacancies in central office. It is proving that leadership changes can translate into better conditions in classrooms.

Davis arrives with more than 30 years of experience in large urban systems. SFUSD said he previously served as chief of schools in Baltimore City Public Schools and as interim chancellor and chief of schools in DC Public Schools, jobs that put him in the middle of day-to-day academic management in politically complicated districts. During his time in Washington, SFUSD said DC Public Schools led the nation in NAEP growth in 2013 and 2015, a credential the district is likely hoping will reassure parents who have heard promises of improvement before.

His hire also comes as SFUSD is still under financial strain even after making progress toward restoring local control in March 2026, when the district said it had improved its budget certification status. SFUSD has warned of another $102 million deficit for the 2025-26 fiscal year, including $51 million in unrestricted general funds, leaving little room for error as it tries to protect academic programs and stabilize staffing.

For Superintendent Maria Su, Davis gives the district another senior deputy as educational services remains a central piece of the central office structure. The real test, though, will not be the title. Families will judge the hire by whether SFUSD can show steadier instruction, stronger school leadership and measurable progress fast enough to matter in San Francisco classrooms.