The district said the discovery of the uncredentialed teachers was "a symptom of the ongoing challenges" related to the payroll system EMPowerSF implemented in 2022. The system has been riddled with problems since then, with many teachers and district employees reporting receiving inaccurate paychecks or nothing at all.
SFUSD is moving to a new system to replace EMPowerSF and reviewed over 7,000 credentials issued by the California Commission on Teacher Credentialing. The district began sending letters earlier this month to teachers who may not have an active credential on file with the commission.
Superintendent Matt Wayne said in a statement. "We are doing everything possible to support our employees in securing some type of credential or permit for an employee to remain in their assignment."
The district said it has a "robust pool of substitutes" on hand to cover classes that may be impacted by the problem.
The issue is not a new one for SFUSD and was the topic of a report last year by a civil grand jury -- a panel convened in each county around the state annually to investigate and report on local government operations.
The June 2023 report titled "Not Making the Grade: San Francisco's Shortage of Credentialed Teachers" said that recruitment and retention of credentialed teachers may be harmed by starting salaries.
The civil grand jury found these were lower than most in the Bay Area, as well as the payroll system problems that led to a "sleep-in" by educators at district offices.
