About
Reina's Story: Rooted in San Francisco
A story of struggle, resilience, and community.
Reina Tello grew up in San Francisco's Mission District as a student in SFUSD schools. Her family was proudly working class — and they modeled what community service looks like long before it had a name.
Her father had a fifth-grade education. Despite that, he became a powerful voice for SFUSD families, chairing the District Advisory Committee through the '80s and '90s at Daniel Webster Elementary, Everett Middle School, and Mission High School.
Her mother moved out of her home at age of 15, determined to find a better education. When she arrived in San Francisco as a monolingual Spanish speaker, despite those challenges still found her way to lead — chairing the Bilingual Advisory Committee at those same schools for over a decade.
Community advocacy was never a strategy in Reina's household. It was just what you did.
Learning to advocate — and translate
Growing up in a mixed-status, working-class household, Reina learned early that the systems around her — medical, judicial, educational — were not built for families like hers. She became an advocate out of necessity.
She often translated for her family. She navigated institutions that didn't speak their language or reflect their lives. She experienced food insecurity, displacement from gentrification, and the particular isolation of sitting in a classroom that felt foreign.
"Lack of connection and cultural relevancy made education feel disconnected and foreign." Without seeing herself in what she was being taught, she couldn't see a future through education either.
"Those closest to the problem are also closest to the solution. I have lived what working families in SFUSD navigate every day — and that is exactly why I am running."
— Reina Tello
A different kind of education
In 2002, Reina stepped away from college. She built a career at Safeway instead, gaining union membership and real-world experience across many sectors. As a single mother, she learned to stretch every dollar and find creative solutions under pressure.
Then in 2021, a friend asked for help with a college project. That small moment led to an invitation to take an Ethnic Studies class at City College of San Francisco. In 2022, Reina re-enrolled.
That class changed everything. For the first time, her education felt relevant. The lens was hers. "Once I felt culturally connected, I was hungry to learn," she says. "It's never too late to find your path."
For every family the system overlooked
Reina's lived experience has taught her that education only works when it truly serves every student. She has watched SFUSD from the inside: as a student, as a parent, as a community member, and now as someone reclaiming her own education.
She believes we cannot keep expecting different outcomes from the same approaches. "We must be bold to try what hasn't been attempted before."
Her dream: if SFUSD truly invests in its youth, San Francisco will have fewer people experiencing homelessness, fewer crises — and a stronger community for everyone. "An investment in our youth is also an investment in the society that will see my old age."