Alison Collins

Alison M. Collins (born 1969/1970)^[1] is a former commissioner of the San Francisco Board of Education. She served on the board from January 7, 2019^[2] until her recall election of February 15, 2022, when she was ousted by 76% of the vote, the largest of all three commissioners recalled on that date.^[3][4] Along with two other commissioners, Collins became the first member of the school board to be recalled in the history of San Francisco,^[5] and the first recalled San Francisco official in over a century, since ouster of State Senator Edwin Grant in 1914.^[6][7]

During her tenure, Collins received national attention^[8][9][10] for changing the merit-based admission policy at Lowell High School — arguing that merit-based admission is racist — and accusations of engaging in racism herself for a series of tweets she wrote in 2016 targeting Asian Americans.^[11][12] The statements led to Collins being stripped of her title as vice president of the Board on March 25, 2021.^[13] In response she filed an $87-million lawsuit against the San Francisco Unified School District and San Francisco Board of Education on March 31, 2021, which was subsequently dismissed by a federal judge due to lack of merit.^[14]

Collins also attracted attention for her role in other controversial decisions made by the board,^[15] including the attempted destruction of the Life of Washington mural,^[16][17] the attempted renaming of 44 schools,^[18] and the refusal to hire a consultant to reopen the schools during the COVID-19 pandemic.^[19] These actions resulted in successful lawsuits by alumni groups, and a lawsuit by the city itself.^[20]