San Francisco Unified School District Superintendent Maria Su has been summoned to testify June 10 before a Republican-led House committee to answer questions about the transgender and ethnic studies curricula — putting her at the center of a national culture-war campaign targeting public schools.

Su, in a note to families Thursday, framed her appearance before the House Committee on Education and the Workforce as a chance to highlight academic progress, rather than relitigate curriculum battles. The committee may have other ideas.

“I will continue to stay focused on that work in partnership with parents, teachers, and district staff,” Su said, “and look forward to discussing the important progress we’ve made in improving student outcomes.”

The committee’s chair, Rep. Tim Walberg (R-Mich.), wrote to Su in April, saying she would be questioned about whether federal civil rights laws are being upheld and “whether any legislative reforms are necessary,” the San Francisco Chronicle reported (opens in new tab). The hearing is titled “Breaking Trust: Attacks on Parental Rights, Inappropriate Content, and Legal Abuses in America’s Schools.”

Audra McGeorge, a committee spokesperson, told The Standard specific targets include an SFUSD policy that allegedly bars parents from opting out of transgender lessons on religious (opens in new tab)grounds, promotion of youth “gender medicine” clinics (opens in new tab), and professional development documents (opens in new tab) that label perfectionism and individualism as characteristics of “white supremacy culture.”

It’s the kind of scrutiny that may have been on Su’s mind in October, when she was asked about the district’s ethnic studies course at a community event and quipped, “Maybe I should take a drink.”

Su is expected to appear alongside the heads of the public school districts of Chicago and Virginia’s Loudoun County. Chicago Superintendent Macquline King initially declined the committee’s invitation, citing scheduling conflicts and the ongoing federal investigation (opens in new tab) into her district’s transgender bathroom policies, before being subpoenaed (opens in new tab). Su accepted her invitation voluntarily.

The SFUSD has drawn national attention in recent years for its “grading for equity” proposal, as well as efforts to rename schools and now-abandoned policies aimed at eliminating algebra in middle school and ending merit-based admissions at Lowell High School. The district’s ethnic studies program and policies supporting LGBTQ+ students remain in place — which could unleash questioning by Republicans on the committee.

The hearing is part of a broader federal campaign. The Trump administration has moved aggressively to root out what it describes as ideological capture in public schools (opens in new tab) — threatening to withhold Title I funding from districts with DEI programs, directing the Education Department to investigate transgender policies under Title IX, and signing executive orders targeting gender identity instruction.

Loudoun County’s federal funding was suspended this year due to controversies over gendered bathroom access (opens in new tab). The district is back in the spotlight this week after a transgender student allegedly filmed other students in bathrooms (opens in new tab). The SFUSD, when asked for comment, referred to the message Su sent to parents.