Frank Lara

Frank Lara is a dedicated educator, union leader, and organizer, whose decades of work in California have been guided by his commitment to racial justice, immigrant rights, and working-class solidarity. Born to immigrant parents and raised in the working-class border town of Calexico, Frank understands firsthand the struggles facing immigrant communities.

As a bilingual educator with over ten years of classroom experience—most recently teaching in San Francisco’s Mission District—Frank has witnessed the realities of underfunded public schools. Since 2021, he has served as Executive Vice President of United Educators of San Francisco (UESF), fighting alongside fellow educators to improve learning conditions for students and working conditions for staff.  Under his leadership, UESF has transformed into one of California’s strongest and most militant unions. His leadership was critical during the San Francisco Unified School District’s payroll crisis, where he organized educators to demand fair pay after thousands were left unpaid due to system failures.

Frank’s activism extends beyond the classroom. A longtime organizer with the Party for Socialism and Liberation (PSL) and member of the Peace and Freedom Party, he has consistently advocated for immigrant students and families. His work earned him a spot on the California Federation of Teachers (CFT) Racial Justice Task Force in 2016, as well as CFT’s “Pride of the Union” Award in 2017. He now serves on the California Teachers Association (CTA) Financing Public Education Committee, shaping the union’s stance on school funding legislation.

Frank’s ability to bridge struggles—from labor rights to racial and economic justice—reflects his deep belief in working-class unity. At a time when schools face unprecedented crises, his decades of experience and unwavering commitment to collective liberation make him the leader California needs as State Superintendent of Public Instruction (SSPI) —fighting for the schools our students deserve.

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