Sherman Elementary School

1651 Union Street

School District

San Francisco Unified
Grade

K-5
Teacher/Student Ratio

1:12
Type

public

School Map for San Francisco Unified School District

GreatSchools Rating

The school rating calculation is based on four ratings: the Student Progress Rating or Academic Progress Rating, College Readiness Rating, Equity Rating, and Test Score Rating each designed to show different facets of school success. Learn more about GreatSchools Ratings

Reviews

Submitted by parent on February 16, 2025

As a parent of a 1st and 4th Grader I unequivocally recommend Sherman to potential students and families.The staff are incredibly empathetic and dedicated to our kids (from the Principal to Classroom Teachers, SPED, Specialists and Coaches). They have created a strong, close knit community that is further strengthened by both the PTA and Sharks (our after school program).Enrichment programs are plentiful and help round out the kids' learning beyond Math and English (we really do look at the totality of their education to foster their "whole selves")... not to mention informal (but equally fun and important) sports teams/programs run by parents/caregivers.As someone who has been part of the school's fabric for going on 5 years, I can't speak enough about its community and consider it/them seminal to our lives.
Submitted by parent on December 23, 2024

My son went to a private school for Kindergarten, but we decided it was not a great fit. I put him in Sherman. What a fantastic school! SO much better than that Private he was in. The teachers at this school went above and beyond in helping perfect his handwriting as he was ambidextrous, keeping him in a few lunch times to sort it out. He was good to go! He felt loved, had many friends, and the parent group was great. Participated in Sherman soccer for years. He especially loved the school's urban garden and Halloween festival. Teachers like Ms. Dobay are forever loved by us. Special shout out to Ms. Mar and Mrs. Leung, who I think have since retired) I really can not believe, like other parents, that I believed the lie that we needed to be in a private school. He later went to Marina Middle and learned to play instruments like the French horn in the band and slammed it on High School Private school admissions. Now, he attends a top university. It all started at Sherman. Hail Sherman Sharks!
Submitted by parent on December 18, 2024

Where do I begin? This school does not account for its destructive behaviors, lack of transparency, and lack of leadership. The school administrative staff is not responsive to parents' concerns. Do not report any accidents and incidents to parents. This school does not correct bullying, blames the victim, and does not reprimand the bully. My child suffered bullying and physical harm. This school is quick to cover up all incidents and paint its school as a school of cultural diversity and equality to all, which is a bunch of lies. When deciding to select a school, please do not consider Sherman. My child is still traumatized by what he experienced.
Submitted by parent on December 11, 2024

This school is a joke, especially the principal. If you contact her by email, you will not get a response unless you include the school's superintendents. The school instructs their students not to share any incident with their parents. When parents address safety issues with the staff and teachers, they claim it's out of their hands or say they will take care of and protect their child, which is a bunch of garbage. If you want your child to suffer physical, emotional, and mental stress, send them to this school. Do not let the district of Cow Hallow fool you. The principal preaches about diversity and equality but that's just a lie. Please do not send your child to this school. We are still dealing with the effect of harm my child endured.
Submitted by parent on May 28, 2024

Overall a great school that I think has benefitted from the smaller class sizes in the last couple years. I hope that as class sizes return to "normal" that the quality of education can be maintained.
Submitted by parent on October 03, 2023

Far too much focus on reading, writing and math and not enough on DEI struggle sessions and equity.
Submitted by parent on September 12, 2023

The community at Sherman Elementary is extremely inclusive. Parents and guardians are invited to talks with the Principal monthly in their school's garden. Plus, parent and guardians are encouraged to join the PTA meetings and volunteer for committees. Additionally have many fun events throughout the year such as the Pumpkin Fest that's open to the community, the Winter Bazaar that students are encourage to donate old toys and books for kids to 'shop' for the holidays. Academically our daughter has grown and hit milestones along the way. She even started taking Spanish after school that's available for all students. So far, we've been extremely impressed with Sherman Elementary and it's faculty, I would recommend (and often do recommend) Sherman to families looking for a great school.
Submitted by parent on September 11, 2023

Sherman provides its students and families with an experience that cannot beat. The teachers are warm, engaging, and wonderful at connecting one on one with students to help them learn as individuals. The principle is kind, participatory, honest, and a respected leader. And the parent and caregiver community at Sherman is unrivaled, with an active and thriving PTA and numerous fun and welcoming events to participate in, brining families and staff even closer and helping to create lifelong friendships. The school also boasts a beautiful garden that provides an alternative learning space and a fun place to play for the kids. Zero hesitations about Sherman Elementary, and very excited for my youngest to join my oldest next year as well!
Submitted by parent on September 06, 2023

I have two children at Sherman Elementary and we love this school. The Principal is dedicated and caring. The teachers and staff are wonderful. The PTA and community are incredible. I recommend this school all the time to friends looking SFUSD.
Submitted by parent on September 03, 2023

Sherman has an incredible community and truly dedicated teachers and staff. The principal is responsive, warm, and a champion for the school.
Submitted by parent on October 22, 2022

Sherman has a wonderful and strong community. I love how diverse the school is. My child is exposed to students from all different backgrounds. The teachers are friendly and care. My child is thriving and learning. The school garden is a special perk. The principal knows each student by name, is present, and easily available.
Submitted by parent on October 22, 2022

I'm the parent of a 2nd Grader and soon to be Kinder at Sherman and we love everything about the school.We love the staff who is incredibly considerate, love the teachers who are empathetic, love the community and specifically its the super engaged PTA and lastly love the friendship extended to our family.It's no secret that the pandemic changed quite a bit about public schools in SF but as a dad of a student who is super young (developmentally) for her grade (her birthday is just two days shy of the September 1st cutoff), we have benefited tremendously from the extra literacy resources at our disposal and have seen our daughter's reading level explode over the past 12 months to now be on par with other kids in her class.Those resources (which extend to Para, STEM, Art, etc.) make the difference for us and many other students as the staff/teachers and the PTA all work tirelessly together to ensure each child has the chance to excel.-Terry Seitz
Submitted by parent on October 12, 2022

My family has been part of the Sherman community for 3 years and we couldn't be happier. The principal is a wonderful champion for the school, many of the teachers have been with the school for a long time and the community is very welcoming. The PTA holds events throughout the school year and raises money to support enrichment programs. We are so lucky to have so much space, especially the garden, which provides learning opportunities and a space for social gathering.
Submitted by parent on November 22, 2021

I highly recommend Sherman Elementary School in SF. My daughter thrived at Sherman. Each teacher cared deeply about her and her education. She was treated respectfully and given so many opportunities to grow, both academically and socially. The after school program is outstanding (Sharks Until Dark), even maintaining a robust program throughout all of the pandemic year(s). My daughter wanted to stay as late as possible each day to have the opportunity to engage in the many activities (art, tumble time, origami, library, dance, etc). The principal is committed to the school's success, to her core. She really knew my child through her morning , twice weekly (during distance learning) Principal Zooms and upon return to school, through her efforts to be present in the children's' classroom and campus time. The community is strong and begins to feel like an extension of your family. The PTA supports a lower class size and extra programming that matters including reading/writing support and a math coach. I can't recommend Sherman enough.
Submitted by parent on January 08, 2020

We have been very happy with our time at Sherman. The teachers, principal and parents form a strong community. PTA is also very effective at raising the money needed to provide the school additional resources over and above those provided by the district. I've been impressed so far
Submitted by parent on December 25, 2019

We really like it and our kids have done well. Keeping up with the other students is hard if you don't spend a lot of time and money on outside tutoring. If the school would at least teach some skills based curriculum we wouldn't need so much tutoring.
Submitted by parent on October 02, 2019

Couldn't be happier - I would choose it over every other school in SF - public, private or parochial :-)
Submitted by parent on September 27, 2019

I have had 3 children at Sherman Elementary. They are all excellent students with high reading and math scores. The school has been inclusive for years now, which is teaching our children kindness and empathy. Most impressively, this is a strong parent and teacher community that is low on drama and high on work ethic and practical effectiveness. This is the crown jewel of the San Francisco USD.
Submitted by parent on September 22, 2019

Such a gem in SF- diverse, inclusive and academic- teaching to the whole child and meeting each one where they are.
Submitted by parent on May 02, 2019

We feel so lucky to be at Sherman. The teachers are extremely skilled and the PTA is very involved and hard-working,