SF Board of Education President Lainie Motamedi abruptly resigned from the board Friday morning, citing "health and personal circumstances," and Mayor London Breed is already swearing in her replacement.

Motamedi's unexpected move comes just two years after she joined the board, first by mayoral appointment following a divisive recall of three board members in 2022, and then by election later that year. In a statement to the Chronicle Friday she said, "With a heavy heart I’m stepping down due to health and personal circumstances. Giving less than my full self is just not an option."

As the Chronicle notes, Motamedi has presided over a fairly chaotic period on the board which has recently calmed down, but it is sure to spin wildly back toward chaos in the coming months after an expected announcement about budget-driven school closure plans.

"My greatest immediate intention was ensuring that the distractions of behaving badly would be diminished and eliminated and it’s been quite a journey, but while we’re having tough conversations now, they’re the right conversations to have to ensure our students' success," Motamedi's statement continued.

Breed issued a statement saying, "I am grateful for Lainie Motamedi’s service to the City of San Francisco and our familie. She stepped into office with a clear vision about what needed to be done to improve our schools, support our educators, and make sure our kids came first in all of our decision-making."

In her place on the board, Breed is appointing Phil Kim, a two-time candidate for the board who, at age 34, subsequently became a school district administrator. He has actually been a key figure in the planning of school closures, and has served the SFUSD recently as executive director of school strategy and coherence.

"The District has numerous challenges ahead of it and we need a strong, experienced voice who understands the issues the District is facing and is ready to go on Day one," Breed said in her statemen about the appointment. :Phil Kim has extensive experience in education, and importantly he has been working in the District on the very issues that we know are most challenging."

As a condition of being on the board, Kim will have to resign his position with the district, which he said he was doing effective today. Breed was expected to swear him in Friday at 12:30 pm.

It's not immediately clear who would assume Motamedi's duties as president of the board, but those may automatically fall to board Vice President Matt Alexander. Alexander also issued a statement to the Chronicle saying of Motamedi, "I will miss her collaborative leadership and steadfast commitment to student outcomes. I’m committed to building on the foundation she’s laid as we work to create the schools our students deserve.”

Motamedi was one of two parents of children in the school district whom Breed appointed to the board following the 2022 recall and who still remained as of this week. The other is Lisa Weissman-Ward. Breed's third appointee, Ann Hsu, failed in her election bid in November 2022.

Kim described himself as a gay man, and a child of small business-owner immigrant parents in the Midwest. He first ran for the school board in 2016.

Motamedi said of her replacement, "His commitment to kids and public education is enabling me to step down with a clear mind and lighter heart."

The district's first announcement about schools it intends to close or consolidate in the 2025-26 school year is expected in the middle of September.

Previously: SFUSD To Announce Which Schools They’re Closing In About Six Weeks