School’s In Session: Strike Lessons Learned
After a historic week-long teachers strike that made national news, school’s back in session here in SF.
The United Educators of San Francisco (UESF), representing teachers, para-educators, social workers and school support staff, has reached a tentative agreement with the SF Unified School District. The deal includes key wins for educators, including full healthcare coverage for teachers’ families, more support staffing for special education teachers, an extension of the successful stayover program for homeless students and families, and a 5% raise over two years for all teachers.
Although the incredible outpouring of support last week catapulted this struggle to a national spotlight, both teachers and parents have spent the better part of a year raising the alarm bells about the problem of the steady disinvestment in our schools.
These contract improvements may seem like no-brainers to those of us who know the wage disparities between educators and other public servants, like police. This inequity is compounded by the fact that many educators are still paying off student debt or choosing between paying medical bills or rent.
But the reality is that even with a year to take these inequities seriously, the District and the City were caught flat-footed. Fresh on the heels of a successful Super Bowl that saw celebrity parties bring new attention to San Francisco’s “on-the-rebound” narrative, we again made national news as 6,500 educators walked off of 111 school sites across SF, joined by principals, admin staff, and scores of parents and students. It was the first strike in almost 50 years, and it should not have come as a surprise, given that affordability issues that continue to top the list of every citywide voter satisfaction poll.
And yet, the Mayor and his allies came out swinging, admonishing teachers for not putting the needs of students before their own. (This coming from an administration where most top city officials have children in private schools with an average tuition of $50k a year…ahem.)
There was a certain disconnected tone deafness in the haranguing of teachers and supportive parents to be “fiscally responsible” – as though they were the ones accountable for the poor fiscal management of the District over the last several years.
In fact, the SFUSD has had no less than 4 Superintendents in the last ten years, with just as many Chief Financial Officers – as well as a botched (albeit completely foreseeable) payroll operation that left thousands of teachers and staff without earned income at the height of the pandemic. (Even when that system was replaced in 2022, 1 out of every 30 employees still had payroll issues.) And as PROPEL’s last two reports have highlighted, a pattern of underestimating revenue and predicating budget decisions on inaccurate deficit projections have driven critical budget cuts and constrained the ability to plan for the District’s long-term health.
So, in fact…the fiscal woes of the SFUSD are NOT the fault of teachers. And certainly not justification for downplaying valid calls for equitable pay and affordable healthcare— especially when the District’s own data shows that the money is there.
Ultimately, though, the Mayor’s and District’s misread of the public support for the schools backfired – and it was the incredible outpouring of support not just from public school parents and students but San Franciscans of every stripe that made national news.
It was an all-hands refusal to accept the status quo, knowing that we can and must do better for our kids and hard-working teachers. And although we celebrate a tentative deal with the SFUSD and UESF that prioritizes investment in educators, it’s just the beginning of the repair work that needs to happen to help create a thriving school district that will attract and retain students and teachers alike. Getting the District to even acknowledge the flawed budget numbers was a huge win in its own right. So maybe, with a newish Superintendent fresh out of strike negotiations, there is a path forward to have rational debate on how to spend down the reserves responsibly – and in the best interest of our schools.
In the coming weeks, the Board of Education will have to ratify the District’s deal with UESF – and make good on promises not to balance pay raises and healthcare costs with layoffs or other harmful cuts. The District will have to present a new proposal for balancing the budget and those conversations will continue at the Board of Education. Budget discussions are also beginning at the Board of Supervisors, where clear commitments around how the City and County can partner and invest in the school district’s future should be a priority.
And the public should know that the power they demonstrated in advocating for our schools can be carried into positive future advocacy – so stay engaged, because it’s not over!
Here are four things that PROPEL will be tracking in the coming weeks, with opportunities for you to engage and advocate:
A Deal’s a Deal. The tentative agreement between SFUSD and UESF was intended to invest resources into teachers and students now – without laying off staff. As budget deliberations continue, this should be a key point that the public holds the School District accountable to. Your first opportunity will be next Tuesday, February 24, 2026 at the Board of Education meeting where potential layoffs will be discussed – word is that the District will be proposing to lay off 500 employees! After all the congratulatory press statements declaring victory, we sincerely hope the District doesn’t undermine all that progress with yet another step backward.
Rightsize Reserves, Invest in Kids Today. Although the final vote on the budget will be in June, there are steps that the SFUSD and Board of Education can take right now to invest in students and set the schools up for success. Rightsizing the reserves and bringing them in alignment with state mandates, while investing a portion of SFUSD’s $400m+ reserves into our schools are two things that can be done now to ensure today’s dollars are spent on today’s kids -- while creating a foundation for attracting and retaining both students and teachers. We can spend the “declining enrollment dividend” to reverse the SFUSD doom loop!
PEEF. The Public Education & Enrichment Fund (PEEF) was reauthorized in 2014 with over 74% of the vote, and ensures dedicated funding for universal preschool and SLAM programs: sports, libraries, arts and music, all programs historically underinvested in across California schools. Any proposals to reallocate funding to other things should be thoroughly examined and understood in the context of PEEF’s history and the consequences for equitable school programming.
Charter “Reform”. The Mayor and Supervisor Mandelman have appointed a 31-member task force to streamline what they’ve labeled a “bloated” City Charter (ie, the city’s constitution) at the recommendation of urban redevelopment think tank SPUR – and that includes dedicated funding for the school district. The group is comprised of approximately two-thirds lobbyists, political PAC leaders and business interests, with only one representative claiming any connection to schools. While the Charter is a living document in the sense that its design allows for iterative changes to evolve over time, a wholesale gutting of key elements without transparency and community input should be closely monitored – and challenged, if necessary.
All of these things are conversations that will hopefully happen in the light of day at the Board of Education and Board of Supervisors – stay tuned to PROPEL for updates on how to advocate for accountable and effective government.