SAN FRANCISCO (AP) - Connor Haught is currently facing the challenges of balancing virtual work meetings while engaging in arts and crafts with his two daughters. His family is navigating a teachers' strike in San Francisco that shows no signs of resolution, with nearly 50,000 students out of school. Haught's job in the construction industry enables him to work from home, but like many parents in the city, he and his wife are scrambling to create activities for their children as they deal with the ongoing uncertainty surrounding the strike.
“The big concern for parents is really the timeline of it all and trying to prepare for how long this could go on,” Haught expressed. The San Francisco Unified School District's 120 schools were closed for a third day on Wednesday as about 6,000 public schoolteachers had walked out of their classrooms, demanding higher wages, improved health benefits, and additional resources for students with special needs.
In response to the strike, some parents have turned to after-school programs that offer full-day services, while others rely on relatives and friends for childcare support. Haught and his wife, who works evenings at a restaurant, planned a stay-at-home strategy for their 8- and 9-year-old daughters during the first week of the strike, intending to organize playdates and outings. However, they are uncertain about their plans should the strike extend into a second week. They have been cautious about enrolling their children in camps, citing potential costs, and feel fortunate to have more flexibility in their schedules compared to others affected by the strike.
The United Educators of San Francisco and the school district have been in negotiations for nearly a year, with teachers advocating for fully funded family health care, salary increases, and the filling of vacant positions that affect special education and services. Teachers on the picket lines acknowledge the hardships imposed on students but believe that their actions are necessary for ensuring future stability in education. One teacher, Lily Perales from Mission High School, stated, “This is for the betterment of our students. We believe our students deserve to learn safely in schools and that means having fully staffed schools."
The negotiations saw some progress reported by Superintendent Maria Su on Tuesday, highlighting developments in areas such as support for homeless families and artificial intelligence (AI) training for teachers. However, critical issues regarding wage increases and family health benefits remain unresolved. The union initially requested a 9% salary increase over two years to offset living costs in San Francisco, one of the country's most expensive cities. In contrast, the district, facing a $100 million deficit and under state oversight due to long-standing financial issues, countered the proposal with a 6% wage increase spread over three years.
On Tuesday, Sonia Sanabria took her 5-year-old daughter and 11-year-old nephew to a church in the Mission District that provided free lunches for out-of-school children. As a cook at a restaurant, Sanabria stayed home to care for the kids during the strike period. She mentioned that if the strike persists, she may have to request a leave of absence from work, which would financially impact her: “If I don’t work, I don’t earn,” she explained. Although her elderly mother assists with drop-offs and pick-ups, leaving the children in her care all day is not viable for Sanabria. She has been improvising educational activities for the children while voicing her support for the striking teachers. “They are asking for better wages and better health insurance, and I think they deserve that because they teach our children,” she asserted, hoping for an agreement to be reached soon.
