Demands for fair contracts from San Francisco Unified School District (SFUSD) staff and teachers are on the rise, and so are walkouts.
The reasoning for this strike is as plain as day. This is shown as the teachers union President, Cassondra Curiel of Mission High School explained that teachers have been and have remained unhappy about pay with over 10 months of negotiations and unfulfilled promises. This rage is banding nurses, para-educators, librarians, and speech pathologists together until their members get the preferable contracts deserved as shown on The 19th News.
KQED states, the United Educators of San Francisco have proposed 14% raises for para-educators and 9% raises for classroom teachers in pay, as well as fully funded health care. These negotiations received an unfortunate response. This is because the SFUSD stated that these demands are impossible to be applied and accomplished due to a budget crisis, with an estimated $100 million deficit set for next year.
Despite the inability of these standards desired by teachers and staff, these people are determined to make these deals accomplished, if not, at least improve significantly. This took these people to form picket lines at the steps of Mission High School so their necessities are heard even more transparently.
Due to these picket lines, administrators have closed down schools in the SFUSD district on Monday, Jan. 9 2026, and Tuesday, Jan. 10, 2025. With conversation involving whether schools should be closed down for a third day.
Teachers are more than prepared to go back into their classrooms, but are unable to because of the administration’s choices. This is displayed on Sfgate, as instructional coach for SFUSD teachers, Annie Wen said, “We’re ready to go back to schools, and we are so ready to serve our students, our families, our communities, and we want just a fair wage right now”.
Overall, with demands for better wages included in these education jobs stationed in San Francisco, there is active resolution happening to bring this conflict to an end.
