On Monday, February 9, public schoolteachers in San Francisco went on strike, forcing the closure of all 120 schools within the San Francisco Unified School District (SFUSD) and impacting approximately 50,000 students.
The walkout follows nearly a year of contentious negotiations between the United Educators of San Francisco (UESF) and the school district. Teachers are demanding fully funded family healthcare, salary increases, and the filling of critical vacancies—particularly in special education. The union is also pushing for stronger protections and expanded support for homeless and immigrant students and their families.
Widespread Community Support
The strike has drawn significant community backing. Thousands gathered at the city’s Civic Center at 1 p.m. Monday for a centralized rally in solidarity with educators. Across the city, families and supporters joined teachers on picket lines at roughly 130 work sites.
Natalie Hrizi, vice president of substitutes for UESF and a teacher librarian, emphasized the urgency of the moment:
“The time is now … and no one sleeps until we get the agreement our students and our educators deserve.”
Kirsten Surber, a kindergarten teacher and site captain at Jefferson Elementary School, described the strong turnout:
“The energy is so high. We have so many students and parents here with us. We thought it was only going to be teachers, but no. That feels so great.”
At one school, a teacher told students there might be substitute teachers during the strike. A student responded, “If you’re not here, I’m not here.”
Political Leaders Weigh In
Jackie Fielder, a member of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors, addressed the rally in support of the educators:
“If you can win sanctuary schools, we can win the wages and benefits you deserve.”
According to reports from the bargaining table, the two sides have reached a tentative agreement on stronger sanctuary policies. However, they remain far apart on wages and health insurance. The district has yet to agree to policy changes sought by the union related to class size limits, special education staffing, and support systems for homeless students.
The Economic Divide
At the heart of the dispute are economic realities facing teachers in one of the most expensive cities in the country. Educators argue that without meaningful wage increases and healthcare protections, it is increasingly difficult to remain in San Francisco.
Kate Solimine, a parent who brought her children to the rally, connected the strike to broader inequalities in the city:
“I think everyone who opts out of public education is partly to blame for the problems in public education,” she said, referencing San Francisco’s high rate of private school enrollment. She questioned why the region’s ultra-wealthy invest in ventures like Mars exploration rather than focusing on strengthening public education.
Despite the stalemate, some observers see the strike as part of a broader wave of educator organizing across California.
Mr. Goldberg noted that teachers have watched colleagues in other districts secure significant gains through strike action. In Richmond, California, educators negotiated an 8 percent raise over two years following a nearly weeklong strike in December.
“Folks, frankly, are learning from each other,” Goldberg said in an interview. “It’s something we’ve never done, and it’s a very exciting model for how to really build power in a huge state like ours.”
As negotiations continue, the outcome of the San Francisco strike may signal how far educators across California—and beyond—are willing to go to secure improved wages, benefits, and protections for their students.