Newsletter – February 8, 2026

As San Francisco basks in the glow of national pre-Super Bowl attention, our city’s public school families are experiencing something very different.

All 120+ SF public schools will be closed to our 49,000 students tomorrow, and we don’t know when they will reopen.

There is, however, some reason for cautious optimism: we heard of positive movement in yesterday’s SFUSD–UESF contract negotiations, described further below. This feels like an important window to reach agreement, avert a prolonged strike, and keep kids in school.

We are monitoring negotiations closely, elevating parent concerns to city, district, and union leaders, and working to ensure families have what they need as schools close tomorrow due to the UESF strike. Below, we share the latest updates and context, as well as resources to help you and your family navigate.

Families are telling us they are confused when SFUSD’s and UESF’s reports of bargaining don’t always match each other. We’ve reviewed both updates and pulled together a summary below, including additional sources of information and local and state context.

First, here’s the latest bargaining updates from both sides: SFUSD’s and UESF’s. And here’s our breakdown and additional context and sources:

Negotiations update: After a full day of negotiations yesterday and the most progress they’ve seen in months, we’re seeing big steps in the right direction even if they haven’t reached the full agreement. However, we are concerned to hear that they are not yet confirmed to meet again today, despite SFUSD’s invitation to the UESF bargaining team. Especially with UESF now beginning to strike tomorrow, we encourage both parties to stay at the table so a deal can be reached as soon as possible. Progress made yesterday included:

• SFUSD agreed to the neutral third-party recommendations of a 6% raise over two years (3% per year), as well as dependent health benefits allowance up to $24,000/year, even though dispute remains over how to pay for the raises and benefits
• A tentative agreement was reached on sanctuary protections
• Both sides agree to keep the current Special Education caseload model in place while piloting a limited, time-bound approach to better understand SPED workload and support needs
• Continued areas of disagreement: Longer-term districtwide Special Education changes; Details on health and dependent benefits; How to pay for salary increases; Other working conditions

We look to the Board of Education to offer guidance to SFUSD and UESF on how they expect the district to pay for the raises and benefits. Should the district apply reserves for ongoing expenses that might put SFUSD back in negative certification? Should previous contract agreement benefits like sabbaticals be revised based on the current financial status of SFUSD? Should programs and services to our students be cut?

SF Chronicle published an analysis of the neutral third-party fact-finding report. They note that the report outlined a clear path forward, and argue that a strike would distract from bigger long-term budget and enrollment problems which both SFUSD and UESF need to work on together collaboratively to solve.

As reported in Politico, the CA Teachers Association (statewide union) is currently coordinating strikes across local districts (including San Francisco) to push for more school funding statewide with an upcoming state ballot measure. The strategy increases their statewide strength, but leans on local school disruptions to gain statewide leverage. It could be especially problematic for districts like SFUSD that are facing financial strain and are under negative certification with the state.

SFUSD parent and data visualization superstar, Tara Tan, compiled this visual summary of the Fact-Finding report to break it down easier for families. She also created an explainer of the $400M SFUSD fund balance that has been the subject of a lot of community questions and concerns.

GrowSF shared an analysis of the fact finder’s report, highlighting how SFUSD’s financial constraints are real. The analysis highlights how typically there is a 10-day “cooling-off period” for negotiations following the neutral report and recommendations, which UESF did not follow by immediately announcing a strike.

SF Parents published an op-ed in the SF Chronicle describing what we’re hearing from parents—incredible support for our teachers and their demands for better pay and working conditions, while simultaneously worrying that a strike would harm students—especially after pandemic disruptions—and should be avoided. 

With 60%+ of you telling us that the strike is very or extremely disruptive for your students and your family, we know you are navigating a lot and looking for clear, practical information–everything from food supports to learning resources to child care options that provide a safe space for your kids during the workday. Here are a few places to start:

Compiled Resources List. We compiled this shared list of resources from PTAs, community-based organizations, and school communities across the city and will continue to update this list. Access the resource list here – we will update it often. Are we missing something? Email hello@sfparents.org and we’ll add to the list.

Instructional Resources from SFUSD. We are concerned by remarks we’re seeing across some school communications platforms that discourage families from utilizing district resources to support student learning during school closures. Families should access these learning supports for your students during this time if they are helpful for your child. Accessing learning resources for your child will not prolong the strike, will not impact the length of the school year, and you should not feel you are doing something wrong by supporting your child’s learning needs during this time. Adults need to be getting to an agreement. Children’s need for learning cannot wait.

Check in with your PTO/PTA or School Site Council (SSC). They often have the most up-to-date, school-specific information and may already be coordinating with afterschool providers or community partners.

Reach out to local nonprofit providers. Neighborhood centers, the YMCA, and Boys & Girls Clubs are developing off-site care and programming options. Capacity may be limited, and providers may need to prioritize more vulnerable students first as they ensure safe staffing and space.

Lean on your school community. Families are connecting with one another to share caregiving plans, rotate supervision, and problem-solve together where possible. This reminds us of our early days when we highlighted the amazing parents at Rooftop Elementary during 2020 for designing a solution to Equitable Learning Pods. Families are creative and supportive to one another especially during times of crisis.

Food and city resources. DCYF is releasing information on meal and lunch distribution sites, which we are sharing as it becomes available. Our415 is also a helpful hub for childcare, food access, and family supports across San Francisco.

DCYF food distribution resources | Our415 resources

We will continue monitoring the situation closely and will share updates as new information becomes available.

Parents love and support our teachers and respect their call for better wages and working conditions. At the same time, families believe students should be in school and learning. Both can be true. We urge SFUSD and UESF to remain at the table and reach an agreement as quickly as possible so this disruption to our students’ learning can end.

We know this is a challenging time for our entire public school community, with the heaviest burden falling on our most vulnerable students and families. We will keep lifting up your concerns, questions, and ideas — and pushing for the support and solutions families need right now.