Dear Mayor Daniel Lurie, Members of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors, SFUSD Superintendent and Board of Education, UESF Leadership, and the Department of Children, Youth and Their Families (DCYF),
We are writing to share what we are hearing directly from San Francisco families as the possibility of an SFUSD teacher strike becomes increasingly real.
Families love and respect our educators and support fair pay and strong working conditions. At the same time, we are hearing increased concern about the real and immediate impacts a strike would have on students and working families, particularly if schools must close. Families are asking leaders at every level to act with urgency, coordination, and a shared focus on minimizing negative impacts to our city’s 49,000 public school students.
Through our parent survey with over 700 responses over the past few days, families told us:
61% of families said school closures would be very or extremely disruptive to their household. Only 12% said closures would cause little or no disruption.
Childcare is the biggest challenge families anticipate. If schools close, 23% of families would need to miss work, and only 4% said paid childcare is a realistic option.
Most families would be forced to rely on informal care arrangements or make difficult work and income tradeoffs.
A majority of parents are also concerned about learning disruption, particularly for students who are already behind or need additional academic support.
Families expressed heightened concern for students with disabilities, unhoused and foster youth, children of emergency workers, and students who rely on school sites for daily meals. Many families are asking whether clear and adequate plans are truly in place to support our most vulnerable students if schools close.
We want to be clear: Families hope an agreement can be reached without any disruption to our students. At the same time, families are seeking information around what supports will be available if an agreement is not reached.
We urge all parties to:
Continue negotiations with urgency and flexibility, keeping students at the center.
Coordinate across the District, the City, DCYF, and labor partners so families receive clear, consistent, and timely information.
Ensure concrete and publicly communicated plans are in place to support families and vulnerable students if a strike occurs.
Avoid placing the burden of uncertainty and disruption on families who have the least capacity to absorb it.
San Francisco families are paying close attention. They are looking to all of you for leadership that prioritizes student stability, respects educators, and balances the district’s long-term financial sustainability, while recognizing the very real constraints families are facing.
We remain hopeful that a resolution can still be reached and appreciate continued engagement with families as this situation unfolds.
Sincerely,
Meredith Dodson
on behalf of SF Parents and our broad network of families across 100+ SFUSD schools
CC: SF Parents Coalition and SF Parents Action Boards