All eyes will be on SFUSD Superintendent Maria Su and two other school figures from Chicago and Virginia who are set to speak before a GOP-led committee in DC this week on “inappropriate content” and “legal abuses” in public schools.

Maria Su, superintendent of the San Francisco Unified School District, is headed to testify Wednesday morning before the House Committee on Education and Workforce, in a hearing focused on “parental rights,” classroom content, and alleged legal abuses in K–12 schools. As the Chronicle reports, the session, set to begin at 7:15 am PDT, is chaired by Representative Tim Walberg (R-Michigan) and will also feature superintendents from Chicago and Loudoun County, Virginia.

Su is likely to face pointed questioning on issues including transgender student policies, locker room access, sexual health curriculum, pronoun use, and parent notification rules. The hearing reportedly comes as Republican lawmakers intensify scrutiny of school districts in Democratic-led cities, with a focus on policies they argue limit parental oversight.

In written remarks submitted ahead of the hearing, Su emphasizes SFUSD’s focus on academic outcomes alongside student well-being, saying schools must be safe and inclusive for learning to occur. According to the Chronicle, Su writes that the district serves all students regardless of background and works to create environments free from harassment, bullying, and discrimination.

Su’s statement also highlights San Francisco’s history of LGBTQ rights and diversity, noting the district’s efforts to incorporate that history into education. At the same time, she underscores core academic goals including third-grade literacy, eighth-grade math, and college and career readiness, and describes parents as essential partners with defined rights to information, participation, and opt-out provisions in areas such as reproductive health instruction.

Su adds that SFUSD has recently updated curriculum, improved operations, strengthened its financial position, and begun work on its enrollment system, while acknowledging ongoing challenges ahead.

The Chronicle reports that Su is being represented by the City Attorney’s Office, and either San Francisco, the county, or both will be required to cover the costs associated with travel and legal support for the hearing.

A recent Supreme Court decision, Mahmoud v. Taylor, reportedly added new precedent allowing parents to opt their children out of instruction that conflicts with their religious beliefs, in a case involving LGBTQ-themed books in an Alabama elementary school. Legal experts say the ruling leaves unclear how schools are expected to implement it, and critics argue it could give individual families broader influence over classroom content based on religious objections — an issue that is expected to surface during Wednesday’s hearing.

Su is the latest Bay Area K–12 leader to appear before the same committee, following Berkeley Unified Superintendent Enikia Ford Morthel’s testimony in May 2024 at a hearing focused on antisemitism in schools, as SFist reported previously. That session drew national attention, though Morthel faced relatively limited scrutiny compared to the New York City schools chancellor, who became the primary focus, per the Chronicle.

The format will reportedly give each superintendent a five-minute opening statement, followed by rounds of five-minute questioning from committee members, with no fixed end time. The Chronicle notes that experts and local officials expect aggressive questioning on politically charged education issues, and say the hearing may hinge on whether witnesses directly engage with lawmakers or attempt to avoid rhetorical traps.

SF Board of Supervisors President Rafael Mandelman said the hearing is likely to be performative at points, and that Su will need to balance defending district policies with avoiding exchanges that could escalate into viral or politically damaging moments.

Related: Berkeley Schools Superintendent Called to Testify Before Congressional Committee Over Antisemitism Claims

Image: SFUSD/Facebook

A local nonprofit rented an SFUSD high school for an ethnic studies conference for educators, featuring a workshop about “adultism” and power dynamics in the classroom, which has drawn predictable criticism, largely due to the mistaken belief that city funds paid for it.

For anyone who was once a child, it may seem obvious that adults hold far more power than children over their daily lives. Still, many adults find this concept to be too outlandish, and they’re up-in-arms over a recent workshop on the topic, which took place at SF’s John McConnell High School, as the Chronicle reports.

Teachers 4 Social Justice, the nonprofit that sponsored the workshop, titled “Youth as Knowledge Producers: Challenging Adults Supremacy Through Ethnic Studies,” said it was part of a larger conference called “Ethnic Studies Everywhere,” designed to help educators incorporate ethnic studies concepts across subject areas amid ongoing pushback locally and nationally.

The adult supremacy workshop focused on “adultism,” a framework that examines how authority and decision-making are concentrated among adults and how those dynamics shape classroom relationships and broader social systems.

The Chronicle reports that the workshop drew immediate criticism online, amplified by confusion over who organized and funded it. SFUSD officials confirmed the district did not pay for the conference and had no role in its content or promotion, noting that outside organizations are allowed to rent district facilities and host independent events. The San Francisco teachers' union promoted the training in a newsletter, though it remains unclear how many district or outside educators participated.

Ethnic studies continues to be a contentious issue in San Francisco and statewide. The SFUSD recently replaced its earlier homegrown curriculum with a new standardized version and now requires a yearlong ethnic studies course for graduation starting with the class of 2028. Per the Chronicle, the shift has intensified debate over what the subject should prioritize, with some advocating for a focus on culture and historical understanding, while others support a framework centered on social justice and activism.

Friends of Lowell Foundation, which sent slides of the adultism presentation to the salacious California Post, is legally challenging the district’s ethnic studies curriculum, calling it “illegal and unvetted.”

Similar disputes have occurred across California, per the Post, including Los Angeles Unified, Oakland Unified, and Santa Clara County Office of Education programs, where educators have also received training on adultism.

Additionally, Superintendent Maria Su is scheduled to travel to Washington next week, where she's been summoned by a congressional committee to testify on district policies tied to ongoing “culture war” debates playing out nationally, according to the Chronicle.

She is expected to face questions on transgender policies, LGBTQ instruction, sexual health education, and ethnic studies, areas that have increasingly become focal points in broader Republican-led challenges to race-based curriculum and diversity programming.

Previously: SFUSD Opts For Less Controversial Ethnic Studies Curriculum

Image: Google Maps

Educators at San Francisco Unified School District will each be receiving a $250 gift card from an anonymous local benefactor who wanted to convey how much they’re appreciated.

The anonymous donor, who lives in San Francisco and works in the tech industry, donated a total of $1.6 million to the almost 6,000 teachers, teachers’ aides, and other educators employed by the district, totaling about $250 each after administrative fees, as the Chronicle reports.

“My salary is more than the budget of many schools,” the donor said. “I think that says a lot about our society that we compensate (a tech worker) in orders of magnitude higher than the highest paid teacher.      

The donor first contacted the school district’s nonprofit foundation, Spark SF Public Schools, about the gift in November.

Educators reportedly received an email about the donations Thursday informing them to expect a message in the near future with a link to redeem their electronic gift cards with no strings attached.

The donor told the Chronicle the aim for the donation was to help counteract some of the negativity surrounding the education system in recent years.  

“Hopefully they will feel seen and appreciated,” they said. “That’s my goal here.”

Spark disperses around $16 million annually from a range of donors and helps pair philanthropic funding with the district’s various programs and wish lists addressing issues like absenteeism, literacy, and mental health. The donor told the Chronicle they appreciated how Spark gave them the ability to give directly to educators.

Spark President Ginny Fang said she hoped the donation will inspire other wealthy residents to donate.

“This is about inspiring and letting other people we believe are out there the ability to give,” she said. “There’s so much wealth in our city.”

Some specific needs that Fang listed, per the Chronicle, include marketing campaign help and assistance with AI regulation and policy. Funding for enrichment programs and other extracurricular activities is also needed on an ongoing basis.

Image: Spark SF Public Schools/Facebook

Kids missed a few days of instruction in last month's SFUSD teachers’ strike, but they’re going to make it up, because the school district submitted plans to extend the school year to June 10 instead of June 3.

The SF Unified School District [SFUSD] schoolkids weren’t particularly mad when last month’s SFUSD teachers’ strike ended after four days. Because the kids still got three more days off afterward. But they're still going to have to make up those days, and make them up they will.

Mission Local reports that the district and the teachers’ union are submitting a plan to add five more days to the current school year to offset the strike.The last day of school would no longer be on June 3, it would now be on June 10.

Mission Local also adds that “high school finals week and graduation would be unaffected.” It’s not clear how that would work. But maybe they’re just going to say heck with it, and let the seniors enjoy their senior-itis.

But the five days added on are crucial for paraprofessionals (teachers’ assistants) and technical staff. Those staff are paid by the hour, so they did not get paid during the strike, whereas the salaried teachers did. This allows the technical staffers to regain that week of lost pay.

The proposal has not yet been adopted, and the SFUSD school board will consider the proposal on March 24.

Related: Striking SF Teachers Rally In Dolores Park as Tensions Mount Over Deal [SFist]

Image: Everett Middle School via Yelp

• A 33-year-old woman was fatally shot and four others wounded early Saturday morning, including one critically, inside EZ’s Lounge in Oakland near City Hall. The shooting occurred during an argument at the bar, which had dozens of patrons at the time, and police don’t believe the victims were intended targets. [Bay Area News Group]
• The weather will be warm and sunny for SF’s Chinese New Year parade Saturday, which includes a 289-foot dragon performance, over a dozen floats, a drone show, and some surprises. Olympic skier and gold medalist Eileen Gu, who was born and raised in SF and received death threats for representing China at the 2022 and 2026 Olympics, is grand marshal. [NBC Bay Area]

• A bicyclist was taken to the hospital with life-threatening injuries after she was struck by a driver in SF’s Inner Sunset Friday afternoon on Irving Street between 7th and 8th avenues. [KRON4]
• The current academic year for SF schools will likely be extended by five days due to the four-day teachers’ strike in February, which will be discussed at the March 24 school board meeting. [Mission Local]
• Teachers in the East Bay city of Dublin are set to go on strike Monday if their demands for a 3.5% pay increase and smaller class sizes aren’t met, and the district says it plans to stay open during the potential strike. [KGO]
• Only one in 10 US residents are in favor of daylight saving time, which begins at 2 am Sunday, and half oppose it altogether. [Associated Press]

Image: Leanne Maxwell/SFist

A math teacher who’s been at SF’s top public high school for 20 years went on leave after giving students quizzes that demeaned girls and “fat kids.” Some parents are also unhappy that he posted "Grades vs. Dignity" videos on YouTube of students dancing in exchange for extra credit.

As the Chronicle reports, Tom Chan, a math teacher at San Francisco’s top-rated Lowell High School, went on indefinite leave Monday after it was discovered he was giving students quizzes with questions about “dating girls” based on their “sexy points” as well as their weight and punting a “fat kid” into the air.

According to some former students on Reddit and a parent who spoke to the Chronicle, Chan’s been assigning these types of quizzes to students since he first started teaching at Lowell more than 20 years ago.

Lowell Principal Jan Bautista sent out a message to families Monday evening announcing Chan “needed to go on leave,” and his return date was uncertain. The Chronicle reports that district officials wouldn’t confirm whether Chan went on leave of his own accord or by force.

Parents spoke to the Chronicle anonymously due to fear of retaliation from the school. One parent, who said the quizzes promoted fat-shaming and perpetuated stereotypes that girls aren’t good at math, expressed shock that they weren't brought to Lowell administrators' attention sooner.

“It’s pretty shocking,” they said. “The fact that nobody has brought this up to the school and he’s been there a really long time.”

The parent also conveyed discomfort over YouTube videos Chan posted, titled,  “Grades vs. Dignity,” in which students earned extra credit by performing a dance routine in front of other students, which came across as a bit exploitative in such a high-pressure environment as Lowell.

“They’re buying grades from him by humiliating themselves,” the parent told the Chronicle. “The kids look like they’re laughing and stuff, but I’m not sure all of them are into it.”

The parent said their kid liked Chan well enough and the students brushed his humor off as being “bad dad jokes,” which the students interpreted as Chan’s way of making math more fun (to everyone but girls and “fat kids,” apparently).

“We take these concerns seriously and are actively investigating,” said district spokesperson Laura Dudnick, per the Chronicle. “While we cannot share details because this is a personnel matter, we can share that once an issue is brought to our attention, we investigate every report and take appropriate corrective action if required.”

Dudnick said students and families can report any issues or concerns through the school district’s anonymous reporting system, but the parent who spoke to the Chronicle was skeptical their voices will be heard by administrators, and said that the kids in Chan's classes are owed an apology.

Image: Blackjack48/Wikimedia

• On the heels of the historic teachers’ strike, the San Francisco Unified School District is expected to issue preliminary layoff notices for 42 educators and other staff, a decrease from 298 last year. [Chronicle]
• A family-owned educational toy company in Illinois named Learning Resources was the lead plaintiff in the court case that took down Trump’s tariffs in the Supreme Court Friday, which he called “unpatriotic.” [CBC]
• A new proposed state Senate bill would require insurance companies to guarantee coverage for homes that meet wildfire safety standards, and if they don’t comply, they’ll be removed from the state’s home and auto market for five years. [Southern California News Group]
• A celebration of life for Betty Reid Soskin, the oldest National Park Service ranger who died in December at 104, is scheduled to take place March 1 at Oakland’s Kaiser Center for the Arts. [Oaklandside]

Image: Leanne Maxwell/SFist

Negotiations went later than they have typically been going on Wednesday night as a deal between the SF Unified School District and the teachers' union remains elusive. And now kids may not be returning to the classroom until next Wednesday, with a long weekend ahead.

Around 50,000 schoolkids remain at home or in daycare Thursday for the fourth day in a row, as this historic San Francisco teachers' strike drags on. And with classes unlikely to resume Friday, it's looking likely that kids will be out of school until next Wednesday at the earliest, with President's Day on Monday, and Lunar New Year on Tuesday.

SF Mayor Daniel Lurie joined the negotiators for the first time Tuesday evening, as Mission Local reports, and left after two hours — posting this update to Instagram.

Also in attendance at the talks on Tuesday and possibly Wednesday as well was State Superintendent of Public Education Tony Thurmond, who is currently running for governor. Thurmond had offered his support to the negotiators earlier in the week — and the state still has the power to veto any potential deal that is reached, if it is fiscally untenable.

Unlike on Tuesday night, when union negotiators reportedly went home at 10 pm  just as the district said it was preparing its latest offer, the negotiations went later Wednesday night. NBC Bay Area reports that the bargaining lasted into the wee hours of Thursday, but still no deal has been reached.

As the Chronicle notes, both sides were offering conflicting versions of what happened, with the union apparently leaving the bargaining table at 1 am, and the district offering their latest proposal at 1:33 am. A district spokesperson issued a statement Thursday morning saying, "As of 8:00 am today, we are awaiting [the union’s] counter offer. The SFUSD bargaining team, comprised of veteran and expert professionals, are ready to meet with the union’s bargaining team to continue negotiations."

We do not know what the latest offer entails. Last we heard on Tuesday, the two sides remained two percentage points apart on a raise for full-time teachers — 6% over two years versus 8% over two years. Another stick point had to do with family healthcare, which the union wants to see fully funded.

The union, the United Educators of San Francisco, posted an update to Instagram Wednesday night saying, "We need to keep [up] our struggle; we need to go one day, one day longer, until we have the agreement for schools that our students deserve and that we know is possible. And that right now, the only things standing in the way are the district management and board of education that will not step up right and do what's right by our families."

Teachers were back on picket lines outside of schools at 8 am on Thursday, and also rallying outside Mission High School, and a rally is happening at Embarcadero Plaza at noon.

NBC Bay Area notes that the SFUSD is losing around $10 million per day in state funding for each day that schools are not operating.

Previously: District Blames SF Teachers' Union For Leaving the Bargaining Table Early Tuesday Night

Top image via UESF/Instagram

There is plenty of finger-pointing going on with the SF teachers' strike, but what seems clear is that the union may be sensing their upper hand at this point, and a resolution before Thursday seems unlikely.

San Francisco teachers are on strike for a third day today, and the union was organizing a big photo op with a human banner at Ocean Beach saying "STRIKE FOR OUR STUDENTS" — which apparently happened despite the rain. A 5 pm rally  is also planned outside the War Memorial Building on Van Ness, where negotiations have been ongoing.

But negotiations were stopped short Tuesday night, representatives for the SF Unified School District say, because union negotiators abruptly left the bargaining table before the district could present its latest offer. The Chronicle reports that the district says it was giving updates every 30 minutes to the union reps, but when they returned to the table late Tuesday night, they were told the union negotiators had all gone home.

Union leaders reportedly dismissed the negotiators at 10 pm, telling the district they would return at 11 am.

SFUSD Superintendent Maria Su was pointing the finger at the union for not waiting longer Tuesday night to receive what she says is a "strong" offer.

"We have been ready to negotiate this entire time," Su said in a statement to the Chronicle. "We are prepared and committed to getting this agreement done today. We all must act with urgency to get this done. We have a strong offer. Our proposal is more than about making SFUSD an attractive place to work. It’s about ensuring educators can afford to live and raise their families in this city."

The union did not comment on Tuesday's negotiations.

The district maintains that they have remain fiscally responsible in whatever offer they put on the table — and the threat of state intervention looms, including a state veto of any tentative agreement, if it seems financially untenable.

Parents of SF schoolkids are staring down a possible fourth day of childcare arrangements on Thursday if no agreement is reached Wednesday.

One parent, Meredith Osborn, expressed frustration to the Chronicle saying she supports the teachers but, "I really wish there was more focus on getting movement in the negotiations than crafting the perfect photo op for the press."

The union issued an update Tuesday saying, "Our city and members are united, and we know SFUSD has the money to prioritize a fair contract. The district continues to show a lack of urgency to reach an agreement that centers on our students and their needs."

The mayor, meanwhile, says he just wants this thing to end. In a statement to the Chronicle, Mayor Daniel Lurie says, "We’ve been supporting both parties over the last few days. I don’t want to get into the blame game. That’s not my role."

We'll update you if it is confirmed that the strike will go on into a fourth day.

Previously: SF Teachers’ Strike to Bring Human Banner to Ocean Beach Wednesday

Photo via UESF/Facebook

San Francisco public school educators made national headlines Tuesday as they announced plans to bring a human banner to Ocean Beach the following day, with talks between union and district representatives slowly progressing and other unions across the state considering similar action.

As SFist noted earlier, classes in the San Francisco Unified School District were cancelled for Wednesday as contract negotiations continued into Tuesday evening. SFist took part in Tuesday’s march, which began at Dolores Park and ended at City Hall by way of SFUSD’s headquarters on Franklin Street. Organizers estimated that 20,000 people were in attendance.

The United Educators of San Francisco announced on social media Tuesday that part of Wednesday’s strike would include a human banner facilitated by artists David Solnit and Andres Amador at Ocean Beach (1070 Great Highway), spelling out “Strike For Our Students.” Participants are asked to wear red and white.

Per UESF’s social media, union members were told to first picket in the morning at individual school sites. The latest info on the strike, including Wednesday’s banner, can be found on the union’s website.

Meanwhile, national outlets are covering the historic strike, including Politico, the New York Times, and the Associated Press. Both the New York Times and Politico have noted that numerous teachers' unions throughout the state are potentially moving toward strikes.

As EdSource reported last year, the California Teachers Association launched a platform supporting 32 California districts through its “We Can’t Wait” campaign to help local teachers’ unions negotiate their contracts and build momentum statewide with mass strikes. Per EdSource, Ken Jacobs, a senior policy adviser at the UC Berkeley Labor Center, likened the campaign to the “Unite Here” labor union, which successfully negotiated new contracts for SF hotel workers at Hilton, Hyatt, and Marriott after 93 days of striking in 2024.

As Politico reports, San Diego has a one-day strike on the books for February 26, and Los Angeles teachers may strike after a recent walkout in January.

As SFGate reports, 95% of teachers at Dublin Unified School District, which reached an impasse in November, voted to authorize a strike last week if an agreement isn’t reached on a final contract. As the blog Abridged reports, teachers in Sacramento said they were prepared to strike last month, with the Twin Rivers Unified School District voting for a strike by 98% on February 2, per the Sacramento Bee.

As EdSource reported in January, many more school districts in the state have stalled negotiations, including Berkeley and Oakland.

“It’s unacceptable that in the ‘Golden State,’ with its vast wealth and resources, our communities struggle with fully staffing our neighborhood schools,” said David Goldberg, President of the California Teachers Association. “This is why educators are coordinating to take a stand statewide. Together with parents, students and our communities, we demand that districts prioritize resources for our students and ensure California leads the country in providing a quality public education for every student.”

Image: Leanne Maxwell/SFist

Previously: Striking SF Teachers Rally In Dolores Park as Tensions Mount Over Deal

Frustrated parents of SF schoolkids are speaking out in the media, and union reps are keeping up a brave face as a potential third day of the San Francisco teachers' strike looms.

School district officials and union negotiators may be getting closer to a deal, but nothing has yet been announced after a bargaining session went until around 11 pm Monday night. San Francisco teachers were set to rally in Dolores Park at noon and then march to Civic Center at 1:30 pm (possibly in the rain), as negotiations continue.

The two sides are still two percentage points apart on the issue of a pay raise for teachers spread over two years, as the Chronicle reports. The union has come down from 9% to 8% over two years, while the district's last proposal was for 6% over two years. Coming out of Monday, teachers' aides will get a 10% raise over two years, with the district reportedly agreeing to this, and aides will get an extra hour added to their workdays.

The union continues to press for fully funded family healthcare plans for teachers, which they say is necessary to keep good teachers from fleeing to better-paying districts nearby.

The district's last proposal reportedly offered a $24,000 flexible spending account to cover health costs for teachers and one dependent each.

Another issue has been paid sabbatical leaves for teachers which are offered after seven years, which are not common in other districts, as well as paid AP prep periods. The district says it pays $13.4 million per year to cover the cost of 50 full-year leaves and 12 half-year leaves, in addition to the cost of special prep periods for teachers of AP classes.

The district, which has been facing signficant budget deficits for several years amid declining enrollment, insists that it can not afford all of these demands, especially as there was talk of school closures just over a year ago, which have since been tabled.

Meanwhile, as the Chronicle notes, state advisors still have the power to veto any tentative agreement between the two sides, particularly if it is fiscally untenable.

State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond, who is running for governor, issued a statement on social media saying he was willing to step in to mediate.

"I have been in communication with the two sides and have offered to join the conversation in hopes of helping to facilitate an agreement and end to the strike,” Thurmond wrote. "... It’s more urgent than ever that they double down on their effort in order to reach an agreement so that students and educators can return to the classroom as quickly as possible."

San Francisco schools were closed Tuesday, and the district may announce a third day of closures Wednesday by the middle of this afternoon, as they did on Monday, so that parents can prepare.

Frustrated parents have been speaking out to the local news media as the strike drags on.

Rachel Gunabe, a special needs teacher in the district and the parent of an eight-year-old girl with autism, tells KPIX, "These people who work, they can clock in and out, but I still have my child 24 hours a day."

Gunabe adds that parents of special-needs kids have extra difficulties in times of disruption like this.

"They can't go out into public and raise their voice because they're so afraid that their child might run away into the street," Gunabe tells KPIX, adding that for autistic kids like her daughter, "The routine is so disrupted and they come back and they're so dysregulated."

Previously: San Francisco Schools Will Remain Closed Tuesday as Strike Negotiations Continue

Photo via Nadia Rahman

After a rally in Civic Center, and as negotiations continued between reps for the SF Unified School District and the United Educators of San Francisco, the district announced that schools would remain closed a second day on Tuesday.

It appears to be a precaution, and perhaps a bargaining tactic, as pressure mounts from parents and the city for schools to reopen amid this, the first SF teachers' strike in nearly 50 years. But the district made the announcement Monday just after 2:30 pm that, regardless of whether the impasse is resolved today, classes will still be canceled Tuesday, February 10.

As the Chronicle reports, the cancellation announcement came just as there was some kind of misunderstanding at both ends of the negotiations Monday.

The bargaining process has been ongoing inside the War Memorial Building, and just before 2:30 pm, SFUSD officials told the Chronicle that they were at that time waiting for union reps to respond to their latest proposal, which has been on the table since Saturday.

But, awkwardly, as they said this, a union representative, Nathalie Hrizi, who serves as vice president for substitute teachers, was speaking at a rally in front of City Hall, claiming that the union reps were still waiting for district reps to show up at the War Memorial building this afternoon.

Reportedly, union negotiators called off talks Saturday night, two hours after the district had submitted their latest proposal, and they refused to return to the bargaining table on Sunday, per the Chronicle.

The latest proposal submitted by the district offers a 6% raise over two years, as well as a $24,000 annual health benefit allowance for each teacher and one dependent.

The union has been seeking a 9% wage hike over two years.

At a news conference Monday, Superintendant Maria Su said, "Our students, our families, our teachers cannot afford for this to continue. Every minute counts."

It remains possible that the two sides can come to an agreement Monday night, but this will be at least a two-day strike, with parents having to rearrange schedules and keep kids home at least one more day this week, if not longer.

San Francisco Unified School District officials announced Sunday evening that teachers will go on strike Monday after their demands weren't met and city leaders unsuccessfully pleaded for a 72-hour pause, with negotiations starting back up at noon on Monday.

As the Chronicle reports, no agreement was made between the United Educators of San Francisco and the San Francisco Unified School District over the weekend, aside from a tentative concession protecting undocumented students. As Mission Local reports, the agreement wasn’t enough to call off the strike for Monday, as the union’s demands for pay increases, full health care, and improved special education services still weren't met.

“We have made it very clear that our demands are for fully-funded family healthcare, for educators improvements to special education, and salary increases that do not come at the cost of concessions or takeaways,” said Cassondra Curiel, president of the United Educators of San Francisco, per Mission Local.

As 48 Hills reports, the union’s demands amount to a budget of around $35 million — about half of what the city budgeted for the San Francisco Police Department this year, in spite of the city’s plummeting crime rate. Additionally, teachers earn an average starting salary of $79,000 per year, compared to $119,000 a year for a beginning SFPD officer. Police officers also get full health-care coverage while teachers pay about five percent of their income for health insurance.

Per Mission Local, negotiations between the two parties went on for nearly 12 hours Saturday, with the union making an offer at 2 pm, then receiving a counter-offer around 8 pm. Per Mission Local, San Francisco Mayor Daniel Lurie released a statement at 1 pm Sunday requesting that the teachers' union postpone the strike during negotiations so school could remain in session. Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi reinforced Lurie’s statement.

As Mission Local reported Friday, the principals' and administrators' unions, as well as custodians and other school employees, will also be taking part in the strike Monday, keeping schools entirely closed.

“A single administrator alone in a school building does not constitute a functioning or safe school environment. Under these conditions, keeping schools open puts students at risk,” wrote United Administrators of San Francisco president Anna Klafter.

Per Mission Local, teachers and principals received a confusing email from the district over the weekend, assigning staff to various district sites Monday, which many viewed as an attempt to undermine the strike.

“Staff were given work assignments to ensure that anyone who reports to work during a strike has a designated location and can support with district operations,” the message said. Per Mission Local, workers can’t be mandated to report to work, but the school district must provide work to any employees who decline to strike.

Per Mission Local, none of the staff had plans to cross the picket line, and they considered the move an insult. “It is absolutely embarrassing,” said one school principal, per Mission Local. “I am embarrassed on their behalf.”

SFGate has a comprehensive list of resources for families during the strike. The school district will be offering free breakfast and lunch for students, childcare for younger children, and independent study packets. The San Francisco Department of Children, Youth and Their Families will also be providing meals to students during the strike, and local churches are working with Superintendent Maria Su to provide academic and recreational support, per SFGate.

Image: United Educators of San Francisco/Facebook

Previously: SF Teachers Union Announces Strike for Monday, But 11th-Hour Bargaining Continues

• As labor negotiations continue, the San Francisco Unified School District sent out a notice to families Friday afternoon that all school sites will be closed Monday and independent study learning packets will be sent out. [KGO]

• A “free speech zone” for protesters will be installed outside Levi’s Stadium on Super Bowl Sunday, and a “clean zone” prohibiting unauthorized merch and food and beverage sales has already been set up around the perimeter of the stadium. [Bay Area News Group]
• There will be four people at Sunday’s game who have been to all 59 Super Bowls, including three who are part of a group called the “Never Missed a Super Bowl Club,” and a professional photographer who’s shot all 59 games, starting when he was 16 years old with his father who was also a photographer. [NBC Sports]

National:

• Kid Rock is set to headline Turning Point USA’s anti-Super Bowl Sunday halftime show, which is actually a real thing, and he's also receiving backlash over an old song in which he talks about liking underage girls. [Esquire]
• California Governor Gavin Newsom told Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill, “Go f- yourself," in response to Murrill’s plan to sue California and New York over their refusal to surrender abortion providers for prosecution in Louisiana. [Chronicle]
• A federal judge has ordered the Trump administration to pay for the return of three families who were unlawfully deported to Honduras, which violated the terms of a 2018 legal settlement involving families separated at the border. [Associated Press]

Video:

The Bay Area is chock-full of talented young dancers, as seen in the below video of local tweens and teens showing off their moves to Vallejo-born rapper LaRussell’s new Lil Jon-produced track, “I'm From The Bay.” As SFist reported last week, LaRussell is set to perform at the NFL’s official Super Bowl tailgate party Sunday.

Photo by Leo/Unsplash