Educators deal with a lot, so it makes sense that they voted with over 99% confirming that they will strike if necessary. And it’s looking more and more like the school district is going to slip into that scenario because they aren’t budging.

Strikes are a last option, a worst-case-scenario of bargaining. Nobody wants to be out on a picket line, especially teachers who have a ton of curriculum to get through and enough interruptions as it is. 

A strike is a work stoppage, usually in response to a lack of movement at the bargaining table. Teacher strikes, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, are particularly effective: “Strikes not only lead to higher pay, but they also lead to improved working conditions for teachers and improved learning environments for students.”

And public support for teacher strikes remains strong. So if you’re the parent or caregiver of an SFUSD student, how do you support the teachers who are striking for better working conditions?

If you don’t know your principal’s name and email address, now might be the time to learn it. Your school’s administrative team is part of a separate union who are not currently planning to strike concurrently with teachers; they may show solidarity in other ways. Regardless, they’re a good front line of communication regarding alternate plans, resources, and updates. 

State law requires that unions give an advanced warning of 48 hours before the strike, which sounds like short shrift but is actually plenty of time to figure out what to do. Especially because we aren’t at that point yet! The earliest an SFUSD strike would happen is probably January because they need to go through additional mediation steps with a fact finding component. 

According to the district superintendent, Dr. Maria Su, “If any changes affect school operations, we will communicate with you immediately through our usual channels, including text messages, auto dials, and email.” That means you should get your contact information up to date now, especially if you’ve suspiciously not received ANY updates at all from them so far this semester. Not sure about you, but my children’s school texted me four times as of Thursday, so something’s wrong if you haven’t gotten anything. You can also check the SFUSD labor webpage.

Teachers? No. 99% of the ones who voted Wednesday on the matter support a strike. Subs? Possibly. Richmond teachers are striking, and this guide explains that the district is paying subs double their normal rate to cover the classrooms.

However, the point of a strike is to cause discomfort and bring attention to the issues, so this is like cutting off your nose to spite your face. By making it more comfortable for parents to continue about like normal (instead of joining the picket line), the district could inadvertently prolong the strike.

Now is the time to start forming learning pods with your fellow parents, especially if you know you won’t be able to join the picket line.

Everything. You don’t get it. The district has around 50,000 students. You likely see their parents bagging items at the grocery store, driving your busses, or maintaining your favorite park. You work with their parents.

Hell, some of those parents do invisible things, like making sure Netflix doesn’t crash when the new season of Stranger Things comes out. And if all of those parents suddenly don’t have a place to send their kid, many will either have to work from home, find childcare on the turn of a dime, or call out of work. The city’s functionality will be drastically reduced.

Well, maybe our Instagram mayor can spin it stop it like he did with the hotel strike in January. Or Dr. Su can direct her staff to bargain in good faith. 

Teachers won’t back down, nor should they. This is a union town, and some people would do well to remember it. 

And maybe, if parents are informed and armed against the cynical and inaccurate dark money forces that are sure to try and throw our teachers under the bus with targeted propaganda… Parents can help stop the strike by being vocal now and standing in solidarity with the people who spend the most time with our children. Mother knows best, but Teacher knows the rest.

To email the district superintendent, visit https://www.sfusd.edu/about-sfusd/our-team/dr-maria-su. To reach out to the school board, visit https://www.sfusd.edu/about-sfusd/board-education or attend their upcoming meeting December 9.