On Monday, more than 500 San Francisco teachers and school staff members rallied outside the school district’s headquarters while their colleagues toiled inside, hammering out the details of a new union contract that could grant higher wages, limits on class sizes, and a slew of other benefits.
The rally, an “informational picket,” took place during the fourth bargaining session between the United Educators of San Francisco and the San Francisco Unified School District. The teachers’ union had some 70 members inside 555 Franklin St., hoping to win seven different policy proposals, including a $12,000 across-the-board raise for all credentialed teachers, salary floors of $30 an hour for paraeducators, and limits on class sizes and workloads.
“There’s been a build-up of grievances over the last several years,” said Alex Schmaus, a special education instructional aide and member of the bargaining team. Principal among them is the catastrophic failure of the district’s payroll system, costing thousands of teachers millions of dollars in delayed paychecks; teachers and staff have still not been made whole.
“To attract and retain certificated educators, we need to provide salaries that enable educators to live in the area in which we work,” the union notes in its rationale for higher teachers’ wages. If successful, all credentialed teachers would receive the $12,000 raise, with an additional 8 percent raise proposed for the 2024-2025 school year.
Supervisors Dean Preston and Ahsha Safai joined the picket line, alongside teachers carrying signs in English, Spanish and Chinese. Many called attention to the realities both in the classroom and outside it.
“I teach 161 students,” read one sign. The proposed union contract would limit class sizes to around 30 students for most teachers.
“I’m 42. I shouldn’t have to live with five other roommates! Pay us now,” read another.
Photo by Yujie Zhou. Taken April 17, 2023. 
UESF’s bargaining team. Photo by Yujie Zhou. Taken April 17, 2023. 
District 5 Supervisor Dean Preston. Photo by Yujie Zhou. Taken April 17, 2023. 
Teachers block the street. Photo by Yujie Zhou. Taken April 17, 2023. 
Teachers block the street. Photo by Yujie Zhou. Taken April 17, 2023. 
Teachers block the street. Photo by Yujie Zhou. Taken April 17, 2023. 
Alex Schmaus, a special education instructional aide at a middle school. Photo by Yujie Zhou. Taken April 17, 2023. 
Teachers’ picket line. Photo by Yujie Zhou. Taken April 17, 2023.
Higher wages for teachers were not the only issue. Schmaus referred to the long negotiating process happening inside the school district’s offices as “an equality and solidarity bargaining,” meaning the union was not only asking for raises for credentialed teachers, but also other school staff. “We’re trying to close the gap this time.”
According to Schmaus, many so-called paraeducators, including teachers’ assistants and security guards, currently start at an hourly wage of $18. (In July, 2023, the minimum wage in San Francisco will reach $18.07.)
The proposed union contract would nearly double that, to a floor of $30, and institute set raises every five years for the first 20 years.
“Today is a very important day,” said Frank Lara, the executive vice president of the teachers’ union, which represents more than 6,500 teachers and staff in San Francisco. The union, Lara said, was hoping to show the school district that “they need to take it seriously and we have the support of all our members.”
Laura Dudnick, a spokesperson for the school district, noted that the district had already signed an agreement for the 2022-2023 school year that included a 6 percent raise for teachers and paraeducators, additional prep time for teachers, and dedicated substitute teachers at certain schools.
Still, teachers said signing a new contract would be a sticking point.
“Right now our bargaining team is offering them a super reasonable contract,” said Gregory McGarry, a teacher at Mission High. “Basically, what we’re saying is, “If you don’t accept this, we’re going to force you to, because we’re not going to sign anything else.’”
A group called SFMoRE, the “Movement of Rank-and-File Educators,” also threatened a strike if negotiations panned out. A flyer distributed at the picket read,“If these fair demands go unmet, we must prepare to strike. School strikes are powerful because they can disrupt business-as-usual in an entire city.”
As the night wore on and temperatures dropped, a steady stream of hot chocolate and Costco pizzas helped keep the teachers warm. Teachers did Zumba with their kids, and passing cars honked their support.
Teachers deserve and need a raise to live and work in the city. Whether teachers, police, nurses or firefighters, raising wages at a time of record prices for rent and lack of affordable housing a must.
You know what’s interesting? Police never have to picket or protest annually for better pay or better working conditions.
The POA just rewrites their contract for higher wages and less accountability and the Board of Supervisors while clutching their pearls approves the contract with the exception of two brave supes.
And teachers have to have college degrees & sometimes masters degrees to get hired. Police can enroll in the academy with only a GED or high school diploma and recruits are paid while training in the academy.Thus, teachers have much greater debt when they enter the workforce.
Most police officers own their homes. Not so for K-12 teachers unless they married well or inherit from family.
Is the work of a K-12 teacher, who is educating our community’s next generation, at least as important as our public safety personnel?
Many of us think so. We need to reduce class sizes, improve instructional materials and raise pay so that teachers don’t need to live with 4 other roommates (they grade papers & exams while everyone else is on vacation during holiday and spring breaks) and don’t need to take on second jobs in the summer.
Time to look at the big picture.
Did you notice there’s very little to no salary compensation for long term paras. It’s taken me 15 years to get to $30 hourly and now applicants walking in fresh or in first few years will be earning a very similar wage? I belive that the starting wage for new paras should definitely be increased AND the long term paras should be compensated equitably, dollar for dollar, in addition to the little proposed 8%. Treat us fairly and equitably. The district is paid more for the very students that we are assigned to work with and support during the school day. Often times, harassed and physically assaulted, we remain strong and dedicated to our students, showing respect and compassion. Please put forth a contract proposal that also shows value and respect to the committed, long term, 12+ years paraeducators also.
Again the root of the problem is housing – teachers deserve to be paid well but if raises are all chasing the same limited pool of housing, that’s a temporary fix and that money just goes in the landlord’s pocket. How come we don’t see the same fervor targeted at cutting the impediments to building? We need to address the problem systemically
Thank you for writing about this! Please know that UESF is the educators union. The biggest group is teachers, but we are also social workers, nurses, psychologists, community health outreach workers, and many others that work directly with students and families to help keep our communitites healthy and safe.
Great reporting! If anyone deserves more money, it’s teachers! Sounds like they are asking for an hourly wage floor of $30 for paraeducators. Calling it a salary cap in the second paragraph should be corrected. I’d also really be curious what a $12k raise means in relative terms — what is the current range and average salary for our teachers?
Public school teacher salaries are public! You can look up the salary schedule for SFUSD online, with different starting salaries for different levels of educational attainment.