Resources are being made available for parents and students in San Francisco Unified School District schools that will be closed after the teachers’ union announced it will begin a strike Monday.
“Despite negotiations that continued over the weekend and agreements that were reached on non-monetary issues, the district’s failure to sufficiently fund family healthcare coverage and failure to offer wages that keep pace with the Bay Area’s high cost of living have led to the strike by teachers, school counselors, nurses and paraeducators,” read a statement released by the United Educators of San Francisco union on Sunday night.
The strike begins Monday and members of the roughly 6,000-strong teachers employed by SFUSD will hit the picket lines, the union said.
SFUSD has made available multiple resources for parents and students in the wake of the strike, including information about independent study, free breakfast and lunch for students, childcare for younger children, and other supports. To view all the information, go to www.sfusd.edu and click on the “Information and resources for families” tab at the center of the page.
The San Francisco Department of Children, Youth and Their Families will be feeding students during the strike. More information about that program is available on the department’s website.
Information on independent study programs in the city can be found on SFUSD website.
District 4 Supervisor Alan Wong said the largest employer in the neighborhoods he represents is the school district.
On Sunday night, he sent out two daycare options for his constituents. Wah Mei Bilingual Advocacy and Education will be operating full-day programming Monday through Wednesday, Wong said, prioritizing families already enrolled in their afterschool programs. Families can contact ExtendedLearning@wahmei.org to learn more. Wah Mei operates at two sites in Wong’s district, 1555 Irving St. and 1400 Judah St.
Kai Ming Head Start will also be providing care for low-income families and children with disabilities. Additional programs and camps are being hosted in the Sunset District by community partners including the YMCA, Mathnasium of Sunset, Girls Unite, and Hands and Hearts Daycare and Preschool.
Interfaith leaders in San Francisco will also be providing assistance for families during the strike.
Working in collaboration with Superintendent Maria Su, churches will provide students in all grades with emergency academic services and structured activities during regular school hours for the duration of the strike, according to Rev. Amos Brown, pastor emeritus of Third Baptist Church. Lunch will also be provided to students.
“We don’t want to have children lost or in danger on the streets during this time,” said Brown in a statement released by his office. “We have done this before in past times of crisis and we are opening our doors in a spirit of community so that students can continue to learn in safety.”
Services will be provided at Third Baptist Church, 1399 McAllister St.; Missionary Temple CME Church, 1455 Golden Gate Ave.; Cornerstone Missionary Baptist Church, 6190 Third St.; San Francisco Christian Center, 5845 Mission St., and Providence Baptist Church, 1601 McKinnon Ave.
Additional congregations are expected to be added in the coming days, Brown said.
