Superintendent's Messages to SFUSD Community

Dear SFUSD Community:

As part of my commitment to keeping you informed, I am sharing today’s update on our ongoing negotiations between the San Francisco Unified School District (SFUSD) and United Educators of San Francisco (UESF).

At this time, SFUSD does not yet have a current agreement in place with UESF, which represents many of our dedicated educators and staff who serve our students every day, including teachers, substitutes, paraeducators, counselors, social workers, nurses, and more.

To help you stay informed, please review this fact sheet which includes updates about:

• Where we are in the negotiating process and what you can expect next
• Our progress toward fiscal stability
• Next Steps

As of today, schools remain open unless families are notified otherwise. While a strike remains a possibility, my sincere hope is that we can avoid any disruption to learning. Keeping our students in the classroom and supporting families is my top priority. I have heard the deep concerns from our families who do not want to see schools closed. My team and I are working hard to reach a fair agreement that is centered on what is best for students while also preparing responsibly in the event of any disruption. I recognize that uncertainty is stressful, and will provide as much notice as possible in the event of a strike.

Thank you for your ongoing support of San Francisco’s students and public schools.

Warm regards,

Dr. Maria Su

SFUSD Superintendent

Dear SFUSD Community,

We know many of you are closely following the ongoing negotiations between our district and United Educators of San Francisco (UESF).

We are disappointed to share that we did not reach an agreement with UESF after today’s fact-finding session (part of the formal bargaining process). SFUSD remains committed to negotiating in good faith with our labor partners and to reaching an agreement that honors our educators while also balancing the need to be fiscally responsible.

Our goal is to have a stable district. We want to reach an agreement that supports our valued educators. However, we must also be able to afford the agreement long-term so that we can continue serving students now and in the future.

Our bargaining team explored creative ways to meet UESF’s top priorities and provided a 3 year “stability package”. This included:

• Identifying a fiscal pathway for the District to FULLY FUND family health benefits
• 6% raise over 3 years (2% each year for next 3 years)
• Salary rate augmentations for hard-to-staff special education paraeducators
• Solutions to address special education workload with a focused pilot program

Despite the District’s creative suggestions, UESF did not offer any counter, and terminated our Fact Finding session at 4:30 p.m.  I want to be clear about what this means for our students and schools.

We expect a neutral report from the Fact Finding Chairperson in the next few weeks. At that time, if UESF rejects the district's final offer and chooses to strike, SFUSD intends to meet our legal obligation to provide 180 days of instruction.

At this time, schools remain open unless families are notified otherwise. Schools will be in session on Monday, January 26, 2026.

I know that uncertainty can be stressful, and I am committed to keeping you informed. We have included additional information about the fact-finding process below.

We will continue to provide updates as new information becomes available. You can find that information on our website.

Fact Finding: Process and Next Steps (Additional information)

Today we engaged in fact-finding, a formal step in the bargaining process that must be requested through the Public Employee Relations Board (PERB). In this process, the district and the union each appoint a panel member, and PERB appoints a neutral chair to lead a three-member panel.

The panel reviews information from both sides using legal criteria and may issue non-binding recommendations for settlement. The district and the union may continue negotiating during this process. If no settlement is reached within 30 days of the appointment of the panel, the chairperson of the panel is responsible for preparing a written report, setting forth their findings based on the statutory criteria and their recommendations for settlement.

Once the fact-finding process concludes, and if no final agreement is reached, the district can impose its last, best, and final offer, and the union can choose whether to strike.

Thank you for your continued partnership and support of our students and educators.

Sincerely,

Dr. Maria Su
Superintendent
San Francisco Unified School District

Dear SFUSD Community:

I want to update you on recent news regarding our district’s contract negotiations. On Wednesday, Dec. 3, 2025, United Educators of San Francisco (UESF) – which represents our teachers, paraeducators, substitutes, counselors, nurses, social workers, and other educators who work in SFUSD – held a strike authorization vote. I want to clarify what this means.

A strike authorization vote gives the union’s leadership permission to call for a strike vote if they believe it becomes necessary. A strike authorization vote does not mean that a strike is underway or that one will occur at this time.

I deeply appreciate our educators for their unwavering dedication, compassion, and commitment to helping every student learn and thrive. SFUSD provided historic raises to our educators in the most recent agreement to be competitive, attract and retain talent. We are committed to negotiating with our labor partners in good faith. At this time, we have reached an impasse in our current negotiations and the district and UESF will be moving into a Fact-Finding Process.

Due to our elevated fiscal situation, the California Department of Education (CDE) holds the authority to override any financial decision that could compromise the district’s financial stability. We have already made significant  progress towards stabilizing the district, we cannot afford to fall back. As a community, we cut $114 million from our budget in order to keep classrooms fully staffed this year. But we are not out of the woods yet. Facing a second round of painful budget cuts for next school year, our goal is to arrive at a sustainable agreement that supports our educators and maintains a stable learning environment for students.

Our students deserve a strong and financially stable school district, and I recognize that recent developments may cause concern. Keeping you informed is my top priority. If any changes affect school operations, we will communicate with you immediately through our usual channels, including text messages, auto dials, and email. Please take a moment to ensure your contact information is current and that you are subscribed to receive notifications so you can receive important updates from us. You can also access updates on our labor webpage.

Thank you for your engagement as we continue to work with our labor partners, so that we can remain focused on supporting students, staff, and the school community.

Warm regards,

Dr. Maria Su

SFUSD Superintendent