30,000 Kids Are Pawns in a Union War That Won’t Even Help SF Teachers

Gotta feel bad for the 30,000 families about to be pawns in a larger inter-union political machine war. UESF decided it needed to be in solidarity with California Teachers Association and strike anyway—even though they will just accept the reasonable offer on the table, later, after disrupting the lives of San Franciscan families for no material change in their own situation.

That’s the SF teacher’s union engaging in wasting the time and energy of tens of thousands of parents, and it won’t even help teachers in SF get a better outcome.

That’s not speculation. That’s what GrowSF’s sources inside the union are saying: they’ll strike for a few days, then take the same deal they could accept today.

The Cruel Math

UESF wants 9% raises plus full dependent health benefits. The problem? SFUSD is under state fiscal oversight. They cannot legally agree to deficit-creating contracts.

Archived tweet

I got an email from Maria Su, SFUSD Superintendent, preparing parents for a possible teachers strike. The union had already authorized one. Now an independent fact-finder has confirmed what everyone knew: SFUSD can't afford what UESF is demanding. At the heart of the dispute: UESF wants 9% raises plus full dependent health benefits. The state, which has SFUSD under fiscal oversight, would likely reject any deal this generous. 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗠𝗮𝘁𝗵 SFUSD has lost roughly 4,000 students since 2019. Fewer students means less state funding. The district remains under state oversight because it nearly went insolvent. 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗣𝗮𝗿𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀 𝗦𝗲𝗲 This is what a labor dispute looks like from your kitchen table: your kids are bargaining chips. The union knows the numbers don't work. They're betting the district will cave rather than face a strike. And if the district caves? The state rejects the deal anyway, or the district cuts services elsewhere. In either scenario, students lose.

Boom 💥 @LoveCodeTrade February 05, 2026

The district’s already offering 6% over three years PLUS fully funded dependent healthcare at no cost to educators. That’s a real offer. But UESF walked out of the fact-finding session without even making a counteroffer.

SFUSD has lost roughly 4,000 students since 2019. Fewer students means less state funding. The district nearly went insolvent. According to GrowSF, reserves will be fully depleted by 2027-28 if they don’t achieve a balanced budget. State law empowers the county superintendent to reject any budget that doesn’t provide “adequate assurance” the district can meet its obligations.

The state would likely reject UESF’s demands even if the district caved. In either scenario, students lose.

It’s Not About the Money—It’s About CTA Solidarity

This strike is part of something bigger. At least 32 districts across California are facing potential strikes simultaneously. This is coordinated political brinksmanship by the California Teachers Association, not local bargaining.

Archived tweet

About 30,000 families that rely on public schools for their kids in SF are about to scramble Monday because UESF decided it needed to be in solidarity with California Teacher's Association and strike anyway (even though they will just accept the reasonable offer on the table). Gotta feel bad for the 30,000 families, to be pawns in a larger inter-union political machine war. [Quoting @LoveCodeTrade]: I got an email from Maria Su, SFUSD Superintendent, preparing parents for a possible teachers strike. The union had already authorized one. Now an independent fact-finder has confirmed what everyone knew: SFUSD can't afford what UESF is demanding. At the heart of the dispute: UESF wants 9% raises plus full dependent health benefits. The state, which has SFUSD under fiscal oversight, would likely reject any deal this generous. 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗠𝗮𝘁𝗵 SFUSD has lost roughly 4,000 students since 2019. Fewer students means less state funding. The district remains under state oversight because it nearly went insolvent. 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗣𝗮𝗿𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀 𝗦𝗲𝗲 This is what a labor dispute looks like from your kitchen table: your kids are bargaining chips. The union knows the numbers don't work. They're betting the district will cave rather than face a strike. And if the district caves? The state rejects the deal anyway, or the district cuts services elsewhere. In either scenario, students lose.

Garry Tan @garrytan February 06, 2026

It would be the first SF teachers strike since 1979—nearly 50 years. And they’re using it for statewide messaging, not to actually get a better deal. The union knows the numbers don’t work. They know the state will reject anything more generous. They’re going to strike anyway, accept the existing offer after a few days, and call it a win.

Meanwhile, 30,000 families scramble to figure out childcare.

Par for the Course

This is kind of par for the course when 40% of students go to private schools and the district has a history of virtue signaling and choosing the worst outcomes for seemingly the most facile reasons.

San Francisco has the highest private school enrollment rate in California—nearly four times the state average. That didn’t happen by accident. The district’s “equity” lottery was supposed to end segregation but actually made schools MORE segregated. It drove 4,000 students out and helped bankrupt the district.

Working families who can’t afford $40K/year private school tuition bear the burden. Every bad policy accelerates the death spiral: fewer students means less funding means worse schools means more families flee.

The union knows the numbers don’t work. They’re betting the district will cave—or they’ll just strike for show and take the same deal anyway. Either way, 30,000 kids pay the price for inter-union political theater.

The kids of San Francisco deserve better than being pawns in someone else’s war.