At last night’s SFUSD school board meeting, the teachers union said 78 percent of its members had voted to strike. And educators, like Teanna Tillery, came out to speak.
“Over 4,000 members have signed our strike ready petition,” Tillery said during public comment. "That is not a threat, that is a reflection of our unity and our frustration."
The last time SFUSD teachers walked out of their classrooms was almost 50 years ago.
For months, San Francisco teachers have been working under an expired contract as negotiations with the district have stretched on.
They're asking for better benefits and training in addition to a 9 percent pay raise over two years for certified teachers and a 14 percent raise over two years for classified staff, like Tillery, who is the union's Vice-President for Paraeducators.
Paraeducators are responsible for things like assisting teachers and families and supporting students with disabilities.
"Our paraeducators are the backbone of SFUSD, despite how we're treated," Tillery said.
Educators across the Bay have similar demands.
On Tuesday night, the United Teachers of Richmond, which represents teachers in West Contra Costa Unified School District voted with 98% support to authorize a strike. Though a strike in WCCUSD isn’t imminent.
And the United Administrators of San Francisco, the union that represents principals, is also asking for a raise and better support. It says 220 members will join a rally in a couple weeks.
