On Feb. 9, 2026, public school teachers in San Francisco began their first strike in 47 years, resulting in the closure of all San Francisco Unified School District (SFUSD) schools and affecting approximately 50,000 students. Negotiations between the teachers union and district officials resumed at noon on Monday as both sides sought to resolve ongoing contract disputes.
The strike has significant implications for families, educators, and students across the city. Teachers are demanding higher wages, fully funded family healthcare, and increased support for special education professionals. The district cites a structural deficit and state oversight as limiting factors in meeting these demands.
SFUSD Superintendent Maria Su announced that all schools would remain closed Tuesday. “We know that every day that students are not in school, it’s a day of missed learning and missed connections with their peers and teachers,” Su said. “We want this strike to end.” According to Su, the two parties have been negotiating for nearly 11 months and have reached tentative agreements on most contract articles but remain at an impasse over key issues such as healthcare premiums and wage increases.
At rallies outside City Hall and various schools, educators voiced their concerns about compensation and working conditions. Cassondra Curiel, president of United Educators of San Francisco, said: “It has taken over 10 months of sounding this alarm, asking nicely, and hearing unfulfilled promises to get to this point. We will continue to stand together until we win the schools our students deserve and the contracts our members deserve at every single school site — until we close this deal.”
Mayor Daniel Lurie said he is facilitating discussions by making city facilities available for negotiations but is not directly involved at the bargaining table. “My role is to make sure that we get to an agreement between these two parties,” Lurie said. He acknowledged progress during recent talks but noted frustration with stalled dialogue on Sunday.
The labor action is part of a broader statewide campaign led by the California Teachers Association. David Goldberg, president of the association, said: “This kind of thing is 50 years in the making — 50 years of pent-up balancing the budget on the backs of workers. Frankly, there is no student in this state getting what they deserve, and there is no educator in this state getting what they deserve.” As negotiations continue The Standard reports, SFUSD has released information about free meal sites and child-care programs for affected families.
