We all know that public education has been underfunded for years. We also know that educators, staff, schools, students, and families have been asked to do more with less over and over again. This pandemic might be new to us but the fallout from the repeated attacks on our schools and communities are all too familiar.  

Currently in San Francisco, educators, support staff and school sites are being told we are facing tens of millions in budget cuts, layoffs, furlough days and salary freezes. The state legislature has committed not to cut funding to SFUSD for the coming school year, and yet the District is still demanding we do more with less. Pre- and post-pandemic San Francisco educators and support staff have shown over and over again their commitment to show up for our community. SFUSD educators and support staff have been staffing food banks; distributing technology; starting community gofundme pages; redistributing stimulus checks; training teachers and staff to use distance learning tools; providing tech support to all students, teachers, and families; connecting families with resources in the community; and helping to create a district wide system to continue to build on our family relationships. We do this because we know that we are a community and we are all actually in this together.

However, what we don’t see at this time is that same commitment coming from SFUSD leadership. We continuously seek conversations and agreements that center how we are all going to manage this moment together, and have repeatedly been met with draconian demands and concessions that will cause direct harm to our students and school sites.

This is not a moment for us to see how much we can take away from our most vulnerable schools and workers. This is a moment for District leaders to be uniting and showing up with us to ensure that we get the resources and funding we need to provide a safe, stable, and supportive learning environment for our youth.  

On July 1st, SFUSD leadership will be presenting an interim budget for the School Board to vote on. After the July 1st interim budget vote, they will have 45 days to amend the budget based on additional funding made available through state or federal relief. As a community we are demanding the following:

1. Both the interim and amended budget reflect our values and commitment as a school community and ensure that if there are cuts that have to be made, they are as far away from our students, classrooms and school sites as possible. We expect District leadership to present a budget that clearly outlines our values as a community-- a budget that shows folks at the top are taking on their equitable share of cuts.

2. District leadership step up and figure out how to advocate for more funding to meet current and future budget deficits. Educators, parents, students, unions and community groups have been fighting for more funding for years. Help us solve this problem!

3. Commitment in the form of funding to address racial, social, and emotional justice for our students and communities. For years we have been asking for more funding for wellness centers, restorative practices, community schools, nurses, social workers, family liaisons, and all the other resources, professional development, and positions needed to create a safe and secure school community. These values should not just be written into resolutions but they should be reflected in our budget.