School Closures and Strikes in the Bay Area
Schools are closing and education strikes have been increasing in the Bay Area, raising many questions and concerns for students, parents and teachers.
Recently, schools in the San Jose Unified School District have been considering closing nine elementary schools. Many people in the community are wondering what this new change means for the children attending these schools and what it also means for the teachers who work there.
In early February, school closures were up in the air due to declining student enrollment. Students are possibly facing being displaced and having to re-enroll somewhere else, affecting them academically and putting them at risk with unsafe transportation issues and much more. On March 26, the San Jose Unified School District committee is going to make the final decision on closures.
Another big problem that recently came to light were teacher strikes in San Francisco. 97.6% of teachers voted for a strike, the first strike in almost 50 years. This took place over the course of four days on Feb. 9-13. This closure impacted nearly 50,000 students forcing parents to look for last minute childcare. The cause of this strike was due to teachers wanting a salary increase, improved healthcare costs and more support and resources for children with special educational needs. From an article by The Guardian David Goldberg, the California Teachers Association presidents said, “It’s unacceptable that in the ‘Golden State,’ with its vast wealth and resources, our communities struggle with fully staffing our neighborhood schools. This is why educators are coordinating to take a stand statewide. Together with parents, students, and our communities, we demand that districts prioritize resources for our students and ensure California leads the country in providing a quality public education for every student,” as stated in The Guardian. To compromise on these issues, the United Educators of San Francisco union, the San Francisco Unified School District and Mayor Daniel Lurie’s administration made the deal to increase wages and fully secure and increase family funding healthcare starting in 2027. With the new decisions made, Dr. Maria Su, San Francisco Unified School District superintendent, stated in a public announcement, “I am so proud of the resilience and strength of our community. This is a new beginning, and I want to celebrate our diverse community of educators, administrators, parents, and students as we come together and heal.”
School closures and strikes in the Bay Area have been widely impacting students, families, and communities but it shows how communities can come together to fight for equality and positive change.