SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. (KRON) – More than 600 educators in San Francisco were out on Tuesday, according to the United Educators of San Francisco.
The teachers union said more than 620 educators were out amid the latest COVID-19 surge, “exacerbating an existing staffing crisis that puts the city’s students at a disadvantage.”
According to the UESF President, Cassonfra Curiel, the district did not make a plan to handle the surge to keep students and staff safe.
“Our goal is to keep school buildings open safely, and that requires regular, accessible testing and guaranteed COVID sick leave,” Curiel said. “The district could have avoided this crisis with forethought and a sincere interest in keeping schools open and kids and educators safe. There have been serious gaps in judgment. But we can all turn it around so that we can give our students the opportunity for a smooth school year. UESF and our labor colleagues are offering to do our part. We hope SFUSD and the city can step up to the challenge.”
Students, educators, and other school staff members are not currently required to show a negative test result and there is no plan to distribute COVID-19 tests this week.
UESF shared some responses from educators:
According to the San Francisco Unified School District, there were 626 requests for substitutes, including paraeducators. 406 of them were for classroom teachers.
The UESF will hold a news conference on Wednesday to address how to keep school buildings open safely amid this surge.
They will offer a plan to get tests distributed as soon as possible.
At noon, the conference will happen in front of the San Francisco Unified School District offices at 555 Franklin Street.
