San Francisco Teachers Strike Amid Pension Woes

Public school students miss class as teachers demand higher pay and benefits

Published on Feb. 12, 2026

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Students in San Francisco public schools have been out of class for over a week due to a teacher strike. The strapped school district is struggling to meet union demands for pay hikes and benefits, as it is already spending heavily on public employee retirement costs - a problem that has plagued California for years.

Why it matters

The San Francisco teacher strike highlights the ongoing tensions between public sector unions, school districts, and taxpayers over compensation and pension costs. This issue has become a major challenge for Democrats who must balance supporting unions while also providing competent and affordable public services.

The details

The San Francisco Unified School District reports that most students are not proficient in math, even as teachers are demanding higher pay and benefits. The district's ability to meet these demands is limited by the significant portion of its budget already allocated to public employee retirement costs, a problem that has plagued California for years as politicians have built up pension obligations.

  • The teacher strike in San Francisco public schools began last week.

The players

San Francisco Unified School District

The public school district serving San Francisco, which is struggling to meet teacher union demands for higher pay and benefits amid rising pension costs.

California politicians

State lawmakers who have built up significant public pension obligations over the years, creating financial challenges for school districts and other public agencies.

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What they’re saying

“Of course, students are the ones who are really forced to keep up the struggle—the district reports that most of them are not proficient in math.”

— Jill Tucker (San Francisco Chronicle)

The takeaway

The San Francisco teacher strike underscores the difficult tradeoffs facing policymakers as they try to balance the demands of public sector unions with the need to provide quality public services in a fiscally responsible manner. Resolving these tensions will be a key challenge for Democrats going forward.