Full Video Transcript:
Happy Friday UESF members. It’s been a month since the new school year began. As educators, we know that at this point of the school year all the excitement and jitters of the honeymoon phase begins to fade out. This is where the art of our profession shines! The impact of our routines, procedures and support structures can be seen in how seamlessly we help students and families navigate the daily life of school, all while providing quality instruction and a rich social experience.
Everyday, you show up and bring your best. Our City is lucky to have you, your dedication and commitment to our students. And on top of the school work that you do, we are proud that you also work hard to build up the power of your union. The same way structures are important to the classroom, your union has worked hard to develop structures that keep us ready to fight for the schools our students deserve. We are happy to announce that we are on track to reach 85% elected UBCs throughout our sites and work areas, and we continue to work with the remaining 15%.
Thanks to your efforts we are in a strong position to start the bargaining process this school year. UBCs are the foundation of our power because they are the network by which the elected leadership communicates directly with the rank and file. All UBCs will facilitate the thousands of bargaining surveys we need in order for the team to prioritize demands this coming Spring. UBC leaders at site are also faced with navigating the challenges brought about by the District’s “resource alignment initiative”.
I know many of you are worried, because we know our students and families are worried. Your union has followed the District plans closely as they prepare to make the September 18th announcement of which schools they plan to close or merge. We have used every opportunity, including as representatives on the District Advisory Committee, to assert our demands for more and better from our District, to demand accountability for supporting school sites, for following through with commitments and also asking difficult questions- like why this District continues to make us suffer for their gross mismanagement of our public schools. We in UESF leadership want you to know it is not your fault, our students fault, nor the fault of our families. The blame squarely lies in Central Office Management and the current crisis is due to their decades of mismanagement.
And while there is a lot of work the District has to do to rebuild the trust, your union has united the membership through the work of the most recent bargaining campaign. We maintain regular and transparent communication, remain available to take your phone calls and answer your emails so that you have the most important and relevant information.
We are preparing to bargain any impacts that the resource alignment initiative has on our impacted members, if it becomes necessary. We have gathered contract language from other unions and are in contact with our state affiliates. Additionally, we are working with community organizations and families to understand what their needs and demands are. And while we will follow the lead of our families, we do plan on holding the District accountable to any promises of supports for this transition. Additionally, we have been very clear to the Superintendent, we will not accept the privatization of our public schools. The public assets of SFUSD will remain public.
We don’t have the specific details set to be announced Wednesday, September 18th, but know that your union officers and staff will be at impacted school sites soon after the announcements are made to make sure you have an opportunity to share concerns with them. We are ready to support you as we navigate this difficult process. You have endured COVID, the hap-hazard return to in-person instruction, the absolute disaster of Empower, staffing shortages, high turnover, and now the possibility of closures emerges. The tremendous impact of all of it could have been mitigated had we had the right district leadership long ago. But what we have learned through it all is that we’ve got each other. Our union is full of the leaders that our students and families deserve.
We cannot confidently trust that the District will manage this latest transition as well as it should, but I do trust you, I trust your colleagues and I trust our union to continue the relentless fight for the schools our students deserve. We are here for you. We will defend your rights and prioritize the preservation of jobs to make sure our members can continue to serve our students and families in San Francisco. As we settle into the school year, I know you will continue to be the amazing educators you are and keep being amazing unionists by engaging with your UBCs. Enjoy your weekend, rest and disconnect so that we can have the energy necessary for the weeks to come.
