San Francisco's public school administrators, united under the United Administrators of San Francisco (UASF), have reached a tentative contract agreement with the San Francisco Unified School District (SFUSD), narrowly evading a potential strike. The deal secures a $7,500 raise for each member and a 2% annual increase for the next three years, but it also guarantees that administrators will receive raises parallel to any future increases that other district unions may secure. This pay increase is backdated to July, as reported by The SF Standard.
The SFUSD and UASF have a new agreement reflecting the collaborative efforts, setting a precedent for over 260 SFUSD principals, assistant principals, supervisors, and program administrators. The financial guidelines followed by the recently struck agreement align with the standards established by the Board of Education and the California Department of Education. With UASF members set to vote on the tentative agreement and the Board of Education's approval pending, UASF President Anna Klafter relayed in a statement to SFUSD, “This agreement recognizes the hard work that administrators do while protecting key elements of our contract and acknowledging our fiscal reality.”
However, concerns arise about how the SFUSD will balance its budget to accommodate the agreed-upon raises. After months of negotiations, UASF leaders like Klafter advocate for thoughtful planning that doesn't harm students’ interests. "We hope principals and other leaders can be part of the conversation around budgeting and [Superintendent Maria Su] keeps her promise to keep cuts away from schools," Klafter told The SF Standard. She suggests that a closer look at the district's hefty contractor service expenses, which surpassed $226 million last year, could be a source of potential savings.
Fiscal advisers have put expenditure limitations in place to maintain the district’s financial health. While they did not introduce specific language into the agreement, a Department of Education spokesperson confirmed the advisory role they played. Worried about the future, an SFUSD principal who asked not to be named noted, "It's nice we're going to be compensated, but that doesn't really address some of the other pieces," the principal said, signaling concerns about staffing levels and support in the face of pending budget cuts, as The SF Standard reports.
