San Francisco, CA
Sutro Elementary parents in San Francisco rally to keep school from closing
Another school on the San Francisco Unified School District’s proposed closure list is fighting to keep the classrooms open.
Parents and teachers sent a message loud and clear to the superintendent just a day after Mayor Breed said she had lost confidence in Matt Wayne’s ability to manage the closures.
Parents and students at Sutro Elementary School in the Richmond district gathered to try and save their school. It is one of 13 schools on a list from the district that could potentially close or merge with others as SFUSD tries to climb out of a $113 million deficit.
Alex Hawes’ daughter just started kindergarten a couple of months ago. He said none of this makes sense to him.
“The only person that I’ve heard say we should close schools is Matt Wayne,” Hawes said. “I haven’t heard one other person say that we should close schools. So, to me, that seems like there’s a pretty clear message being sent.”
Superintendent Matt Wayne faced criticism from the crowd gathered at Sutro Elementary Wednesday night. Many questioned whether he’s the right person to lead the district.
“So, I ask you, if the Mayor has no confidence in you as a superintendent, how can any of us any parent have confidence that you are managing the school district in a responsible way,” a parent asked.
“I’m here, and we’re here to share responses about the process and the questions,” Superintendent Wayne replied. “I appreciate what’s being shared, and I’ll say I’m here as an educator first and foremost. Trying to make the long-term decisions, working with our board of education, working with our community will ultimately help all our students in the district.”
Many parents left the town hall meeting feeling the Superintendent didn’t directly answer many of the questions. Parents wanted transparency to explain how Sutro ended up on the proposed closure list.
“Definitely not because all he answers is we will go back to the office and research on it,” parent Sam Lau said. “All the data is outdated. A lot of the parents bring that up.”
Lau is a parent of two, one who graduated from Sutro and a 5th grader currently at the school. He said Sutro is the only Cantonese bi-literacy program in the Richmond district and it means a lot to many of the families here.
“Our school 75% is Asian and a lot of them are new immigrants,” Lau said. “Then, in this whole entire Richmond neighborhood, that is the only school that we have this kind of program for new immigrants.”
Superintendent Wayne is expected to visit every school on the closure list before presenting his final recommendation to the board on Nov. 12.
Parents are hoping the district can find other ways to address declining enrollment and the budget deficit.
“If closing the schools got you out of the deficit, then maybe that would be a good move, but it seems like a Band-Aid,” Hawes said.
What’s New
Hilton hotel workers in San Francisco voted on Christmas Eve to approve a new union contract after a 93-day strike, according to the Unite Here Local 2 union.
The union, which represents about 15,000 workers in the region, announced that the deal settles the last of the city’s 2024 hotel strikes, covering approximately 900 Hilton workers.
Newsweek has contacted Unite Here Local 2 and Hilton via email for comment.
Justin Sullivan/ASSOCIATED PRESS
Why It Matters
The new contracts after this year’s strikes establish significant improvements in wages, health care and workload protections for workers at Hilton, Hyatt and Marriott-operated hotels.
The agreements conclude months of labor unrest that involved thousands of workers and disrupted San Francisco’s hotel industry.
What To Know
Hilton workers voted 99.4 percent in favor of the agreement on Christmas Eve, which includes a $3 per hour immediate wage increase, additional raises, and protections against understaffing and increased workloads.
The four-year contract preserves affordable union health insurance and provides pension increases. The deal covers workers at Hilton San Francisco Union Square and Parc 55, with 650 workers having actively participated in the strike.
This agreement follows similar contracts reached with Hyatt workers on Friday and Marriott workers last Thursday, covering a total of 2,500 workers who had been on strike since late September.
What People Are Saying
Bill Fung, a housekeeping attendant at Hilton San Francisco Union Square for 29 years, said: “These 93 days have not been easy, and I’m so proud that my coworkers and I never gave up. We stood together through the rain and cold, and even though there were some hard days, it was all worth it. We will go back to work with our health care, good raises, and the confidence of knowing that when we fight, we win.”
Lizzy Tapia, President of Unite Here Local 2, said: “Hilton, Hyatt, and Marriott workers refused to give up their health care or go backwards – and we proved on the picket line that we’re not afraid of a tough fight. As contract talks begin with the city’s other full-service hotels in the new year, they should know that this is the new standard they must accept for their own employees.”
San Francisco Mayor-elect Daniel Lurie said on X: “All those that have been out on strike will be back to work, and just in time for Christmas. So, things are looking bright as we head into 2025.
What Happens Next
Unite Here Local 2 said it would push for other full-service hotels in San Francisco to adopt the same standards established by the Hilton, Hyatt, and Marriott agreements when contract negotiations resume in 2025.
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