The Facts

Many SFUSD students are skipping the extra week of school which was required after teachers went on strike earlier this year. Students at five high schools told Jessica Blough at The Standard that classes were at least half empty, grades were already finalized, and some teachers were simply showing movies.

The Context

After this February's teacher strike wiped out five instructional days, SFUSD's Board moved the last day to June 10. The district had already said finals and graduations would stay on their original schedule, so students were expected to show up with no negative personal consequences for skipping. California links school funding to attendance, which means students skipping means less money for the district. GrowSF previously covered the strike deal, and the expectation of its multi-million dollar negative impact on the district, which is proving true.

The GrowSF Take

If grades are done, classrooms are half empty, and students are wandering Stonestown, those are not meaningful instructional days. Lower student attendance means less state funding, which makes the teacher strike even more costly for a district already under fiscal pressure. The teachers union and SFUSD should not repeat this kind of mistake.