The votes are in: SDEA members are ready to strike!
The votes are in: SDEA members are ready to strike!
Yesterday, SDEA union educators finished up our first strike vote in decades. Members voted whether or not to give our elected board members the power to call a 1-day Unfair Labor Practice (ULP) strike if SDUSD continues to violate the union contract related to Special Education understaffing. An overwhelming 90.09% of SDEA members voted YES. 178 schools and programs submitted votes, representing participation from 88% of dues-paying members. After reviewing these results, the SDEA educator leaders on the Board of Directors voted to move forward with a 1-day strike in February, if the District does not fix their violations of Special Education caseload caps.
The turnout for this strike vote is just as significant as the yes votes. When we have the numbers, we have the power! A significant supermajority of SDEA members are ready to strike.
We’ve officially filed our Unfair Labor Practice over caseload overages.
SDEA leaders know educators are over caseload, because we hear it from our fellow educators every day! What we don’t know is exactly how over they are at this moment in time. In the process of trying to settle caseload grievances, SDEA staff and leaders have tried to get access to caseload numbers. It’s become clear that at this point not even the District knows exactly how overloaded Ed Specialists are. It is educators who know how overloaded we are, and it is educators who have voted overwhelmingly that we’re ready to do something about it.
With the difficulties of even getting access to caseload data, SDEA leaders have filed an Unfair Practice Charge over two big ways the District is violating our contract:
- Repeatedly ignoring Special Education caseload limits
- Not even providing SDEA members access to caseload data
The District is already preparing for our potential strike by getting out the message that we need more funding at the State and Federal level. Their main message so far is: We’re doing what we can. We need more funding. As educators and community members, we’ll need to keep asking: While we continue advocating for more funding… is the District really doing everything in their power? How are they investing our resources in the students we have NOW?
One thing is clear: Violating labor law and overloading educators is doing nothing to get our students the support they need and deserve.
Educators and their students have waited long enough. Time’s up!
We’ll be showing up at the January 27 School Board Meeting to demand that District leadership stop violating our contract, and giving them one last chance to fix this before we go on strike in February.
Lots more information to come in January - including a February strike date! - but mark your calendars now:
✊Rally at the School Board
🗓️Tuesday, January 27, 2026 at 4:00 PM
📍San Diego Unified Ed Center - 4100 Normal Street
Educator Strikes 101 (& other clarification)
We don’t have what we need to do our jobs. How do we respond?
Teaching isn’t the same job that it was decades ago. Educators are asked to do more with fewer resources, and here in San Diego, they’re trying to live in an expensive city on wages that have stagnated over the past decades. California has underfunded public education for years, and federal threats and cuts don’t help. As educators we struggle to give our students what they need when we don’t have what we need. Things feel urgent… so educators are considering urgent actions. It’s been decades since SDEA members even proposed a strike, and we’re also doing something that hasn’t been done before in California… participating in a statewide coordinated bargaining campaign to:
- Pressure individual Districts to do whatever they can to invest every dollar in staffing, competitive pay for educators, and safe, stable schools. Here in San Diego, that pressure includes (but isn’t limited to) addressing the District’s violation of our contract when it comes to Special Education staffing.
- Make it clear that the State and Federal governments need to invest more in public education, which is critically underfunded even here in the wealthiest state in the country.
This week, the District held a press conference about Special Education. A lot of their message is exactly what union educators are saying across the state: We need more State and Federal funding, for Special Education and in general. It makes sense that they didn’t invite teachers to speak up at that press conference, because even with a strike vote still underway the message from educators has been clear: San Diego Unified isn’t doing their part when it comes to staffing Special Education. We need them to do better! That will be easier with more funding, but in the meantime we need to invest every dollar we have on today’s students.
Union educators are striking and getting strike-ready across the state:
As part of our coordinated statewide campaign, we’re seeing a wave of strike votes at educator unions, who are showing up to tell their Districts: We Can’t Wait!
- After four days on strike and an outpouring of community support, fellow union educators at United Teachers of Richmond have won their next contract … announcing a tentative agreement with West Contra Costa Unified School District just before 3:00 AM yesterday morning! Read more here & see a visual (and joyful) overview here.
- United Educators of San Francisco just voted to strike for the first time in decades.
Twin Rivers Unified and Madera Unified Teacher Association educators rallied at their District’s board meeting and picketed to show they are ready to strike if needed.
A large mural painted outside the District office in Richmond (Photo from Jana Kadah, Richmondside)
Educator Strikes 101:
As public educators, there are legal rules about when and how we can go on strike. (This is because of just how important our jobs are to make entire economies function! Educator strikes impact the whole community.)
- We can go on strike as a response to Unfair Labor Practices (ULPs) when the District violates our existing contract.
- We can also go on strike when bargaining a new contract, but only after we try our best to come to an agreement through the bargaining process. This includes declaring impasse after bargaining teams stop making progress, and going through a lengthy process of mediation and fact finding to get impartial third party opinions on whether we’ve been bargaining in good faith. This type of strike is also called an economic strike: Often educators will refuse to come back to work until they get their demands met, going without pay in the hopes of significant improvements. (This is what UTR just did.)
While strikes are the ultimate use of our collective power, preparing to strike involves strategic decisions so we can put the right kind of pressure on the right people at the right time. Right now, SDEA is deciding whether or not to use a 1-Day ULP strike to get the District to do the right thing when it comes to Special Education Staffing in our current contract… and to give them a preview of what we are capable of! They need to know that we are willing to show up and stand up for what our students need… no matter what.
Here’s the thing: Members need to decide!
We know we have power, and we’re seeing what could be possible when we use that power. The decision now is whether or not we’ll use that power. SDEA members across the District are voting on a 1-Day ULP strike over SpEd staffing. Next week, the members elected to the SDEA Board of Directors will review the results of the strike vote and decide if the support is strong enough to call a strike in February. Thousands have already voted YES, but votes are still being turned in from many schools where reps are making sure everyone has a chance to vote. Have you voted yet?
- Hear from some members who have voted yes and share your voice here. Especially for members who have never been part of a strike, it’s natural to have questions and uncertainty. Hearing from your fellow educators is important!
- Not sure where and how to vote? Reach out to your site rep or call the SDEA Office if you don’t know who your representative is!
Bargaining Update - December 4
In yesterday’s 9th bargaining session, we reached one tentative agreement but spent the majority of our time discussing the same handful of proposals we’ve been focusing on for the last few sessions - and hearing the same excuses about why we’re still waiting for responses on some of SDEA members’ most widely and urgently felt issues.
We finally reached a tentative agreement on Reduced Workload Plans. This means that more educators in our bargaining unit are eligible for this program, which allows certificated staff who are nearing retirement to work less than full time in the years before retirement while getting full-time pension credit and fully paid family health benefits. With this agreement, educators who are part of the CalPERS pension program are also eligible - mostly those who started in classified roles. Read the full Tentative Agreement on Article 31: Reduced Workload Plan.
The District presented a counterproposal on Article 33: Discipline. Unfortunately, the language they proposed is still unworkable for educators, so we will need to continue discussing how to strengthen this article to give educators the professional respect they deserve, particularly when it comes to clarifying verbal vs. written warnings and how these are stored in members’ personnel files. Read all of the District’s proposed changes to Article 33: Discipline.
At this point in bargaining we’re continuing to go back and forth on the details of each proposal, so both bargaining teams shared counterproposals on articles we’ve been discussing for several sessions.
The District submitted counterproposals on the two related articles on Evaluations, bringing us closer to agreement on how to incorporate a clearer and more fair evaluation process in our next contract:
SDEA submitted counterproposals on:
- Article 5: Employee Organizational Rights, proposing scheduling New Hire Orientations that respect educator prep time at the beginning of the school year.
- Article 17: Summer School/Intersession Hours & Conditions of Employment, still advocating for a fairer system for Summer School hiring.
- Article 36: Community Schools, bringing us closer to agreement as we iron out details for Community Schools Site Coaches.
Delayed Conversations:
While we’ve made small steps toward solidifying our next contract and have come to agreement on some small pieces, the District has still not even responded to any of our proposals with a significant price tag, including proposals which critically impact educators across the District. In our first two sessions back in February and March of 2025, we proposed language to improve wages, address the crisis of Special Education staffing, end Fall excessing, and expand mental health supports. The District has yet to submit a single counterproposal on any of those articles. In the case of Special Education staffing, the District isn’t just stalling on discussing solutions - they’re violating our existing contract and have been for years. For a District that brags about supporting educators and being a “gold standard” for bargaining with us, things feel less than golden… not at the bargaining table, and certainly not in our schools and classrooms where our students don’t have what they need and deserve.
What’s Next?
Our next bargaining session is on December 18, just before Winter break. The day before, the SDEA board will review strike vote results and decide whether to set a strike date in February.
It’s important to be clear about what this strike vote is for. SDEA members are voting on whether to authorize a 1-day Unfair Labor Practice (ULP) strike over the District’s ongoing violations of our current contract, specifically around Special Education staffing. A ULP strike is not the same as an open-ended economic strike like we are seeing from other union educators across California. Economic strikes happen only when bargaining reaches impasse and breaks down. That’s not where we are. We are making progress at the table… far slower than we want, and certainly not at a “gold standard” pace, but progress nonetheless.
Our ULP strike vote is about holding the District accountable for the contract we already have, and about showing our unity in defending our students’ right to fully staffed schools. And if SDEA members authorize a 1-day ULP strike, it sends a clear message: SDEA educators are prepared to take action!
Across California, other unions do point to San Diego as an example of investment in educators. That’s because for decades SDEA members have used their collective power to hold leadership accountable. It is our solidarity that is the real gold standard. Every action we take, from wearing SDEA shirts to standing on a picket line, shows that we are united and ready to fight for ourselves and our students. We Can’t Wait!
Stay engaged:
Attend your union meetings, and if you haven’t already, vote on our potential 1-day Unfair Labor Practice strike. (Learn more here about why SDEA’s Representatives are recommending a YES vote.)
Stay informed:
Use our tracker to see all proposals exchanged so far, all tentative agreements reached, and a legend to understand what all the formatting means!
In Solidarity,
SDEA’s Bargaining Team
Kyle Weinberg, SDEA President, Ed. Specialist: Mild/Moderate, English and History Teacher; Laurie Bailon, Restorative Justice Teacher, Bell MS; Carly Bresee, Ed. Specialist: Moderate/Severe, Lafayette ES, Sarah Darr, SDEA Secretary, WCW Campaign Organizer & SLP; Christina Gallegos, ECSE Teacher, Rodriguez ES; Candace Gyure, School Nurse; Stacy Hernandez, SDEA Bargaining Chair & 2nd Grade Teacher, Dailard El.; Andrew Melia, School Psychologist, Riley School; Elizabeth Miller, Ed. Specialist: Mild/Moderate, Lewis MS; Eri Nall, Head Counselor; Kiki Ochoa, History and Ethnic Studies Lead Teacher, Lincoln HS; Lori Schmersal, PE Teacher & Coach, Clairemont HS; plus SDEA staff Anthony Saavedra, Executive Director, Sara Holerud, Organizer, and Rafal Dobrowolski, Contract Specialist
Letters in Solidarity: We’re Voting YES to Strike for Our Students
We’re Voting YES to Strike for Our Students
As we are already approaching the midpoint of our school year, wishing everyone a relaxing holiday season with family and friends. We were busy in October supporting schools with getting strike ready and it is so energizing to see our SDEA “I’m Ready to Fight for Special Education” signs up in classrooms all over the district.
At our November SDEA Representative Council, over 150 SDEA leaders unanimously voted to endorse a YES on our strike authorization vote that is being conducted at union meetings at every school. We are fed up with 7 years of special education understaffing that have stretched us to the limit and hindered our ability to provide our students what they need to succeed. We Can’t Wait for the district to find the will to fairly settle our unionwide grievances going back 2 school years for special education caseload overages. We Can’t Wait for the district to prioritize following our contract and responding to SDEA proposed solutions to address the special education staffing crisis.
What will convince District leadership to share our urgency? Every action, from wearing red in support of our bargaining team to walk-ins or community rallies, shows our unity and determination. Escalating actions develop our organizing muscles, showing everyone (our fellow union educators, our school communities, district leadership) that we are getting stronger and we are ready to use that strength to fight for what matters to us: high-quality public education for ALL students.
Back in May 2025, our pickets across the District were a big enough flex to move the District to agree to a retroactive raise that we are now seeing on our paychecks - the first major progress in our contract campaign. With so much still to be won in our We Can’t Wait bargaining platform for fully staffed schools, improved pay and stability for our students and communities, it is going to take more collective strength to get the District to stop violating our contract when it comes to Special Education staffing, and to show them that we are ready to keep fighting for the rest of our demands.
And we’re not the only union flexing our power! Over 30 other CTA locals across the state are also fighting for the same big contract demands and preparing for strikes if necessary. We’re all pressuring our individual Districts to invest every available dollar in our schools and over 98% of our We Can’t Wait siblings at United Teachers of Richmond recently voted to authorize a strike. Now is the Time for our union to take that same step alongside allies across the state and we will be voting YES to strike for our students!
Are YOU voting YES to strike for fully staffed Special Education?
The District continues to violate our contract by understaffing Special Education, creating a ripple effect felt across the entire district: Students struggle without the support they need, educators burn out, classroom environments become less safe, and whole school communities are destabilized. We’ve tried everything to respond to the crisis: Years of filing grievances, proposing improved contract language, rallying at Board meetings, organizing with families and colleagues, and even bargaining a free credentialing pathway to fill SpEd vacancies. After gradually escalating our actions over the past year, SDEA members are now voting on whether to address Special Education staffing with our ultimate collective power as a union: A strike!
SDEA members are voting on whether to authorize a one-day strike over Special Education Staffing.
Voting is happening at union meetings across the District from November 6 through December 16, at school sites and at the SDEA union hall for members not assigned to a specific site. All SDEA members have the opportunity to vote on whether to authorize the SDEA Board to call a 1-day strike in February if the District continues to violate our union contract related to Special Education understaffing.
Your union meeting is an opportunity to learn more about this potential strike, ask questions, discuss with your colleagues, and VOTE!
Not sure who your union rep is? Reach out to the SDEA office!
(Click here to see a strike vote flyer with Frequently Asked Questions.)
At November's Rep Council, SDEA Reps voted unanimously to recommend a YES vote!
Why are YOU voting Yes?
We haven’t faced a possible strike in our district in decades, so it’s natural to have questions and uncertainty! If you are voting YES to authorize a strike over Special Education staffing, can you share your reasons why? Sharing these reasons with fellow members and the wider community can help emphasize the urgency of what so many of our educators, students, and school communities are feeling!
Want to share your voice?
- Post directly on social media, tag SDEA, and use the hashtag #WeCantWaitCA to amplify our voices
- Or, share your reasons through this form to be included in SDEA communications!
- Interested in other opportunities to share your voice? Reach out to kennedy_s@sdea.net!
Art Build Weekend: January 24-25, 2026
Create art and build solidarity at an Art Build weekend! On Saturday, January 24, and Sunday, January 25, Bay Area Arts Organizer David Solnit & a team of artists will be at the SDEA office to help us paint, screenprint, and build picket signs as we prepare for upcoming campaign actions. No artistic experience required - bring your people and your paint clothes!
- The art build will be going on all weekend, from 10 AM to 6 PM Saturday and 10 AM to 2 PM on Sunday... come for a while, or stay all day! RSVP now so we can order enough food!
- Invite your family, friends, colleagues, & community! Download a flyer to share or reshare social media posts: Instagram, Facebook, & BlueSky!
- Across the state, other union educators are having similar events to build art and community - see a preview of what our weekend might look like in photos from the art build in Richmond which helped fuel UTR’s strike (and win!)
Get Your Union Hoodies & Hats!
SDEA hoodies and hats are available to purchase for a limited time only!
Order online by Dec 10, 2025 so your site reps can pick up at the Jan 2025 Rep Council!
Know Your Rights: Restorative Justice, Student Discipline, & Shared Decision Making
Reminder: Safety Plans & Discipline Plans
Your union contract includes the right to safe employment conditions, and that includes the right to a Site Restorative Discipline Plan developed with the SGT, aligned with District Policy, and reviewed annually. (11.7.1.)
Read more in these Know Your Rights flyers:
- Know Your Rights: Restorative Justice
- Know Your Rights: Shared Decision Making
- Know Your Rights: Student Discipline
Does your site need support in developing a Site Restorative Discipline Plan?
SDEA leaders are collaborating with SDEA members from the Restorative Justice Practices Department to lead skillshare sessions for any members who need advice on how to effectively develop a Site Restorative Discipline Plan with their Site Governance Team (SGT). This includes sites that don’t currently have a functional SGT, and includes insight on the District’s Restorative Discipline Policy which was updated over the summer.
Sign up for one of two options:
📍In person at the SDEA office - RSVP
Wed, Dec 3, 2025, 4:30 - 5:30 PM
💻 Virtual via Zoom - RSVP
Wed, Dec 10, 2025, 4:30 - 5:30 PM
See more Know Your Rights flyers and resources here!
Bargaining Update - November 6
Yesterday was the eighth bargaining session between SDEA and San Diego Unified. You might be double checking the date, because it feels like you’ve read this update before: Still no proposals on anything with a significant price tag. There were ongoing discussions on some of the same articles as last time. At this point in bargaining it’s normal to have a lot of back and forth on the details of contract language - that’s the nature of negotiations. However, our progress is certainly slowed down by the fact that the District still has not provided any proposals on our “big ticket items”: Special Education staffing and supports, wages, ending Fall excessing, expanding mental health supports, or even extending the ECE TK co-teacher stipend.
Once again, the District brought no counters related to pay. We did, however, come to a tentative agreement on Article 34, which is a shared commitment to advocate for more funding for our schools. The reality is that while SDEA educators will need to urge the District to responsibly spend every available dollar on the resources our students need, we all need to advocate together at every level to improve the abysmal funding for public schools in the wealthiest state in the US. Read the full Tentative Agreement on Article 34: Revenue for Public Education
While we’re still inching forward on air filtration and other repair issues, we’ve made significant progress on Community Schools, and we’re establishing structures to ensure that educators have a voice in improving our evaluations process.
Article 11: Safety Conditions of Employment
We again urged the District to prioritize classroom air filtration, reintroducing our previous proposal based on professional standards originally suggested by the District. We also discussed improving the process of requesting repairs by setting clear timelines. Our proposal would allow site-level fixes when possible and escalating to central PPO when needed. This would speed up responses to educator concerns and reduce the current bottleneck caused by routing all concerns directly to a central department. Read all of SDEA’s proposed changes to Article 11: Safety Conditions of Employment.
Article 14 and 18: Evaluations and Support
Our proposals for Articles 14 and 18 leave the current contract language as is, but clarifies the introduction:
- Referring to the current agreement on evaluations in the 2025-26 and 2026-27 school years.
- Giving authority to a Joint Evaluation Committee to amend that agreement next school year if needed.
While both SDEA educators and administrators are motivated to improve our evaluations process, our priority is always ensuring that evaluations are used to support educators, not punish them. Read all SDEA’s proposed changes to Article 14: Performance Evaluation Procedures and Article 18 Peer Review & Enrichment Program (PREP). Make sure you’ve also checked out the current information about evaluations (including a summary and FAQ.)
Article 36: Community Schools
We are very close to an agreement that empowers Site Governance Teams at Community Schools and supports sustainability for this critical equity strategy that we fought for and won as union educators together with families and community allies! Read all of the District’s proposed changes to Article 36: Community Schools.
Most of our staffing discussion yesterday was focused on Summer School, along with two additional proposals that had minor adjustments:
Article 17: Summer School/Intersession Hours & Conditions of Employment
We’ve made some movement toward a more fair system of staffing Summer School, balancing the needs of individual sites and programs with the rights of SDEA members interested in this opportunity. The District’s proposal yesterday would reduce opportunities to teach summer school unless it is hosted at your school site, which is not fair for educators at sites that never host. This means we can’t accept this proposal as is and we’ll be countering it. Read all the District’s proposed changes to Article 17: Summer School/Intersession Hours & Conditions of Employment.
Article 5: Employee Organizational Rights
The District proposed a minor update to New Hire Orientation. Read all the District’s proposed changes to Article 5: Employee Organizational Rights.
Article 31: Reduced Workload
We accepted the majority of the District’s last proposal, with minor adjustments. Read all of SDEA’s proposed changes to Article 31: Reduced Workload.
What's next?
Our next scheduled bargaining date is December 4, 2025. The District has yet to meaningfully respond to our proposals on wages, mental health supports, or fair compensation for our lowest-paid educators, but we’ll continue to show up and demand a contract that addresses the glaring needs in our district.
We need our 6000+ SDEA union educators to stay ready, so we don’t have to get ready! We need to keep up the momentum we’ve built so the District knows that our needs are urgent and that we’re serious about our demands… and so we can accelerate if needed. We Can’t Wait!
Stay informed:
Even through all the details of bargaining, we can stay focused on our demands for a new contract that ensures fully staffed schools, improved educator pay, and stability for our students and communities. Keep track of all proposals so far here, and access full campaign information here.
In Solidarity,
SDEA’s Bargaining Team
Kyle Weinberg, SDEA President, Ed. Specialist: Mild/Moderate, English and History Teacher; Laurie Bailon, Restorative Justice Teacher, Bell MS; Carly Bresee, Ed. Specialist: Moderate/Severe, Lafayette ES, Sarah Darr, SDEA Secretary, WCW Campaign Organizer & SLP; Christina Gallegos, ECSE Teacher, Rodriguez ES; Candace Gyure, School Nurse; Stacy Hernandez, SDEA Bargaining Chair & 2nd Grade Teacher, Dailard El.; Andrew Melia, School Psychologist, Riley School; Elizabeth Miller, Ed. Specialist: Mild/Moderate, Lewis MS; Eri Nall, Head Counselor; Kiki Ochoa, History and Ethnic Studies Lead Teacher, Lincoln HS; Lori Schmersal, PE Teacher & Coach, Clairemont HS; plus SDEA staff Anthony Saavedra, Executive Director, Sara Holerud, Organizer, and Rafal Dobrowolski, Contract Specialist
Your Upcoming Strike Vote!
When it comes to Special Education staffing, we’ve tried everything.
For years, SDEA union educators have done everything possible to push the District to provide our students with disabilities with the support they need. We’ve filed multiple grievances to enforce our contract language, proposed improvements to our contract, rallied at Board meetings, met with Board trustees, and organized alongside families, classified colleagues, and community members. We’ve even bargained for a free credential pathway which helped fill dozens of SpEd vacancies. The core problem remains: Grievances from the last two school years remain unresolved, the District continues to violate our contract, and Special Education remains understaffed. While educators continue to advocate for practical, student-centered solutions, the District continues to violate our contract, labor law, and the rights of our students who deserve more.
SpEd staffing isn’t the only thing we are fighting for, but it’s something urgent for all of us.
When students don’t have enough support, we all feel the impact: Overwhelmed students, burned-out educators, escalating behavior issues, and unsafe conditions in classrooms.
What will convince District leadership to share our urgency? Escalating actions develop our organizing muscles, showing everyone (our fellow members, our school communities, our bosses) that we are getting stronger and we are ready to use that strength to fight for what matters to us: high-quality public education for ALL students.
Strike Readiness is our peak power as a union. Are you ready to use that power?
Strike readiness is the highest level of collective power, and it’s not a step to be taken lightly. It’s time for us to decide: Do we use our power to fight for what our students need?
In October, we put up “I’m Ready” signs in thousands of classrooms all over the district, committing to vote YES on a one-day strike to defend our contract and stand up to the district’s repeated violations of Special Education Staffing.
This week, SDEA site representatives received materials to hold an official strike vote at your next union meeting in November or December. Every SDEA member will have a chance to participate in this democratic process.
Your voice matters!
Even striking for one day is a big decision that impacts all of us… because it addresses issues that also impact all of us. Your ballot will ask whether to authorize the SDEA Board of Directors to call a one-day unfair labor practice strike in February if the District continues to violate our union contract by understaffing Special Education.
We haven’t faced a possible strike in our district in decades, so it’s natural to have questions and uncertainty. We can answer those questions together: Your rep has additional information and FAQs to share. Attend your union meeting, ask questions, discuss with your colleagues, and decide: Are you ready to take action? Are you ready to stand up with your colleagues? Are you ready to say: We Can’t Wait!?
Voting is happening at schools, worksites, and the SDEA union hall from Nov. 6 to Dec. 16. Your site or program’s voting window may be shorter. If you aren’t sure who your union rep is, reach out to the SDEA office!
At Henry HS and Ocean Beach ES, union reps and Contract Action Teams (or CATs!) are ready to make sure every member gets a chance to vote!