The educators strike is turning personal.
More than 40 people picketed Thursday afternoon outside the home of San Francisco Unified School District Superintendent Maria Su, calling for teacher raises and other demands.
“Su, Su, we’re coming for you!” the group chanted as they circled the street outside the Ingleside Terrace house.
“We’re out here as a community bringing the fight to Maria Su’s door,” Juana Tello, a community organizer, shouted from a bullhorn. “Su gets to clock out at 5. This is our everyday struggle.”
Su likely was not home, as she has spent much of her time this week mired in negotiations with the United Educators of San Francisco at the War Memorial Opera House and Performing Arts Center.
District representatives did not respond to a request for comment. The protest was led by community groups serving youth, such as PODER and Coleman Advocates for Children and Youth.
Since teachers walked off their jobs Monday, the district and union have reached agreements on some key demands — such as safeguards for the use of artificial intelligence and sanctuary protections for immigrant students — but they remain in conflict over wage increases, dependent healthcare, and special education staffing.
Winnie Porter, a retired Spanish teacher and librarian who worked in the school district for nearly 40 years, said protesting at Su’s home is justified.
“She’s bringing it to our homes,” Porter said. “No healthcare for our kids, our families. Wages that make us move to Oakland. Special education [educators] not being listened to.”
Protestors picket in front of the home of SFUSD Superintendent Dr. Maria Su in San Francisco, Calif., Thursday, Feb. 12, 2026. | Source: Minh Connors for The Standard
The action at Su’s home came just an hour after more than a thousand educators and their supporters flooded Market Street, marching to City Hall.
There too, the superintendent was top of mind.
Speaking into a megaphone in front of a sea of protesters covering the Civic Center lawn, Nathalie Hrizi, a UESF vice president, shouted that Su needs to dig deep to pay educators.
“Dr. Maria Su needs to figure. It. Out,” she shouted to cheers.
Protest signs decried Su by name — citing her $385,000 salary and questioning her competency.
SFUSD, which is under state financial oversight, has said its budget is in dire straits. Any deal it makes with the union that overpromises may lead to harsher choices down the line, Su has said, including layoffs and school closures.
But union leaders think the district can dip into its reserves to meet their demands.
“We’re gonna hold strong,” Hrizi told the marchers. “We know they have the money for fully funded health benefits. We know they have the money for a raise without taking it out of our contracts.
“If they don’t figure it out tonight,” she added, “we will have stronger picket lines tomorrow.”