by Mariposa | February 2, 2026
Reprinted with permission. This article was previously posted on Medium as “How as a public school parent to “prepare” for a workers strike at your CA school site” (Follow and support their work!)
Hi! I am a CA current public school parent of a elementary age student and I am creating this guide, because so many parents have personally contacted me on best practices of what do if their school district will strike. Many Unions at public school districts in CA have authorized a strike, as mines has. LAUSD, SFUSD, SDUSD, and many others have either autorhized a strike or it feels like that vote might be happening soon.
This is a guide from a well seasoned public school parent on what to do now in case the possibility if your public school district goes on strike. Every democracy only functions with a well supported fully funded public education system. Without public education, democracy dies.
How to prepare for a teacher strike at your kid’s school.
Here is how best to prepare so your child doesn’t cross the picket line and stands in solidarity with its teachers.
1. Tell your school district they need to settle with the teacher’s union.
Tell the district how very important it is to you as a parent and how you support your union and for them to settle. If you are a registered voter, remind your school board you will be voting in your upcoming elections. Have your student write or draw a picture of support of your union to the district. Write comments of support on your district’s social media page on fb, IG, or whenever else.
2. Contact your after/before school program about childcare and create a mutual aid childcare.
If you have a job schedule that will be impacted due to the loss of a school day, contact your childcare that your child normally attends, and ask them what do they plan to do if a strike happens, if they will be providing childcare, and if there are any extra costs associated with it. They may not have a answer for you but inquiring to them lets them know there is a demand from parents for this childcare.
If you have no childcare program, or your childcare program is not covering childcare during the strike, CREATE YOUR OWN CHILDCARE. Many parents are creating possible childcare opportunities with fellow school site parents, and reach out to the parents you already know and ask them if they want to share childcare days during this time.
3. Contact your workplace if this will impact your workload.
If you have a daytime/afternoon work that will be impacted due to loss of a school day. Let them know now as much as you, and that when more information becomes available you will share that as well. See if there are work family accommodations that can be requested, like working from home while there is a strike, etc. This is very common with other strikes like public transit strikes that prevent workers from getting to work and many will work at home during that time being.
4. Join your teachers on the line!
If you can join your teachers on the line while striking for at least a day, even a hour means a lot. Stand in Solidarity with them, and seeing thier students and families show up for them by holding a sign, marching, or whatever else is needed, means so much. Dropping off food and waters are also huge support to your teachers! This is a great way to show some teacher appreciation!
5. Have a conversation with your kid about the potential strike.
Let your student/s know that a potential strike might happen at thier school site, and how that means their teachers are standing up for what they believe in and if there was any other way to not have a strike the teachers would have done it. Teachers only strike if there is no other possible way. Brainstorm ideas with your student how they can show solidarity with teachers, making that is baking cookies to give to teachers, buying water bottles, writing a personal letter, making signs, making plans to join the line if there is a strike.
6. Read these books with your kids.
Si, Se Puede! Yes, We Can!: Janitor Strike in L.A. By Diana Cohn and illustrated by Francisco Delgado.
Readaloud: https://youtu.be/0ygADdYZ624?si=hW5BeMbcpH3_G_Wf
Readaloud book only: https://youtu.be/uONnW5SoaGE?si=cTLXMmPXZY_mprvD
Journey for Justice: The Life of Larry Itliong by Dawn Bohulano Mabalon, Gayle Romasanta
Readaloud: https://youtu.be/jTl17BnAaPk?si=8nH96hGqTDeIqmcO
Viva’s Voice by Raquel Donoso, illustrated by Carlos Velez.
Readaloud: https://youtu.be/_4FIxkv_STM?si=6IlJ1BGh0VTL0Hz_
The Teachers March!: How Selma’s Teachers Changed History by Sandra Neil Wallace (Author), Rich Wallace (Author), Charly Palmer
Readaloud: https://youtu.be/z9rB5AAtiVQ?si=I9HOB33y3QakJvek
Alejandria Fights Back! / ¡La Lucha de Alejandria! by Leticia Hernández-Linares (Author), The Rise-Home Stories Project (Author), Robert Liu-Trujillo (Illustrator), Carla España (Translator) (BILINGUAL SPANISH)
Readaloud: https://youtu.be/adPhiVroya0?si=–Xq9ocRRRkdtOPN
I understand all these read alouds are in English, and may be limiting for the language your child reads and learns in. Please take this list as a beginning and feel free to find more books on Union power and organizing.
SF Based Parent Resources are listed below:
If you are a parent in SFUSD please email through this link: https://actionnetwork.org/letters/san-francisco-families-educators-and-community-demand-stable-schools-now?source=direct_link&
Please consider adopting a picket at your school site: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSelkCrL0Xp53Fbn8KEsejhJK9bSqYtR-l5uSG7zip2EpVM-KA/viewform