San Francisco Schools Superintendent Maria Hsu faced criticism recently after being perceived as shedding “crocodile tears” during talks about school closures stemming from teachers’ strikes. Many noted her $385,000 salary while she opts to send her own children to private school.
This week, Hsu came under fire as public school teachers in the Bay Area went on strike for better pay and benefits. The strike concluded on Friday.
During the discussions surrounding the strike, which had significant implications for students in need, Hsu became visibly emotional. Interestingly, she earns five times more than a teacher with a decade of experience.
When asked about the disparity in her salary compared to teachers, she sidestepped the issue and also refrained from addressing questions about her children’s private education. “I’m a mother and I have children. I understand the significance of education,” Hsu stated.
She acknowledged, “It’s crucial for teachers to receive a fair and livable wage,” emphasizing the high cost of living in the city.
While teachers rallied on San Francisco’s picket lines for almost a week, Hsu secured a 5% salary increase for them over two years, along with approved medical requests and full contributions for dependents.
Teachers showed little kindness towards Hsu during the strike. One protestor’s sign, displayed on a rainy Tuesday, questioned, “Are these rains, or Maria Hsu’s crocodile tears, pretending to care about our children?”
Jennifer Erskine Ogden, a local eighth-grade science teacher, expressed her frustration, sharing, “Please let me rest. That’s just a fake.”
Hsu isn’t the only prominent figure in the city advocating for public education while sending their children to costly private schools. Saikat Chakrabarty, a tech billionaire and left-wing political candidate, has also campaigned for teachers’ unions, despite enrolling his children in private institutions with tuition that can exceed $60,000 annually.
Moreover, Christine Pelosi, daughter of Representative Nancy Pelosi and a state Senate candidate, was spotted supporting the teachers—her own children also receive private education.
