USA-SAN FRANCISCO/TEACHERS-STRIKE

San Francisco teachers who have been on strike over wages and family health benefits have reached a tentative agreement with the school district. The San Francisco Unified School District says schools will reopen to staff Friday and to students Wednesday. District officials planned a news conference later Friday to share details on the agreement. The strike by about 6,000 public schoolteachers started Monday, marking the city's first such walkout in nearly 50 years. The district had closed all 120 of its schools and offered independent study to some of its 50,000 students. Teachers were demanding higher wages, more health benefits, and more resources for students with special needs.

California has seen a coordinated wave of teacher strikes and strike threats as unions push for higher pay. In the past few months, teachers have walked out in places like San Francisco and West Contra Costa. Others have voted to strike or held rallies. Leaders at the California Teachers Association say districts have aligned contract deadlines to build pressure and win public attention. Districts say money is tight. Enrollment is down and pandemic relief funds have ended. Experts warn raises could trigger cuts to programs or layoffs. With the strike settled in San Francisco, parents there worry about what cuts might follow.