Evicting a teacher during the school year could become illegal if a San Francisco supervisor gets his way.
Under a new proposed ordinance, teachers who live and work in San Francisco could not be forced out of their homes for reasons beyond their control. But for a gym teacher at a Bernal Heights school, it might be too late.
Allison Leshefsky may soon be forced to leave her beloved job as a P.E. teacher at Paul Revere Elementary School.
“It’s been a devastating year. Things are really up in the air. It’s heartbreaking for me. I’ve put a lot of work and effort into my job here and would like to stay,” Leshefsky said.
About four months ago, the 34-year-old was told to get out of her Castro apartment where she had lived for 10 years because her landlord wanted to make capital improvements to the property.
“I make around $60,000 a year,” Leshefsky said. “The only reason I was able to stay in SF and teach was because of rent control.
That’s why SF Supervisor David Campos is proposing to amend the city’s administrative code to prevent educators from certain no-fault evictions during the school year.
“A full-time credentialed teacher makes about $3,500 a month. Well, that's the price of a one-bedroom apartment in SF,” said Campos.
“When our teachers hurt our students hurt,” said Ken Tray, political director for United Educators of San Francisco.
Tray is a retired social studies teacher. He says last year the teacher shortage was bad with 500 positions open. He says this year it will be even worse.
“It’s the projection that there'll be 700 positions open at the end of this school year. The district is saying it's going to have to scramble over the summer to fill it,” said Tray.
Leshefsky may have to resign and move out of state if she can’t find a reasonable rent. Right now she’s crashing on a friend’s couch in Oakland.
“That's certainly not adequate; not knowing where I’m going to sleep from night to night and when I would come to work, my mind needs to be here my heart needs to be here and I need to be here for the students,” Leshefsky said.
Now that the ordinance has made it past the committee, it will head to the Board of Supervisors on April 5th, It must be approved by the mayor before it goes into effect in one month.