She arrived as a well-respected white knight in a time of crisis. Now, as the embattled head of a school district in the midst of its first teachers strike in nearly half a century, Superintendent Maria Su is facing increasing scrutiny that has turned personal — and nasty.
Thousands of public school teachers picketed for a second day Tuesday after months of bitter contract negotiations. Slogans, chants, and picket signs touched on familiar topics: higher pay, better benefits, and fully staffed schools. But many took direct aim at the superintendent herself.
Under drizzling rain in Dolores Park, Jennifer Erskine-Ogden, an eighth grade science teacher at Presidio Middle School, held a sign reading: “Is this rain or Maria Su’s crocodile tears pretending she cares about our kids?”…