Good morning, class! Today's the first day of the school year for the San Francisco public schools. Mmmm, smell the chalk in the air!

Test scores are up, Ackerman's raise was approved by a trial court -- things are good over at the San Francisco Unified School District. One problem, though: some union workers are staging a one-day sickout over their labor negotiations for raises. The school district wouldn't say how many people were out today, but volunteers will be staffing the principal's office at Malcolm X Elementary and there may not be hot lunches today if enough people are out (though the schools will give out sandwiches). This is not an officially union-sanctioned action, though the union is taking the position that if people are sick, they're sick.

Also in honor of today, the Chron's got an article that follows three kids who went to the same preschool, didn't do so well in the school lottery system, and are now at three different elementary schools -- a public school teacher who's sending her child to an expensive private school, the Protestant family who's enrolled at a Catholic school after they decided the public school wasn't working for their child, and one family who's thrilled with their public school despite its middling-level test scores. The article's fascinating -- we hope the Chron keeps following these kids throughout the year.

How'd you take the first day of school as a kid? What's your thoughts about the SFUSD? Share with the class!