Educator's Day Out! OUSD Teachers Demand Justice for Oakland Teachers and Students

OAKLAND, Calif. - Dec. 9, 2018 - PRLog -- On Monday December 10th, 2018 teachers from Madison Park Academy Upper will join in with teachers across Oakland Unified School District (OUSD) to demand that OUSD prioritize teacher retention and access to student supports in order to maximize student success. Educators, students and community members will rally at Oakland City Hall, 1 Frank H. Ogawa Plaza Oakland, CA 94612, at 10:30 am.

For nearly 2 years, the Oakland Education Association has been bargaining with Oakland Unified School District for:

• A living wage so experienced teachers remain teaching in Oakland
• Smaller class sizes
• More student supports (nurses, counselors, psychologists, speech pathologists and resource specialists)

Although the district had a 30 million dollar surplus last year, it is claiming it cannot afford to make these improvements and invest in the success of OUSD students.

In comparison to other Alameda County school districts, on average, OUSD spends $67 million less on teachers and support service salaries. Additionally, the district spends $42 million more on consultants than the state average and $22 million more on administration than the county average. Essentially, OUSD spends $66 million more on expenses that do not directly impact student learning. Meanwhile, the total cost of the Oakland Education Association's proposal to the district is only $57.6 million ($24 million for teacher and support staff salaries, $18.4 million for smaller class sizes and $15.2 million for more student support).

Oakland Unified School District can and must do better. Oakland students deserve better. Oakland teachers demand better. We will continue to make our demands heard until OUSD ensures that students receive the best education possible and teachers receive the compensation we need to remain in Oakland, teaching the students we love.