February 19, 2019

Being an Oakland teacher is a really tough job.

Oakland teachers are the among the lowest paid teachers in Alameda County. Each year, nearly 20% of all teachers leave Oakland Unified School District – double the national average – because of low pay and the lack of school resources to address persistent life challenges faced by many of our children. Teachers have been working under an expired contract since July 2017.

This is not how Oakland should support its children.

EBAYC believes Oakland Unified School District can do better . . . much better.

EBAYC believes Oakland’s best hope in providing every child a high-quality education rests with our teachers. This means Oakland Unified School District must make teachers its number one spending priority. Oakland teachers’ salaries must correspond to the demanding working environment teachers face in their classrooms; Oakland teachers should be supported with additional time and resources to address the needs of the whole child; and Oakland teachers should represent the most stable and productive workforce of all Bay Area school districts.

To do so, the Board of Education must align the school district’s budget to its mission and values, and evaluate continued spending on programs, offices, and departments that have little impact on the classroom; lead the organization of large scale funding partnerships with the City of Oakland and County of Alameda to provide integrated support services in schools; and organize and advocate for increased State funding to public schools.

EBAYC Board of Directors and employees are in full support of Oakland teachers in their current contract negotiations with the Oakland Unified School District Board of Education. We hope these late-stage negotiations will result in both parties reaching a fair contract agreement, without having our teachers needing to go on strike.