Oakland teachers avert strike, reach tentative deal with OUSD

"This contract reflects a newfound commitment by the OUSD superintendent and school board to prioritize resources toward classrooms. The agreement includes smaller caseloads for school counselors, a book allowance for teacher librarians, and improved workloads for school nurses, representing gains across multiple educator categories and support roles."

"We've been doing community meetings for the last few weeks and what we've heard over and over again is that parents and the community want to support our teachers and want to avoid a strike. I think we were able to do both, reflecting the district's effort to balance community support with fiscal constraints."

"OUSD's most senior teachers will get a 13% pay increase over two years, while all other educators will see an 11% raise. Special education teachers, early childhood educators, nurses, and social workers will get additional salary increases, addressing differentiated compensation needs across the educator workforce."

The Oakland Education Association and Oakland Unified School District concluded contract negotiations early Friday morning with a new agreement. Senior teachers receive a 13% pay increase over two years, while other educators get 11%, exceeding the union's initial 14% request. Special education teachers, early childhood educators, nurses, and social workers receive additional salary increases. The contract also includes reduced caseloads for school counselors, book allowances for teacher librarians, and improved workloads for school nurses. The agreement represents approximately $65 million in costs, though district officials have not specified funding sources. The district faces a projected $102 million deficit for the next school year.

Read at The Oaklandside