Education

School District Faces Conflict Over Teacher Pay and “Redesign” of Five Schools

Published

12 years ago

January 30, 2015

The Oakland Unified School District’s three new school board members and newly hired superintendent have taken their positions just as two of the district’s most protracted conflicts are coming to a head – poorly paid teachers who are demanding decent pay and job security, and communities at five schools that are fed up with district-led reorganizations that have repeatedly disrupted and destabilized their schools over the last decade.

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Most everyone agrees that Oakland’s teachers desperately need a raise. According to the teachers’ union, they are the lowest-paid in Alameda County and lowest-paid in the nine-county Bay Area.

As a result, the district has a 20 percent turnover rate each year, meaning the schools are stuck on a treadmill – hiring and recruiting mostly untrained teachers.

Angry teachers came out in force Wednesday night, marching down Park Boulevard to rally and speak at this week’s Board of Education meeting at La Escuelita Education Center.

In protest, teachers at many schools are staging a slowdown, called “work to rule,” coming at the beginning of the school day and leaving when school ends, not giving or correcting homework or doing any of the myriad other tasks they generally do.

Dancers support teachers at a rally at Wednesday’s school board meeting. Photo by Ken Epstein.

The district is offering a 10 percent raise over three years – 3 percent this year, starting in January; 3 percent next January; and 4 percent the following year, depending on the funds that come from the state.

Oakland Education Association (OEA) President Trish Gorham says the mid-year 3 percent raise this year does not keep up with the 3.25 percent other Bay Area teachers have received.

“That just makes us fall further behind,” she said.

Supt. Antwan Wilson responded to teachers at the meeting and in an email to the school community.

“We need to finalize these negotiations so that we can focus all of our energy on the work that is before us to ensure quality schools for all – and there is a lot of work to do,” he wrote.

“I remain committed to making Oakland the leader in attracting, retaining and rewarding the best talent,” he continued. “While this vision cannot be achieved overnight, it is possible.”

He pointed to the constraints the district is facing. “We can’t forget that California remains 46^th out of 50 states in per pupil spending.” Further, he said the district still has to pay $6 million per year to the state to repay the $100 million bailout OUSD received when it went into bankruptcy and was taken over by the state in 2003.

In addition to salaries, OEA President Gorham says teachers are concerned about the district’s desire to weaken teacher transfer provisions in the contract, allowing the administration to unilaterally and involuntarily transfer teachers from schools and weaken seniority rights to open positions.

The three high schools facing “redesign” this year – Fremont, McClymonds and Castlemont – were reconstituted three years ago, and every teacher had to reapply for their job.

Now the district is going to do it again, Gorham said. “Where is the analysis of what they did then? What is going to happen to the teachers who don’t want to leave their school sites and are forced to leave?”

The administration and the school board have admitted that they have to do a better job explaining their plans to “transform” five “failing” schools this year – Brookfield Elementary and Frick Middle schools, in addition to the two East Oakland and one West Oakland high schools.

Most everyone agrees that Oakland’s schools must make deep changes in order to improve graduation rates and post-secondary admission rates, particularly for African American and Latino students.

But questions and concerns remain. A group of students from Fremont High and other schools came to this week’s board meeting to oppose the plan. A group from the McClymonds community called on the district to explain what it is planning and to include the community in making the changes.

The districts plan calls for an open competition period to submit to school redesign proposals, starting in February. Charter schools and other outside organizations are eligible to apply to run the schools.

This approach was adopted by the school board in 2013 and re-approved in 2014 under the leadership of then Board President David Kakishiba and acting Supt Gary Yee. Supt. Wilson was hired to implement it.

District spokesman Troy Flint told the Post that no school would be forced to become a charter over community opposition. If a school is opposed to “the idea of charter, it would naturally follow that a charter proposal would not prevail in the selection process at that particular school,” he said.

State law permits groups of parents or teachers at individual schools to apply to become a charter, said Gorham. But the district is adopting a different approach: open up a competition for charters to submit applications, and the board and superintendent will make the decision.

According to Gorham and others, the district approach dooms the existing schools. “If you publically call them ‘failing schools,’ how many parents are going to enroll their kids in the schools next year?”

“It’s a self-fulfilling prophecy. You destabilize, reconstitute, and then you convert to charter,” said Gorham.

Instead, a number of the opponents of the plan say the district should listen respectfully with the school communities, find out what they need, and pour in resources and other support to make them schools that students want to attend and where parents want to send their children.

Flint denied that anyone at OUSD referred to the schools as failing.

“I’m not aware of anyone publicly referring to these schools as ‘failing schools’. Perhaps this was mentioned at a meeting I didn’t attend, but that’s not what we’ve been saying in our official communications,” he wrote to the Post. “We do refer to patterns of relatively low academic performance and under-enrollment.”

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Education

‘Raising a Child Shouldn’t Break the Bank’: California Is Helping Families Save on Childcare Costs

California has implemented new fee schedules and expanded programs to reduce the financial burden of childcare for families across the state. Under recent reforms, many households qualifying for subsidized care have seen their annual fees eliminated entirely. The state has also introduced universal transitional kindergarten and increased access to before- and after-school enrichment. Despite these investments in facilities and provider benefits, affordability remains a persistent challenge for many residents as the state works to bridge existing gaps in care. Read more.

Published

3 days ago

October 25, 2026

Post News Group

By Bo Tefu,, California Black Media

California families are paying less for subsidized childcare under new fee schedules introduced since 2019, according to information from the Public Policy Institute of California (PPIC).

The state has expanded subsidized childcare, introduced free transitional kindergarten for 4-year-olds, and increased access to before- and after-school programs as part of broader efforts to reduce the financial burden of raising children. However, childcare affordability remains a challenge for many families.

According to a PPIC chart cited by the administration, a family of three earning $60,000 annually would have paid approximately $7,000 a year in fees for full-time subsidized childcare under the 2019-20 schedule. Under the 2025-26 schedule, the annual fee is zero. The figures are adjusted for inflation.

“Raising a child shouldn’t break the bank,” Newsom said. He added that the state has lowered costs, expanded access to affordable care, and increased educational opportunities to help parents and children thrive.

Since 2019, California has added approximately 149,000 subsidized childcare slots and awarded 3,800 grants to providers to improve facilities and expand capacity. The state has also expanded before-and after-school care and summer programs for students in transitional kindergarten through sixth grade, offering activities such as homework assistance, arts, music, and science enrichment.

Universal transitional kindergarten is another major component of the state’s strategy. The free program is available to all 4-year-olds in California, providing early education while helping families avoid some childcare expenses. California enrolled 213,313 children in transitional kindergarten during the 2025-26 school year. The Newsom administration says the state has invested $12.5 billion since 2019 to implement the program statewide.

Other initiatives include expanding paid family leave from six weeks to eight weeks and increasing wage replacement for eligible workers.

Those earning less than $65,000 annually can receive up to 90% of their regular wages while on leave.

California has also provided free meals to public school students and established the CalKIDS savings program, which provides eligible children with accounts to help cover future college and career training expenses.

The state has further supported childcare providers through collective bargaining, committing more than $800 million to health, retirement, and training benefits for members of Child Care Providers United.

While these initiatives have expanded support for families, the PPIC figures specifically illustrate changes in subsidized childcare fees, not the full cost of care for every household. Ensuring that affordable, accessible childcare is available to families across income levels remains an ongoing challenge for California.

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Education

U.S. Rep. Simon Secures More Than $1 Million for Public Safety at Mills College at Northeastern University Oakland, Surrounding Neighborhood

This week, Congresswoman Lateefah Simon (CA-12) announced $1,031,000 in Community Project Funding (CPF) for Mills College at Northeastern University Oakland (MCNUO). This federal funding will be used to purchase new emergency blue-light phone towers and security cameras that will

Published

3 days ago

October 25, 2026

Post News Group

Flanked by students, holding the check to the college are (l.-r.) U.S. Rep Lateefah Simon, Renee Jadushlever and Dan Sachs of MCNUO and Oakland Mayor Barbara Lee. Courtesy photo.

By Special to The Post

Simon announced the funding alongside Oakland Mayor Barbara Lee, Dean of Northeastern University Oakland Dan Sachs, Associated Vice President for Global Site Security Regina Coppa, and other Northeastern University leadership. This federal investment is part of Simon’s commitment to bringing federal resources back to the East Bay and supporting students, educators, and educational institutions who are creating the next generation of leaders in the East Bay.

This Community Project Funding (CPF) is a part of the $11.2 million that Simon secured for 15 projects across the East Bay in Fiscal Year 2026. Each fiscal year, members of Congress can submit Community Project Funding requests for consideration with the House Committee on Appropriations.

“Mills College at Northeastern University is one of the jewels of Oakland. I came to this campus as a student and young, single mother and walked these paths with my child. I know this campus is home to far more than a university.

“It is home to the little ones at the preschool, the girls at Julia Morgan, the neighbors who swim in the pool and walk the trail, and the faculty and workers who keep it all running,” Simon said. “This funding invests in every one of them and in the simple things that make a place safe: light, open paths, updated equipment like call booths.

“NE’s leadership is committed to a campus that takes responsibility for its neighbors as much as its own. Safety is a public good, and that is exactly the kind of investment Oakland deserves. Thank you to Mayor Barbara Lee for her partnership on this funding.”

“This campus changed my life when I came here as a single mother on public assistance, and this million-dollar investment continues that legacy of support by keeping our students, families, and neighbors safe,” said Mayor Barbara Lee. “Before leaving Congress, I requested federal funding for this project, and I am deeply grateful to Congresswoman Lateefah Simon for carrying it forward so we can build the safe, thriving community Oakland deserves.”

“We’re grateful to Congresswoman Lateefah Simon for her leadership in securing this funding for our Oakland campus,” said Renee Jadushlever, vice president for Campus Administration and Strategic Initiatives at Northeastern University. “It’s a place where students learn, do research, build community, and gain real-world experience with our industry partners across the region. This investment will help maintain the safety of our campus community while we continue to welcome our neighbors and deepen our connections across Oakland.”

U.S. Rep. Lateefah Simon’s media relations office is the source of this story.

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Community

WCCUSD Joins Statewide Organic School Food Purchasing Cooperative

Other districts involved include: Alameda USD, Albany USD, Berkeley USD, Capistrano USD, Cupertino Union SD, Hayward USD, Laguna Beach USD, Lagunitas Elementary SD, Mt. Diablo USD, North Monterey County USD, Pajaro Valley USD, San Leandro USD, San Ramon Valley USD, Santa Clara USD, Sausalito Marin City SD, Tahoe-Truckee USD and West Contra Costa USD.

Published

2 weeks ago

October 13, 2026

Post News Group

West Contra Costa Unified School District food services team members pose for a photo at Back-to-School Night. Photo courtesy of WCCUSD.

By Richmond Standard Staff

Seventeen California public school districts, including West Contra Costa Unified (WCCUSD), have joined a purchasing cooperative to pool their buying power and expand access to organic food in school meals.

The nonprofit Conscious Kitchen recently announced the launch of the Conscious Organic School Food Purchasing Cooperative. Its founding districts serve more than 300,000 students combined.

The cooperative partnered with food distributors UNFI and Sysco to expand the organic products available to participating districts. Combining schools’ purchasing demand helps distributors plan with suppliers while creating more dependable markets for organic farmers and food makers, according to Conscious Kitchen.

Other eligible California school districts can access the cooperative’s products and pricing through its existing contracts without conducting their own bids. Mt. Diablo Unified School District serves as the lead district for the cooperative’s grocery bid.

Barbara Jellison, WCCUSD’s executive director of food services, said the cooperative builds on years of work bringing fresh, organic food into school kitchens.

“The next challenge has always been how to make that possible for more districts,” Jellison said. “The Co-op gives schools a way to take what we have learned and move it to a completely different scale.”