Schools
Oakland Teachers Hit The Picket Lines
The report indicates the strike will impact 34,000 students.
CREDIT: ANDREW REED / EDSOURCEOakland Unified teachers picket outside West Oakland Middle School on May 4, 2023.
This story was updated at 7:45 May 4.
Markedly higher pay tops an ambitious list of contract demands by Oakland teachers who hit the picket lines early Thursday, impacting more than 34,000 students.
Although the negotiations between the district and the union are getting closer on salary, they remain far apart, sources say.
On Monday the district proposed a new salary schedule that would give TK-12 teachers varying pay increases depending on their experience and education level, as well as an ongoing 10% raise retroactive to November of last year, and a one-time $5,000 bonus. According to the district, first-year teachers would see their pay increase from $52,905 this school year to $63,604 next school year, with most teachers receiving at least a 13% salary increase.
An EdSource analysis shows that Oakland has among the lowest-paid mid-career teachers statewide. Of the state’s 22 largest school districts that filed teacher pay data with the state, Oakland ranks 20 in actual pay and 22 in pay adjusted for local cost of living. Three did not file. Among the largest districts, the highest pay for mid-career teachers is Garden
