Oakland teachers avert strike as district prepares hundreds of layoffs

By Da Lin

A teacher strike in Oakland has been averted after the teachers’ union and the school district reached a tentative agreement on Friday morning, preventing disruptions for students and families.

While the deal includes pay raises for educators, the Oakland Unified School District is preparing to lay off hundreds of teachers as it attempts to close a major budget deficit and fund the new contract.

The school board voted this week to lay off 421 educators for the upcoming school year, while another 144 positions will have reduced hours as part of an effort to cut roughly $100 million from the district’s budget.

At Castlemont High School in East Oakland, students said they are worried about how the layoffs could affect their education.

“It sucks ’cause there’s a lot of good teachers here,” said sophomore Yuri McCladdie.

McCladdie said the underserved campus already struggles with limited resources and fears further cuts could make conditions worse.

“These past couple of years, Castlemont, the resources have just gotten a lot worse,” McCladdie said. “I’m praying it gets better.”

District data and test scores show Castlemont is among the lowest-performing schools in Oakland. Based on attendance records, district officials believe the school could experience some of the most significant staffing reductions.

Jennifer Brouhard, president of the Oakland Unified School District Board and a longtime Oakland teacher, said layoffs are unavoidable given the district’s financial situation.

“I was pink-slipped a few years ago. And I’ve been in the district for a while when it happened,” Brouhard said. “So I was not expecting it. It’s very hard. You don’t know, should I look for another job, should I stay? It’s very unsettling.”

She said the district must make deep cuts to remain financially solvent.

“The need for districts and unions to come together and get more money from the state,” Brouhard said. “I think it’s also an issue of state funding.”

Both district leaders and the Oakland Education Association said they were relieved to reach a tentative agreement and avoid a strike. Under the proposed contract, senior teachers would receive a 13% pay raise over two years, while mid-career and new educators would see an 11% increase.

Oakland Education Association President Kampala Taiz-Rancifer called the agreement “a community win, for trying to create the stability that we know that our students really deserve.”

However, Taiz-Rancifer criticized the planned layoffs, calling them unnecessary.

“We have over 400 educators that leave the district every year, so it actually just doesn’t make sense mathematically,” Taiz-Rancifer said.

Back at Castlemont High School, students said the uncertainty surrounding teachers has been difficult.

“It’s tough for us in the future. It really hurts to see teachers that have been here for years, months, it really hurts to see them get cut,” said freshman Vai Lapota.

Despite the challenges, McCladdie said students remain proud of their school.

“I had a couple of people say to my face, this school is trash. But it’s not. It’s a great school,” McCladdie said.

Teachers are expected to vote in the coming weeks on whether to ratify the tentative agreement. Meanwhile, the district must issue all 421 layoff notices by March 15.