Friday was day seven on the Oakland teachers strike, with frustration growing on all sides and very little information about what comes next.
“There is still energy, I’m still pumped,” said Manny Lopez, an Oakland Unified School District teacher.
The last time Oakland teachers went on strike in 2019, they agreed to go back to the classroom on the seventh day. While the reasons for striking this year are somewhat different, largely focused on pay and so-called “common good proposals” teachers say their commitment is the same.
“I just want movement,” said Lopez. “The district has a long history of dragging their feet. I’ve experienced that in my 27 years teaching here.”
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Hundreds of teachers and supporters marched down 12th Street saying that they’re committed and energized to getting what they say is a fair contract.
“We have even more teachers on the line then we did in 2019 which I think shows how much things need to change,” said teacher and parent Chloe Rutter-Jensen.
Under their common good proposals, educators continue to ask for more staffing, facility repairs, and a significant increase in resources for unhoused students.
“They really need to be providing more at the table, listening to the community needs and what we have been asking for from day one,” said teacher Mayra Alvarado.
“I believe having my child in the Oakland Unified School District shows that my commitment isn’t just to raise my salary. I'm here for the betterment of my own child's education,” said Rutter-Jensen.
Not all district parents agree. An online petition started by Oakland Reach, a local parent organization, now has over 800 signatures asking OUSD to consider legal action to force teachers off the picket lines.
California Superintendent of Public Instruction, Tony Thurmond is acting as the mediator between the district and teachers union
“My number one job, keep them talking, keep them talking,” he said.
Thurmond explained that since 2019, more districts have implemented common good proposals adding with help of state funding
“We can all win and we can find an agreement that compensates educators the way they deserve to be compensated,” said Thurmond. “That we can find a way to provide programs that support students who have been disadvantaged and we can do it in a way that we prioritize getting our students back into the classroom.”
