McMahon is familiar with organizations built around an increasingly unstable man who is a genius at spinning story lines that inflame the crowd and damage enemies and institutions but, if you think too hard about them, don't necessarily add up to a coherent narrative.
This is really about trying to put power in the hands of people. There's 70% of workers who want a union, and 10% have them. If it were a company, they would figure out how to get the product into the hands of the 70% who wanted it.
The new contract covers July 1, 2025, through June 30, 2028, and was ratified by 99% of voting union members on March 23. The agreement includes a 3% retroactive raise for this school year, a 4% increase for next school year, and a one-time bonus of $600 to $1,000.
Over the past few weeks leading up to the teachers strike, Superintendent Maria Su repeatedly told the press and labor negotiators that dipping into the district's over $400 million reserves was, simply, "not an option." But projected spending shows that the district will significantly spend its reserves to pay for its labor agreements, potentially depleting its "restricted funding" by 2028.
Right now, OUSD educators are the lowest paid in the region, and as a result, the District loses nearly 400 hardworking, dedicated educators per year, costing the district $7.5 million annually, President Kampala Taiz-Rancifer said in a news release. This is a waste of resources, destabilizes classrooms, and especially hurts our most vulnerable students. Oakland educators have been in this fight for the schools our students deserve for a long timeand we remain committed to stabilizing our schools.
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.
Hundreds of teachers, students and residents descended upon the Dublin School Board meeting last week to demand the immediate firing of the district's superintendent amid districtwide budget cuts. Heather Campos, assistant superintendent of human resources, presented a proposal to potentially cut over 30 full-time positions and 12 substitute teacher jobs by March, due to what the district said is declining enrollment and budget shortfalls.
On Monday, the district presented a 2% raise for teachers next year, when the Palo Alto Educators' Association said they had requested 13%. But in a statement to the Daily Post, Austin said the 13% actually equates to an 28% increase, as the district factors in other benefits and compensations. Austin said the district's counter of 2% came from its analysis of what would be an appropriate cost of living increase.
