Alameda County superintendent of schools warns that Oakland Unified can’t afford its new teacher contract unless it finds $30 million in cuts it has yet to identify.
This Board seems determined to activate the tripwire to put OUSD back under State oversight. It seems calculated as the last time that happened the district got a $100 million loan. These board members seem to be betting on another bailout so their buddies can get their raises at the expense of local control.
Sooo, seems to me that it was a huge conflict of interest to elect Valarie Bachelor to the school board (serving since January 2023), while she was still the Lead Organizer for California’s Teachers Union CFT (until June 2024).
Mike Hutchinson has been ostracized for his stands, yet he is the one who should be listened to! The only one who understands the budget and has called out the board members who have created a budget based on wishful thinking.
Malla— Thank you for your comment. According to public records, the OEA teachers union spent nearly $250,000 to elect OUSD board members over the past two election cycles:
Jennifer Brouhard (2022): $31,421
Valarie Bachelor (2022): $29,416
Rachel Latta (2024): $48,531
VanCedric Williams (2024): $63,076
OEA also spent a total $67,028 across those two elections on other candidates who did not win.
The top two officials at OUSD (board president and superintendent) are former leaders in the OEA teachers union:
Jennifer Brouhard. Before her election to the school board in 2022, Brouhard held prominent leadership roles in OEA, including three terms on the OEA executive board and one term as OEA secretary, in addition to many years as an OEA school site representative.
Denise Saddler. Before Saddler was named OUSD’s interim superintendent, she served six years as the president of OEA.
Read more about these connections in our April 30 article, “The elephant in the classroom.”
This Board seems determined to activate the tripwire to put OUSD back under State oversight. It seems calculated as the last time that happened the district got a $100 million loan. These board members seem to be betting on another bailout so their buddies can get their raises at the expense of local control.
Sooo, seems to me that it was a huge conflict of interest to elect Valarie Bachelor to the school board (serving since January 2023), while she was still the Lead Organizer for California’s Teachers Union CFT (until June 2024).
Mike Hutchinson has been ostracized for his stands, yet he is the one who should be listened to! The only one who understands the budget and has called out the board members who have created a budget based on wishful thinking.
Malla— Thank you for your comment. According to public records, the OEA teachers union spent nearly $250,000 to elect OUSD board members over the past two election cycles:
Jennifer Brouhard (2022): $31,421
Valarie Bachelor (2022): $29,416
Rachel Latta (2024): $48,531
VanCedric Williams (2024): $63,076
OEA also spent a total $67,028 across those two elections on other candidates who did not win.
The top two officials at OUSD (board president and superintendent) are former leaders in the OEA teachers union:
Jennifer Brouhard. Before her election to the school board in 2022, Brouhard held prominent leadership roles in OEA, including three terms on the OEA executive board and one term as OEA secretary, in addition to many years as an OEA school site representative.
Denise Saddler. Before Saddler was named OUSD’s interim superintendent, she served six years as the president of OEA.
Read more about these connections in our April 30 article, “The elephant in the classroom.”
https://www.oaklandreport.org/p/the-elephant-in-the-classroom
The city could just cut all instruction expenses down to "reading, 'rising, and 'rithmatic" AND fire 2/3s of the overpaid high-salary administrators!