J. ------------------ Steve Miller wrote: I am an Oakland teacher in my 24th year in flatland schools, currently teaching science at Life Academy on 25th. I have been through both the 86 and the 96 strike. This is my understanding about costs.
The district actually makes money. In past strikes, they claim 100% ADA and keep it. This exceeds any costs they have for subs. [who will be getting $300/day]
It is a fair question to ask, as teachers often do, what is the advantage of striking then? We are striking because the District constantly operates in an adversarial relationship to teachers.
For example, the District spends some $88 million for outside consultants, but claims there is no money for teachers. Most of these outside consultants provide what teachers themselves used to provide. We called it "in-service", teachers and administrators from within the district training each other.
Many of these consultants are hired at huge expense to teach teachers how to get their kids to score better on standardized tests. The OEA has stated that every elementary school has one such person. 5th graders in Oakland must take 11 standardized tests. That's one about every 3 weeks. Given that teachers are now expected to teach to the test, this leaves little time for real curriculum.
Oakland has also violated state law 4 out of the past 5 years by paying teachers less than the level required by law. This is 55% of all state income. The District has also recieved a 21%+ increase in Cost of Living, since the take-over in 2003. None of this money goes to teachers, who have a 1.4% increase in all this time. The District often claims that most of its expenses are salaries.
Oakland receives much more money than other districts its size, and pays teachers the least in Alameda county. It is fair to ask where the money is going.
Given this, and given the fact that the Districts negotiates to achieve victory, rather than solve problems, Oakland teachers are angry. Our working conditions are your childrens' learning conditions. I don't know if last year Oakland had a 30% turn-over in teachers (certainly not good for kids), but this has been common in the last few years. The district doesn't like to publicize this number.
The best guarantees of a good education are real teams of teachers at each school, that have learned to work as a team, that set goals and are held accountable by the community and by themselves. Driving teachers out to "save money", and then lavish it on high-priced administrators is not a very successful approach.
We understand that we need the support of parents and the community. This makes the strike a political strike. We aren't going to win by hurting our employer by witholding our labor. We are striking to make a point about the stubborness of the District and the serious reduction in the quality of education in this District.
For example, is it really good that 5th graders take all these tests? Is it really necessary? What about the District's change to all day kindergarten (no more naps), so, as they tell us, the kids can learn to bubble in test documents? How exactly is this good for kids?
Teachers, parents and the Oakland community should use this situation to have a thorough discussion of what's really going on in Oakland schools. The teachers have agreed to demand to reduce class size; the District wants to increase it significantly to levels the state sets.
There are many reasons why teachers have chosen the bargaining stance of "Quality Education is a Civil Right". These include changes in Flatland schools, since the state takeover, like virtually eliminating libraries, no other foreign language than Spanish, a ration of nurses to students of over 1: 1200, and the constant, constant standardized testing.
I hope that all of us can use this time to hold the broadest discussions of the issues.
Steven Miller Life Academy