The Oakland school district officials and its teachers union have been at the same bargaining table in recent weeks, but the two sides don’t seem to be operating in the same reality — one flush with cash, the other overdrawn by $4 million a month and on the brink of bankruptcy.
The union has asked for a 9% raise retroactive to July 1, with another 5% raise next year, with additional increases for counselors, social workers and specialized teachers, with reductions to class sizes and case loads as well as more teacher prep time, which means hiring hundreds more teachers and other staff.
Based on current staffing levels and average salaries for the nearly 3,000 members in the union, the raises would likely increase district costs by about $50 million per year and significantly more for the additional requests, which also include three days leave for teachers who are attacked or verbally threatened…