Cranky Teacher’s post reminded me to check in on the teacher contract negotiations, and I can attest to the accuracy of his statement (not that I ever doubted it).

The school district did, earlier this month, present salary cuts and reduced “prep” time for teachers as one way to cut the budget by $23 million, said OUSD spokesman Troy Flint. And, I should note, the three-year budget projections presented last week by CFO Leon Glaster included no changes to the salary schedule.

That’s a far cry from the 20 percent raises proposed by the teacher’s union. Here’s an excerpt from bargaining update sent out to teachers late last week:

The SA team presented its proposal including these blockbusters:
• “Rolling back” salaries and possibly freezing positions on the salary schedule.
• Allowing site administrators at secondary schools the “flexibility” to assign teachers six teaching periods per day—a 20% increase in workload
• Providing elementary teachers with only one—unstaffed—prep per week, and eliminating staffed prep.

School board members appear to differ on the role they should play in these inevitably tense negotiations. Read the rest of this entry »

The teacher’s unions in Oakland, Fremont, Hayward and San Leandro — among others — have decided to stand with their trade union friends who sweep the floors, answer phones, help classroom teachers and build things.

The move to join the AFL-CIO was announced this afternoon. Sharon Cornu, of the Alameda Labor Council, tells me it will create more leverage for teachers and other employees in Oakland’s upcoming contract negotiations, and that the various groups of workers will now “speak with one voice.”

The Oakland Education Association is still a part of the National Education Association, but a recent agreement between the NEA and the AFL-CIO allowed local bargaining units to link directly to the mammoth union federation.

What difference do you think this affiliation will make in the way teachers and other workers are represented? Does everyone agree it’s a good idea? How do you think it will play into the contract negotiations?

image from daily.dose’s site at flickr.com/creativecommons

Unlike the teacher’s union, which is asking for a 20 percent raise for all of its members in the next contract, the Oakland school district isn’t throwing out any numbers.

But the district is broaching some controversial topics in its proposal, including one that teachers and districts across the country grapple with.

One provision of particular significance to teachers, as well as students, is commonly known as “bumping rights.” A teacher who loses her job during a school closure, for example, would have hiring priority at the OUSD school of her choosing, based on seniority.

The district wants to give principals greater freedom to hire the teachers they want — including those outside the district – earlier in the year. Teachers would still have rights to a position at another school, but it wouldn’t necessarily be their top choice.

The New Teacher Project published a report on the subject, titled Unintended Consequences.

I’m anxious to hear what you think.

Sunshining, to be exact.

The district airs its first proposal for the next teacher contract at Wednesday night’s board meeting.

The teacher’s union, which publicly announced its demands already, will formally do so as well.

 The Wednesday evening gathering at 1025 Second Avenue includes a report on how the guv’s proposed budget cuts would affect OUSD, and details of a new incentive plan for substitute teachers.

And here’s something I haven’t seen in my three years covering education: Read the rest of this entry »

I just finished writing a really long story about the Oakland teacher’s union’s first contract proposal, so I’ll be concise. Here is what the OEA wants:

• A 20 percent increase in the salary schedule (a starting teacher’s salary would be closer to $48,000, rather than just below $40,000).
• More teachers. Only 15 students per teacher in the district’s lowest-scoring schools. Classes of 20 everywhere else.
• Smaller case loads for nurses, counselors and special education staff.
• Academic flexibility. Pacing guides would be optional, not mandatory.

Some of you liked the “shoots for the moon” title (and photo), and others Read the rest of this entry »

It seems like just yesterday that the Oakland school district settled on a teacher contract on the eve of a planned one-day strike…

Lest you grow all misty eyed about the small patch of common ground found at the last minute, I’m here to tell you that the next round of negotiations is about to begin. The hard-fought contract expires in June.

I met today with OEA president Betty Olson-Jones and executive board member Jack Gerson to discuss the union’s opening proposals, which will be divulged at a Thursday afternoon press conference.

“How are we going to recruit and retain teachers without making dramatic changes?” Gerson asked. “If we keep the status quo, where will we be? Where’s the city going to be? Who’s going to want to walk out on the street?”

I promised not to `scoop’ them by blabbing the details, but I can tell you this: The next few months (hopefully, not longer) should be very interesting.

image from aloshbennett’s Web site at flickr.com