As of 5:30 am, about 2,700 Oakland school teachers--just about the whole teaching staff in Oakland, according to KGO, are out on strike for a one day action calling attention to their fight to provide better pay and working conditions for teachers. The Oakland Unified School District agree this pay is too low, but says they cannot pay more because of an $85 million deficit -- despite the district cutting over $40 million from the budget over the past two years.

Some of the teachers' key points:

• OUSD spends nearly 20 percent of its budget on consultants, subcontractors and related outside vendors, twice the rate of all other Alameda County school districts.
• Oakland teachers are among the lowest-paid in the county,
• There have been  two years of contract negotiation without agreement
• No real cost of living salary increases since 2003
• The proposed contract  suggests that increased class sizes, school program cuts, and no raises could all happen

To learn more and to take action, check out the resources and links below:

$5 Double-Feature with Free Popcorn Today: The Grand Lake Theatre Helps out on Strike Day

Oakland Teachers on Strike Today For Better Pay, Discussions Date Back to 2008

Source materials to look at:

OEA Fact Finding Report (scribd)

OUSD strike packet (scribd)

Resolution of the Board of Education on Strike (Scribd)

Comments worth a read:

Greater Oakland Public Schools  "Great Oakland (GO) Public Schools agrees wholeheartedly with the OEA and OUSD leadership that teacher compensation in Oakland needs to increase to be competitive with other districts and to attract and retain effective teachers."

Robert Gammon, EB Express: Why I am sending my kid to school during the teacher's strike

Take Action

If you want to join teachers on the picket lines this morning, here's where to go:
Oakland Technical High School, 4351 Broadway, 94611
Oakland High School, 1023 MacArthur Boulevard, 94610
Edna Brewer Middle School, 3748 13th Ave., 94610
Bret Harte Middle School, 3700 Coolidge Ave., 94602
Glenview Elementary, 4215 La Cresta Ave., 94602
New Highland Academy, 8521 A Street, 94621

Picketing will also be all day at OUSD offices, 1025 Second Ave., 94606.

NOON COMMUNITY RALLY: Educators, parents and other supporters will march to their nearest BART stations to ride to Frank Ogawa Plaza at Oakland City Hall for a noon to 2 p.m. rally. Speakers will include parents, teachers, lawmakers and Alameda County Central Labor Council Executive Director Sharon Cornu. Teachers will  resume picketing at school sites from 2-4 p.m.

STRIKE HEADQUARTERS: The offices of the Oakland Education Association, 272 East 12th Street, Oakland, 94606. Phone: 510-763-4020.

So, do you support this strike? Are your kids home? Are you hitting the picket line? There's a good discussion happening on our Facebook Page--post here or join us over there and share your views.