By: Brett Myers and Orlando Campbell
"The vast majority of teachers didn't show up for work today," according to Troy Flint, spokesperson for the Oakland Unified School District (OUSD). That's good news good news for the Oakland teacher's union which says 91% of city teachers participated in today's strike.
With some exceptions, Oakland public schools have a notorious reputation. So much so that the state ceded control of the district in 2003 after the California Legislature passed a $100 million bailout for the insolvent school system. To make matters worse, the city regained control in June 2009, amid a crushing statewide budget crisis, which Flint says makes it "impossible for OUSD to pay teachers what they deserve."
The struggle between teachers and administrators is emblematic of a statewide problem, but both sides agree that the problems in Oakland are a little bit worse. Teachers here are already the lowest
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