Oakland Teachers on Strike DAY 2: Fighting for Better Pay and Services
Billionaires Fight for Profitable Charter Schools
It's no secret that public education in California is underfunded. But what's even more alarming is the fact that billionaires pushing for school choice are attacking the system in favor of charter schools. And nowhere is this more evident than in Oakland, where teachers have been on strike for two days now.
The Oakland School District has been negotiating with the Oakland Education Association since November of last year. The teachers are seeking better pay, more services for students with disabilities, additional mental health services, and smaller classrooms. Seems reasonable, right? Well, not according to the district.
The district claims that it has offered a historic pay raise of over $69 million, which would give most teachers a 22 percent pay raise and a $5,000 bonus. But the teachers are not satisfied. They want other issues resolved, such as getting transportation for all students and ending student homelessness.
The district says that these are good issues but ones that it can't resolve alone. Enter the state superintendent of public instruction, Tony Thurmond, who will be mediating between both sides. It's not the first time Thurmond has had to step in. He also mediated during the 2019 teacher strike.
But what's really going on here? Why are teachers striking? The answer is simple: underfunding. California ranks near the bottom in per-pupil spending, and Oakland is no exception. The district simply does not have the resources to meet all of the teachers' demands.
And that's where the billionaires come in. They see an opportunity to push their agenda of school choice and charter schools. They want to privatize education and turn it into a profit-making venture. But at what cost?
Charter schools are not a panacea. In fact, many studies have shown that they often perform no better than traditional public schools and sometimes worse. And they often exacerbate the problem of underfunding by draining resources from public schools.
So why are billionaires so eager to promote charter schools? The answer is simple: they stand to profit from them. Charter schools are often run by for-profit companies, and these companies are more concerned with their bottom line than with providing quality education.
But the real losers in this battle are the students. They are the ones who suffer when public education is underfunded and when resources are diverted to charter schools. They are the ones who deserve better.
So let's support our teachers in Oakland and across California. Let's demand that our public schools receive the funding they need to provide a quality education for all students. And let's reject the billionaires' agenda of school choice and charter schools. Our kids deserve nothing less.
Oakland teachers strike enters Day 2 https://www.kron4.com/news/bay-area/oakland-teachers-strike-enters-day-2/