Give Teachers the Raise They Deserve and

Demand the State Forgive the Debt that It Ran Up

From Superintendent Wilson’s February 11th, “Teacher Contract Negotiations Update”:

OEA has put forward something that is very similar to the salary increase from 2000-2002 that contributed to District bankruptcy and State takeover…

OEA Proposes 20% Salary Increase: Memories of Receivership

OEA’s proposes [sic] a total salary increase of approximately 20% phased in over 3 years, 2014-15 through 2016-17. This proposal is reminiscent of the approximately 20% increase between 2000 and 2002 that set the stage for the District to lose local control, enter state receivership, and take a $100 million loan from the state against which we must still make $6m annual repayments.

Mr. Wilson’s misleading analogy is historically inaccurate and it either mistakenly or purposefully implicates Oakland teachers in the District’s past financial problems.  It also undermines Mr. Wilson’s own stated goal…