Leadership Transition

The Oakland Unified School District Board of Education has voted to appoint Dr. Denise Saddler as interim superintendent for the 2025-26 school year, effective July 1, 2025.

Dr. Saddler is a veteran Bay Area educator with more than 40 years of service. Her Oakland résumé spans classroom teaching, principalship at Chabot Elementary, and leadership as Network Executive Officer overseeing 15 North and West Oakland schools. She later guided district-wide community engagement and school transitions, and for six years served as President of the Oakland Education Association, strengthening labor-management collaboration. Regionally, she broadened her perspective as Assistant Superintendent of Education Services for Berryessa Union School District, launching the "Berryessa University" professional-learning initiative across 13 TK-8 campuses. Most recently, Dr. Saddler sat on the community advisory committee that recommended naming OUSD's new administrative headquarters the Dr. Marcus A. Foster Leadership Center and its main conference room for Dr. Foster, ensuring the legacy of the district's first Black superintendent is honored in the heart of West Oakland.

The Board is now finalizing contract terms with Dr. Saddler. While those discussions are underway, state law and district policy limit the details we can share until the employment agreement is formally approved by the Board of Education at an upcoming public Board meeting.

We thank our community for its continued engagement throughout this process and look forward to officially welcoming Dr. Saddler once the contract is finalized. Together, we remain committed to providing every OUSD student with the thriving schools they deserve.

For ongoing updates on the leadership transition, please visit our District website.