Dr. Denise Saddler Takes Over as Interim Superintendent of Oakland Unified School District

On this first day of the new fiscal year, I am happy to introduce myself as your new Interim Superintendent. Education is in my blood, and I have always had a deep commitment to the students of Oakland, the city where I was born and raised. So, when the role as Interim Superintendent opened up, I knew it was the right time for me to throw my hat into the ring. I deeply appreciate the opportunity to serve in this capacity, helping not just one school, one department, one network, but the entire district and all of our students, families, and staff. You can learn more about me in the video above.

I know I follow in the footsteps of a transformational leader in Dr. Kyla Johnson-Trammell, who led for a remarkable eight years. And I have no doubt that working with the team she assembled, the systems she installed, and the partners she brought to the District, I will hit the ground running as your new Superintendent. I wish Dr. Johnson-Trammell all the best and am grateful for her many years of stable, critical leadership for OUSD.

I have spent most of the past 46 years working in the District. I began my career here as a resource specialist and teacher for disabled students. Other highlights include working as student teacher supervisor at the former Holy Names University, education specialist and legislative analyst for former Oakland Mayor Elihu Harris, Principal of Chabot Elementary, and Network Superintendent. I was also an Assistant Superintendent in San Jose for several years, President of the Oakland Public Education Association, and I’m still a lecturer at the U.C. Berkeley Graduate School of Education. For the past eight years, I served as a substitute principal at a number of our elementary schools, and for our Early Childhood Education Department working with our youngest students.

The start of the 2025-26 school year is now less than a month and a half away, and we are working diligently to prepare the schools and our staff to welcome our students back to the classroom on Monday, August 11. I look forward to seeing you, and working together to ensure all our students have what they need to succeed.

In community,

Dr. Denise Saddler
Interim Superintendent