OUSD Announces Tentative Agreement With Teachers Union, Averting Strike

I am pleased to share that Oakland Unified School District and the Oakland Education Association (OEA) have reached a Tentative Agreement on a contract for July 1, 2025 through June 30, 2027. This agreement averts a potential strike and ensures our students can continue learning without disruption.

Avoiding a strike is significant. Our students thrive when they have stability, consistent relationships with trusted adults, and uninterrupted time in the classroom. Especially as we work to accelerate learning and close opportunity gaps, every instructional day matters. By reaching a Tentative Agreement, we are protecting continuity of instruction, maintaining essential student supports, and minimizing uncertainty for families.

Even as the District continues to navigate significant financial challenges, this agreement reflects our shared commitment to stability, respect for educators, and strong outcomes for students. It is the result of months of dedicated bargaining and includes meaningful salary increases over the life of the contract:

• July 1, 2025: 7% increase for educators at the top step and 4% for all other steps (Retroactive)
• July 1, 2026: 2% increase for the top step and 3% for all other steps
• June 30, 2027: 4% increase for all steps

In addition, the agreement provides targeted compensation adjustments for Special Education teachers, nurses, psychologists, speech and language pathologists, social workers, PK-3 credentialed teachers, and State Pre-K educators. 

Beyond compensation, this agreement:

• Makes important improvements to working and learning conditions
• Strengthens class size commitments
• Enhances preparation time for elementary teachers
• Establishes clear guardrails around the use of artificial intelligence in schools
• Reinforces safety protections for staff
• Formalizes dedicated intervention and enrichment time to ensure students who need additional support receive it consistently and equitably

At the heart of this agreement is our shared responsibility to Oakland's students. It reflects our commitment to provide our educators with competitive compensation and professional supports, and give our students the stable, thriving schools they deserve.

I thank our bargaining teams for their professionalism and perseverance into the early morning hours when we reached this agreement, and our families and community members for their support throughout this process.

As a next step, the Tentative Agreement must be ratified by OEA membership. We expect that process to move forward and will share additional information as milestones are reached.

Together, we remain focused on what matters most: delivering an excellent, equitable education for every student in Oakland.

In community,

Dr. Denise Saddler
Superintendent