On this edition of Your Call, we discuss the teacher strike that began in Oakland last week. Educators are calling for better pay, smaller class sizes, and expanded supportive services for students.
Like teachers who went on strike in Los Angeles earlier this year, Oakland teachers say charter schools are siphoning funding from public schools. Their union says one in five Oakland teachers leave the district every year because they can no longer afford to work there. What does the ongoing series of teacher strikes tell us about public education in the US?
Guests:
Theresa Harrington, reporter for EdSource
Miles Murray, English and Creative Writing teacher at Oakland High School
Alex Webster Guiney, special education teacher at Oakland High School
Web Resources:
NY Magazine: Oakland Teachers Strike for Better Lives
EdSource: Distrust is a central issue in Oakland teachers’ strike
CNN: This is why the Oakland teachers' strike will be different from all the others