Oakland Unified, Teachers, Staff Reach Tentative Deal On Fall Distance Learning
OAKLAND (KPIX) - After a month of negotiations, Oakland Unified School District announced Wednesday night that it has reached a tentative deal with its teachers and staff, three days into the new school year. What this deal does is shape the way distance learning will move forward for both teachers and students.
It's a less than ideal situation because school already started via distance learning mode on Monday.
Carrie Anderson teaches 3rd grade in the Oakland Unified School District and wishes she could be back in the classroom.
"The first week of school is normally the start of this process of building this relationship and so it's an incredibly difficult thing to do over the computer," Anderson said.
Anderson says she's supposed to have 26 kids in class everyday but has averaged only 16 students a day, so far. Two haven't responded to any of her emails, texts or phone calls. Many working parents say even though they had a trial run of distance learning in the Spring, it hasn't gotten any easier.
Javier Sandes, is a parent of a 2nd grader.
"Everyone is like what's going to happen," said Sandes. "Mom is busy working, dad is busy working so we just don't have the time to dedicate to her education."
The Oakland Unified School District and the Oakland Education Association have been bargaining around-the-clock, trying to agree on everything from live versus recorded instruction time, to the number of hours teachers work a day.
"While we do not always agree on the details, both OEA and OUSD are passionate about serving Oakland's students and families," they said in a joint statement released Wednesday.
Aside from the statement both OUSD and OEA did not release any further details about the agreement and what it will mean for students. The teachers were presented the terms of the deal Wednesday night and still have to vote to accept it.
