In response to contract offers by Oceanside Unified School District (OUSD) that do not attempt to meet teachers’ legitimate educational concerns, Oceanside Teachers Association (OTA) members have begun a Wednesday Mission Critical campaign that will illustrate how many hundreds of hours each week educators donate both in and outside their classrooms to ensure the success of every Oceanside student; time they work that is unpaid.
Under the Wednesday rule, teachers will only work the hours for which they are contracted and compensated.
AS OUSD’s Unrestricted Reserve account has ballooned over the last year to one third more than district projections, from 15.4 to 22.8 million, the district has continued to deny competitive pay that will help keep its outstanding educators as it works to attract and cultivate new ones.
OTA members have increased their presence at board meetings, rallying while working with parents and building community alliances. Parents and students have since joined in support, sharing video messages about the educators who are Mission Critical to their school success.
OTA’s Bargaining team is also engaging and communicating with their fellow members, encouraging them to attend board meetings and creating informational videos showing how OUSD has chosen to add to its already excessive unrestricted reserve.
OUSD’s short-sided economic policies deny fair and competitive compensation that would otherwise help bring new educators into the Oceanside community in a time of teacher shortages throughout California.
In the face of a resistant Oceanside Unified School District, OTA’s community influence has grown.
Pro Public Ed 