Hundreds of Oakland teachers demonstrated near Lake Merritt on Wednesday to demand what they described as better pay and working conditions, as well as a budget that prioritizes students’ development and outcomes. 

The Oakland Education Association, a union representing 3,000 of the city’s teachers, organized the rally. 

Their main demands are a 14% increase in pay, more teachers’ preparation time, reduced class sizes, and increased job stability for student-facing staff, according to the union.  

At Wednesday’s rally, OEA President Kampala Taiz-Rancifer said that their contract negotiations started in March 2025 but that Oakland Unified School District still has not yet agreed to their “common sense proposal.” She also said that the union is prepared to go on strike if necessary. 

The rumblings of a possible strike come days after San Francisco teachers went on a four-day strike last week and successfully secured their demands.  

“Oakland loses nearly 400 educators every single year, and that destabilizes classrooms and costs the district nearly $7.5 million every year,” said Taiz-Rancifer at the rally. “OUSD must make structural changes necessary to stop its bad budgeting practices and prioritize a budget that improves student outcomes.” 

According to a news release issued by the union, Oakland’s annual turnover of educators is the highest in Alameda County. 

The union’s demands come amid a severe budget crisis at the Oakland Unified School District.  

Members of the Oakland Education Association teachers’ union hold up a sign at rally on Wednesday, Feb. 18, 2026, near Lake Merritt in Oakland, Calif. (Tanay Gokhale/Bay City News)


Left: Oakland Educators Association President Kampala Taiz-Rancifer speaks at her organization’s rally. Right: Signs placed on the ground during a rally organized by the Oakland Education Association, the teacher’s union, on Wednesday, Feb. 18, 2026, near Lake Merritt in Oakland, Calif. (Tanay Gokhale/Bay City News)

In December, the school board voted for $100 million in cuts to square off the district’s deficit. This significant financial shortfall came to light only six months after it had dug itself out of state receivership after more than two decades.  

A temporary spending freeze followed, and budgets of school sites and central offices were reevaluated over the winter break.  

Then in January, the board announced progress on closing the budget gap, whittling the deficit to about $50 million. 

Superintendent Denise Sadler expressed optimism at that time.  

“I believe that with these changes, and with the work we will put in to solve the remaining deficit, we will keep the district where it needs to be, with local control firmly here in Oakland,” said Sadler last month.   

Hundreds of teachers gather at a union rally sponsored by the Oakland Education Association on Wednesday, Feb. 18, 2026, near Lake Merritt in Oakland, Calif. (Tanay Gokhale/Bay City News)

Taiz-Rancifer stressed that despite the budget crisis, the district can still make changes that would be in alignment with the teachers’ demands. For instance, she argued that money the board spends on outside consultants could be used to fund programs that support students’ all-around development. 

“This isn’t an issue of resources, it’s an issue of priorities,” she said. 

A request to the district for comment was not immediately returned Wednesday night.