Oakland Unified School District narrowly avoided a teachers’ strike in late February by agreeing to raises of up to 13% over three years. But as the deal moves forward, it remains unclear how the district will finance it. The agreement came as OUSD faced a projected deficit of roughly $100 million and had approved layoffs of more than 400 positions. School Board President Jennifer Brouhard said in late March that the cost of the agreement was still being finalized and…
The smell of popcorn drifted through Oakland’s Grand Lake Theater, but the tubs in the audience members’ hands sat untouched as people sat in tense silence, watching graphic scenes in an Alabama prison unfold before them. About 100 people attended the one-night screening last Wednesday of HBO’s “The Alabama Solution,” which included a panel discussion about corruption and abuse in the penitentiary system. The screening was organized by the nonprofit For the People, as part of a broader effort to…