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Oakland School Administrators Work Only Contract Hours

Families with children at Oakland Unified schools may see administrator availability shift while the union's pay dispute continues.

Updated on Nov. 2, 2026 in Administration

Photograph of an empty brick school entrance with a closed wooden door, late-afternoon light on concrete steps, and eucalyptus trees at the frame edge.
Oakland school administrators are working only their contracted hours while their union bargains with the district over pay after a June contract expired. AI Illustration. Upload story photo >

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Oakland Unified School District administrators, represented by United Administrators of Oakland Schools (UAOS), are working only their contracted hours while bargaining continues after their contract expired in June. Union president Cary Kaufman's call followed a disruption of an OUSD board meeting, affecting school site leaders across Oakland.

Why it matters

For Oakland families, the dispute touches the people who run neighborhood schools, from principals to assistant principals, at a time when administrator workloads have grown after layoffs and cuts to community school manager hours. A district-union pay study found school site leader compensation lags neighboring districts, which can shape who stays in these roles and how stable school leadership remains.

The United Administrators of Oakland Schools contract expired in June, and the joint district-union study found a base pay gap of up to $67,000 between Oakland and San Leandro high school principals. Educators Association members received 11% to 13% raises over three years depending on seniority, a benchmark the union has pointed to in bargaining.

The players

United Administrators of Oakland Schools (UAOS)

The union representing Oakland Unified School District administrators, whose contract expired in June and is now in active bargaining.

Cary Kaufman

President of UAOS, who called on members to work only their contracted hours until the district makes meaningful movement in bargaining.

Oakland Unified School District (OUSD)

The Oakland public school district that employs the administrators in dispute and co-conducted the salary study with the union.

The details

UAOS president Cary Kaufman told members to shut down computers, stop answering emails and calls, and leave the building at the end of the contract workday until the district makes meaningful movement in bargaining. The pay study was conducted jointly by OUSD and the administrators union, and the last union escalation of this kind occurred more than a decade ago. In April, school principals signed a letter to the board and superintendent expressing concern about transparency, and in July UAOS members picketed in front of La Escuelita Elementary School over increased workloads.

Timeline

  1. June: UAOS contract expired.

  2. March: Joint district-union salary study completed.

  3. April: Principals signed a letter to the board and superintendent.

  4. July: UAOS members picketed La Escuelita Elementary School.

  5. October 28, 2026: Members disrupted an OUSD board meeting, and Kaufman issued the work-to-rule call.

The Home Front

The dispute sits within the wider pattern of Bay Area districts competing for school leaders, where a principal's base pay in San Leandro can exceed Oakland's by as much as $67,000. Oakland's own bargaining benchmark is the 11% to 13% raises won by the Oakland Educators Association over three years.

If your child attends an Oakland Unified school, expect that administrator availability may shift while the work-to-rule action continues, so check with your school office about how to reach a principal or assistant principal. Keep a record of any school communications you rely on, such as attendance notices or enrollment paperwork, so you can confirm details directly with the front office.

The takeaway

School administrator pay and workload shape how well a neighborhood school runs day to day, so it is worth following the district's bargaining updates. Keep your school's main office number on hand and ask how any changes to school-site staffing would affect your child's day.

Further reading

For more on how school districts manage their leadership and staffing, explore Administration coverage on We are Home.

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Should school districts pay administrators more to keep experienced leaders in your area?