Every few weeks the OUSD board approves tens of millions of dollars in contracts in a single vote. The Consent Report Tracker organizes every item, summarizes it in plain English, and tracks the spending and vendors over time.
Two things the Consent Report Tracker turned up right away: a "Special Education" label that makes a quarter of OUSD's consent spending nearly impossible to read, and a handful of small errors in the public record.
Don't call it a comeback, call it "a material change in budgeting methodology." County Superintendent Alysse Castro has conditionally approved OUSD's 2026-27 budget, and her letter says in some very positive quotes: no missing money, no misconduct, meaningful fiscal progress.
This is our year, folks: OUSD rewrites its LCAP and must find $30 million in mid-year reductions. For the first time in decades, the board has full authority and willingness to make sustainable change. It's time for the community to show up and do its part by working with, not against, our district.
Two weeks into the 2026-27 school year, where the $30 million in remaining budget reductions stands, the genuinely good news from the state budget and a historic staffing milestone, and an unprecedented Saturday-morning exchange with Superintendent Saddler.
An Oaklandside article frames Superintendent Saddler's budget move as a "power play", but it misses important context. Look at the realities OUSD faced in December, why choosing drastic cuts over a loan preserved local control, and why I support the choice.
A clearer look at the budget the board just approved, and how the structural deficit fell to a fraction of December's $100M+ figure, what the stabilization plan still demands, and why the accusations of fraud need to stop.
A detailed breakdown of the May 13 OUSD board presentation on fiscal solvency and the Governor's May Revise state budget, including what the numbers add up to for the district's path forward.
As a lead delegate to OUSD's PSAC, I'm helping stand up the Multi-Stakeholder Engagement Group — a community-driven process to shape what OUSD becomes as it rebuilds. Here's why I believe in it, and how you can join us.
This Wednesday, the board will vote in favor of a simple guarantee: to grant disabled students the same educational stability that every other OUSD student already has.
A comprehensive reference for acronyms used across Oakland Unified School District budget, accountability, funding, charter school, and school-site planning contexts.
My take on what district unification means in practice, why OUSD has never achieved it, and what it could look like going forward.
Second Interim Qualified | Prop 98 Resolution Passed | OEA Agreement Costs Still Unknown | Now Budget Development
Full text of OUSD Board Resolution No. 2526-0198, passed unanimously on March 11, 2026, calling on the state to release $5.6 billion in deferred Prop 98 funds.
It didn't have to happen this way, but it did have to happen.
Public Comment on RIFs | Painful Necessary Choices | Keep Local Control
CSM Funding on the Chopping Block | Highest Return on Investment | A Case for Partial Restoration
A letter submitted to the public record of the California Assembly Budget Subcommittee No. 3 on Education Finance, urging release of $5.6 billion in deferred Prop 98 settle-up funds.
Prop 98 Hearing Tomorrow | Submit Your Testimony | Actual Human Answers Phone | Board Meeting Wednesday
One-Pagers Suck | $5.6B Prop 98 Settle-Up Fight | State and Local Advocacy Strategies | Who to Contact
A history of the political, financial, and policy forces that have shaped OUSD over the past two decades, from the 2003 state takeover through the charter expansion era to our current moment.
OEA Praises Superintendent | S+C Plunder | Austere Messaging
$103M Deficit Suddenly Halved | Long Gross Sticky Strings | The S+C Shell Game Theory | Three Crummy Options
A plain-language overview of Prop 98, the constitutional mechanism that deterimines funding for public schools in California.
An overview of the legal constraints and political forces shaping OUSD's relationship with Oakland's charter school sector.
A data-driven look at the case for school consolidation in OUSD, the timeline constraints involved, and what research shows about outcomes for displaced students.
December Scenario Approved | Specific Cuts Being Drafted | March Layoff Deadline Looms | A Framework for Parent Engagement
A parent's guide to the OUSD budget crisis, organized into eight focus areas with key questions and curated public resources for meaningful engagement.
Fiscal Scenarios Released | Big Cuts, Little Detail | PSAC Consensus Statement | Board Votes Tonight
The PSAC's consensus statement to the OUSD Board of Education on the December 2025 budget cut scenarios.
$4M Monthly Overspend | $100M Total to Cut | Key Deadlines | How to Get Involved
A plain-language breakdown of Peralta Elementary's School Plan for Student Achievement for 2025-26.