She says she does not want to see a strike. If there is one, she says she's going to do her best to keep schools open.
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Dr. Kyla Johnson-Trammell said Oakland has too many schools for the number of students the district serves, and cuts are a reality. The district needs to make $21 million in reductions, she said.
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Dr. Johnson-Trammell says both sides have been meeting to discuss teacher demands and ways to avoid a strike. "I'm an eternal optimist," she said.
She says she will present a budget Wednesday night to the school board, which will include the $21 million in cuts.
ABC7 News was at City Hall Tuesday night, where the teacher's union president spoke during a rally before the city council meeting.
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Teachers want the city's support in their request for a 12 percent raise over three years.
RELATED: Oakland Tech High School students hold walkout
The district has offered 5 percent over that same period.
Oakland Unified numbers show there are roughly 2,300 teachers in the district.
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It has just more than 36,000 students, not including those at district authorized charter schools.
Take a look at the latest stories and videos about the Oakland teacher strike.