Dear Friend,



My name's Mayra Alvarado. I teach fifth grade in Spanish at Manzanita Seed Elementary, which is a dual language school in East Oakland. I'm writing to ask you to contribute to East Bay DSA <[link removed]> because your support has been critical to improving the working conditions for teachers like me.



Friend, I love my students so much, but teaching in Oakland's underfunded schools is a daily struggle. I've had classes of over thirty students, which means I can't give students the individual attention they need.



Plus, Oakland teachers make much lower wages than other teachers in Alameda County. I know teachers who live crowded together in studio apartments. I know other teachers who live far, far away so they can work here. I tried living by myself last year. Rent and bills were over $2,000 a month, and I couldn't figure out a way to make it work on my salary, so I decided to move back in with my parents.?



I'm a professional with my master's who has been teaching for eight years. I should be able to live on my own in the city where I work. But billionaires and their stooges on the School Board have another agenda. They want to keep public schools underfunded and teachers underpaid so they can privatize public education. If we don't fight back, this disrespect is just going to continue - and students and teachers will pay the price. East Bay DSA is going all-in to support the teachers - pitch in to help us fight these billionaire attacks >> <[link removed]>



The school district is telling us that they need to close Black and Brown schools in order to pay us enough to live in Oakland. It's just a bunch of B.S. They say that the money's not there, but we know money's there because they pay their top administrators plush six-figure salaries. The least they can do is pay teachers a living wage.



I went on strike in 2019. And it's looking possible that we might have to go on strike again because our district doesn't take us seriously at the bargaining table.



When we went on strike in 2019, East Bay DSA was right there with us on the picket line every day at 6am. Going on strike is very hard for teachers like me, but community partners like East Bay DSA help make it possible. That's what inspired me to become a member myself. We don't want to have to strike, but I know that if it comes down to it again that you will have our backs.



Pitch in to support East Bay DSA to campaign for us teachers as we fight for decent salaries >>? <[link removed]>



This fight comes down to the community against a few wealthy privatizers who want to close public schools so they can profit. I hope you will stand with us as we take on these powerful ruling-class interests.



In solidarity,?



<[link removed]>



Mayra Alvarado

Fifth Grade Teacher, Manzanita Seed Elementary

Oakland Education Association member







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East Bay DSA - United States

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