Antwan Wilson has an interesting idea of how to run the administration of the OUSD. It was a mandate to spend at least 55% of the allotted educational expense for classroom instruction. Practically, every other state meets this criterion, but it is different in the case of OUSD. The Oakland Unified School District has often violated this code under various pretexts ever since the arrival of Antwan Wilson.
So, do you ever wonder where does all the money go? To what end is the superintend spending the wads when in reality, he often claims the OUSD to be cash strapped!
Let’s find out.
It looks like the gross overpayment of the top officials at the cost of the hike in the salary of teachers is the norm that is being practiced under Antwan Wilson.
Here is where his priority lies:
Wilson created various positions for his friends and family in the office of the OUSD and kept them on a fat payroll.
He has been hiring several officials to literally do the same job. This creates redundancy in the office.
The administrators under Wilson got hikes per year more than the total salary raise of the educators in the previous twelve years!
However, the superintendent differs in his views. According to him, the majority of the money is going towards the welfare of the children and for the betterment of the schools.
Actions Taken by Antwan Wilson for Betterment
Let’s have a good view of what actions Antwan Wilson has taken for the said betterment:
- While stating his views, he starkly forgot to account for certain items that he has put on the list of the state expense. In fact, the sum is so huge; he can barely account for it.
- For instance, his own annual salary is $ 30000 over a quarter of a million dollars. It shows quite a hike over what the previous acting superintendent received for his service. Moreover, the annual salary of Allan Smith (Chief of Schools) is $175,000.
- Here is an interesting thing— the” Chief of Schools” is completely a new title. Something that wasn’t yet heard of in the OUSD until the superintendent created the position. Why? Well, he can explain his connections and his intentions the best. Such lofty expenditure could have been for the betterment of the schools, who knows!
- The ‘Chief of School’ matter did not stay limited to just Allan Smith. His wife, Yana Smith, is receiving a salary of $155,000 as well. She is acting as the Chief of Organizational Effectiveness and Culture. It is yet another unheard-of title in OUSD portal that was created by Antwan Wilson.
- There is more to the story. Varon Hal used to act as the Chief Financial Officer in the district. He was supposedly promoted to a newly created title, Deputy Superintendent for Business, and in his place, we have Ruth Alahydoian. The creation of a new title costs a cut of $193,000 annually from the money allocated to OUSD.
- These are just a few of the major factors that are going wrong under Antwon Wilson, Superintendent of the OUSD. Since the last school budget, the expenditure of the administration has shot up by a million dollars! Both the factors— generous salary hike and the creation of new titles contribute to it.
- Sadly, the teachers and other staff who are actively involved in managing the schools hardly get any portion of the lavishness that is being distributed freely by Mr. Wilson.
- He continues to pad up the higher officials with opulent raise and job offers while starving the middle and the school-level administrations. It is unacceptable at different levels and means way more harm than good.
