Interim superintendent of Oakland Unified School District picked

(KRON) — The Oakland Unified School District Board of Education voted to appoint Denise Saddler as interim superintendent for the 2025-26 school year, OUSD officials announced Friday.

Starting on July 1, Saddler will replace longtime superintendent Kyla Johnson-Trammell.

Saddler is a veteran Bay Area educator. Her experience includes classroom teaching, serving as principal of Chabot Elementary School, overseeing 15 Oakland schools as a network executive officer, and leading the Oakland Education Association teachers union, district officials said.

A spokesperson for OUSD wrote, “She later guided district-wide community engagement and school transitions, and for six years served as president of the Oakland Education Association, strengthening labor-management collaboration. Regionally, she broadened her perspective as assistant superintendent of education Services for Berryessa Union School District, launching the ‘Berryessa University’ professional-learning initiative across 13 TK-8 campuses.”

School board trustees have not publicly released any reasons for why they voted to make the major leadership change from Johnson-Trammell to Saddler.

The school board is currently finalizing contract terms with Saddler. Trustees are slated to formally approve the contract at an upcoming public board meeting.