On Thursday, nearly 3,000 teachers in the Oakland Unified School District walked out of their classrooms and began a strike calling for more pay, safer classrooms and improved working conditions.

The Oakland Education Association, the union that represents the educators, is currently embroiled in contentious negotiations with Oakland Unified for a new contract with still no end in sight for the strike. Meanwhile, classes remain closed for the 34,000 students within Oakland's public education system.

The Standard was on the ground in Oakland with teachers, parents and students during the first day of the strike. This is what they told us.