City Government

McClymonds Fights to Save Mentoring Program for Student Athletes

Published

7 years ago

March 23, 2017

The McClymonds High School community – including parents and students – took over the school board meeting Wednesday evening demanding the board hear their pleas to save an afterschool tutoring and mentoring program.

Parents and students had just learned that Student Program for Academic & Athletic Transitioning (SPAAT) would lose its funding at the end of the school year.

Chanting “We want SPAAT! We want SPAAT,” Mack supporters shut down the meeting after waiting two hours for a chance to speak and being told by Board President James Harris that they would only have one minute each to address the board.

Harris apologized and allowed the students – a number of them members of Mack’s championship winning football team – to speak for the large group that came to the meeting.

“You taking away SPAAT is like breaking into my house,” said Thurmal Felise, a 9th grader, who said his grade point went up this year from 0.8 to 3.8.

SPAAT is a non-profit organization that “empowers socially and economically disadvantaged high school student-athletes by providing them with academic, community and athletic support services to increase the number of student-athletes prepared for college, careers and life after sports,” according to the program’s webpage.

Day’Marr Johnson, an 11^th grader, asked the board not to take away the sports afterschool program.

“Our school is so small because you try to cut it down so much. You are trying to take our teachers away from us. I am a McClymonds Warrior,” he said.

“This school means more to us than anything. We brought you something you never had before – a state (football) championship,” said Jamiana Akinjo, 11^th grader. “(But) you are cutting so many things, it seems like Mack doesn’t mean a thing to you,” she said. “I’ve seen so many teachers leave, (and) we’ve had three or four principals since I’ve been there.”

“You spend too much money on things that are irrelevant and not enough on the things that are important.”

On Thursday, Mack students walked out of school and marched to OUSD district headquarters at 1000 Broadway to protest the shutting down of the SPAAT program and other issues including the loss of teachers and the disruption of the school leadership.

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Oakland Post: Week of April 24 – 30, 2024

The printed Weekly Edition of the Oakland Post: Week of April 24 – 30, 2024

Published

3 days ago

April 26, 2024

Oakland Post

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Alameda County

DA Pamela Price Stands by Mom Who Lost Son to Gun Violence in Oakland

Last week, The Post published a photo showing Alameda County District Attorney Pamela Price with Carol Jones, whose son, Patrick DeMarco Scott, was gunned down by an unknown assailant in 2018.

Published

6 days ago

April 22, 2024

Oakland Post

District Attorney Pamela Price with Carol Jones

Publisher’s note: Last week, The Post published a photo showing Alameda County District Attorney Pamela Price with Carol Jones, whose son, Patrick DeMarco Scott, was gunned down by an unknown assailant in 2018. The photo was too small for readers to see where the women were and what they were doing. Here we show Price and Jones as they complete a walk in memory of Scott. For more information and to contribute, please contact Carol Jones at 510-978-5517 at morefoundation.help@gmail.com. Courtesy photo.

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City Government

Vallejo Welcomes Interim City Manager Beverli Marshall

At Tuesday night’s Council meeting, the Vallejo City Council appointed Beverli Marshall as the interim city manager. Her tenure in the City Manager’s Office began today, Wednesday, April 10. Mayor Robert McConnell praised Marshall’s extensive background, noting her “wide breadth of experience in many areas that will assist the City and its citizens in understanding the complexity of the many issues that must be solved” in Vallejo.

Published

6 days ago

April 22, 2024

Oakland Post

Beverli Marshall began her first day with the City on April 10. ICMA image.

Special to The Post

At Tuesday night’s Council meeting, the Vallejo City Council appointed Beverli Marshall as the interim city manager. Her tenure in the City Manager’s Office began today, Wednesday, April 10.

Mayor Robert McConnell praised Marshall’s extensive background, noting her “wide breadth of experience in many areas that will assist the City and its citizens in understanding the complexity of the many issues that must be solved” in Vallejo.

Current City Manager Michael Malone, whose official departure is slated for April 18, expressed his well wishes. “I wish the City of Vallejo and Interim City Manager Marshall all the best in moving forward on the progress we’ve made to improve service to residents.” Malone expressed his hope that the staff and Council will work closely with ICM Marshall to “ensure success and prosperity for the City.”

According to the Vallejo Sun, Malone stepped into the role of interim city manager in 2021 and became permanent in 2022. Previously, Malone served as the city’s water director and decided to retire from city service e at the end of his contract which is April 18.

“I hope the excellent work of City staff will continue for years to come in Vallejo,” he said. “However, recent developments have led me to this decision to announce my retirement.”

When Malone was appointed, Vallejo was awash in scandals involving the housing division and the police department. A third of the city’s jobs went unfilled during most of his tenure, making for a rocky road for getting things done, the Vallejo Sun reported.

At last night’s council meeting, McConnell explained the selection process, highlighting the council’s confidence in achieving positive outcomes through a collaborative effort, and said this afternoon, “The Council is confident that by working closely together, positive results will be obtained.”

While the search for a permanent city manager is ongoing, an announcement is expected in the coming months.

On behalf of the City Council, Mayor McConnell extended gratitude to the staff, citizen groups, and recruitment firm.

“The Council wishes to thank the staff, the citizens’ group, and the recruitment firm for their diligent work and careful consideration for the selection of what is possibly the most important decision a Council can make on behalf of the betterment of our City,” McConnell said.

The Vallejo Sun contributed to this report.