News

Oakland Council Steps Up to Provide Clean Drinking Water for Oakland’s Students

Published

6 years ago

May 14, 2018

Ribbon-cutting for the new hydration station at Joaquin Miller Elementary School. Funding to come from Oakland Soda Tax and Alameda County Board of Supervisors.

The Oakland City Council voted to approve the purchase and installation of new hydration stations in 110 schools in Oakland Unified School District (OUSD), which will help ensure students throughout the district have access to clean drinking water at school.

The project was initiated after OUSD found elevated lead levels in certain water fountains at McClymonds High School in Summer 2017. The district then moved quickly to remove all fountains with elevated lead at all OUSD schools and replaced them with lead-free fixtures.

Soon after, OUSD requested assistance in funding for water stations at 15 high schools, 14 middle schools, 54 elementary schools, and 28 child development centers.

Oakland’s Sugar Sweetened Beverage tax, established by Measure HH, will provide $371,000 in funding for the stations. Alameda County Supervisor Wilma Chan is also allocating $100,000 from Measure A discretionary funds toward the cause.

The combined funds provide the school district with the necessary dollars to purchase and install water stations.

“Children and youth are better prepared to learn when they are drinking water instead of sugar sweetened beverages,” said Alameda County Supervisor Wilma Chan. “It was an easy choice to propose $100,000 from the County for Oakland schools. The bottle filling stations will make drinking water even more attractive.”

“The goal of the soda tax funding is to provide children with healthy choices and educate the public on the risks associated with soda and other sugary beverages,” said Oakland Councilmember Annie Campbell Washington, author of the soda tax.

“These new hydration stations not only ensure students drink safe water, but it encourages students to drink water instead of sugar-sweetened beverages,” she said.

The new hydration stations will allow students to fill reusable water bottles and cups. The stations will provide clean drinking water to students and discourage the use of disposable water bottles, thereby having a positive environmental impact.

“Brita has already donated 12 hydration stations to Oakland Unified for 10 schools and those that have already been installed are very popular with students,” said John Sasaki, OUSD Communications Director.

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Activism

S.F. Black Leaders Rally to Protest, Discuss ‘Epidemic’ of Racial Slurs Against Black Students in SF Public School System

Parents at the meeting spoke of their children as no longer feeling safe in school because of bullying and discrimination. Parents also said that reported incidents such as racial slurs and intimidation are not dealt with to their satisfaction and feel ignored.

Published

18 hours ago

May 4, 2024

Oakland Post

Rev. Amos C. Brown, president of the San Francisco NAACP and pastor of Third Baptist Church. Photo courtesy Third Baptist Church.

By Carla Thomas

San Francisco’s Third Baptist Church hosted a rally and meeting Sunday to discuss hatred toward African American students of the San Francisco Unified School District (SFUSD).

Rev. Amos C. Brown, president of the San Francisco NAACP and pastor of Third Baptist Church, along with leadership from local civil rights groups, the city’s faith-based community and Black community leadership convened at the church.

“There has been an epidemic of racial slurs and mistreatment of Black children in our public schools in the city,” said Brown. “This will not be tolerated.”

According to civil rights advocate Mattie Scott, students from elementary to high school have reported an extraordinary amount of racial slurs directed at them.

“There is a surge of overt racism in the schools, and our children should not be subjected to this,” said Scott. “Students are in school to learn, develop, and grow, not be hated on,” said Scott. “The parents of the children feel they have not received the support necessary to protect their children.”

Attendees were briefed last Friday in a meeting with SFUSD Superintendent Dr. Matt Wayne.

SFUSD states that their policies protect children and they are not at liberty to publicly discuss the issues to protect the children’s privacy.

Some parents said they have removed their students from school while other parents and community leaders called on the removal of the SFUSD superintendent, the firing of certain school principals and the need for more supportive school board members.

Community advocates discussed boycotting the schools and creating Freedom Schools led by Black leaders and educators, reassuring parents that their child’s wellbeing and education are the highest priority and youth are not to be disrupted by racism or policies that don’t support them.

Virginia Marshall, chair of the San Francisco NAACP’s education committee, offered encouragement to the parents and students in attendance while also announcing an upcoming May 14 school board meeting to demand accountability over their mistreatment.

“I’m urging anyone that cares about our students to pack the May 14 school board meeting,” said Marshall.

This resource was supported in whole or in part by funding provided by the State of California, administered by the California State Library via California Black Media as part of the Stop the Hate Program. The program is supported by partnership with California Department of Social Services and the California Commission on Asian and Pacific Islander American Affairs as part of the Stop the Hate program. To report a hate incident or hate crime and get support, go to CA vs Hate.