Education

OUSD May Receive Millions in State Aid – But the Money Comes with Strings

Published

6 years ago

September 14, 2018

Parents and teachers protest last school year against cuts to programs and layoffs at school sites. Photo by Ken Epstein.

The State of California is set to approve a law that would relieve the Oakland Unified School District’s ongoing financial distress, but the grant comes with strings—which in the worst case could mean the state and its affiliated agencies could require OUSD to close dozens of schools, sell or lease surplus property and lay off hundreds of teachers, nurses, cafeteria workers and custodians.

The trailer bill (AB-1840 Education Finance) has already passed the State Legislature and is now awaiting Gov. Jerry Brown’s signature. Brown, who was reportedly involved in crafting the legislation, is said to be likely to sign the bill.

Under terms of the bill, Oakland and Inglewood (which is in the same boat as Oakland) would receive aid from the state through 2022, (a total for Oakland of about $34.7 million), which would pay 75 percent of the district’s projected operating deficit in 2019-20, up to 50 percent of the projected operating deficit in 2020-21 and as much as 25 percent of the operating deficit the following year.

The bill also includes mandated “benchmarks,” which the district must meet in order to receive the state grant.

“OUSD will be required to partner more closely with county and state officials, adopt multi-year financial projections that would eliminate its deficit, and produce a plan to right size the district,” by closing or consolidating schools, according to the district’s explanation of the bill.

“We appreciate the partnership with (the agencies) and our legislative delegates for working with us to address our pressing financial situation. We know the benchmarks outlining accountability and sound fiscal practices will help guide us as we continue building a solid and sustainable foundation for the district using the policies set forth by our own Board of Education,” said Superintendent Kyla Johnson-Trammell.

“We must act with urgency,” she said, speaking at a recent district committee meeting. “We’ve simply run out of time.”

Many Oakland educators and parents are encouraged by the prospect of financial relief to the public schools. But many expressed concern about the agenda of the agencies that would have the final say-so about whether the annual cuts the district is proposing meet official mandates.

These agencies, the Alameda County Office of Education and the Fiscal Crisis and Management Assistance Team (FCMAT), a state-funded nonprofit that advises districts on financial matters, have a long record in Oakland of advocating austerity, school closings and layoffs.

Both agencies played a large role in pushing OUSD into receivership (2003-2009) and forcing the district to take a $100 million state loan, which it did not ask for and had no control over spending.

Despite their influence over district policy for the six years of state receivership, neither agency has taken any responsibility for saddling OUSD with debt, their failure to balance the district’s budget or to institutionalize adequate financial controls.

“The state support provides relief in the near term, giving us the opportunity to implement longer term strategies to create a sustainable, quality school district for years to come,” said district spokeswoman Valerie Goode, quoted in EdSource. “The truth is, even with this support, we will need to continue making hard decisions to reduce our budget, right-size the district and continue improving our financial practices.”

According to district sources, OUSD must cut $30 million by June of 2019, which includes $20 million to eliminate a structural deficit and $10 million in reserves. It is still unclear how the district will pay raises for teachers, who have been working for a year without a contract.

Because the state grant would be one-time money, it would not eliminate the district’s structural deficit. But the grant would allow OUSD to slow down the cuts, spreading them over a several-year period, said School Board President Aimee Eng.

Oakland has its own financial problems, said Eng, but like other districts throughout the state, such as Los Angeles and Sacramento, “We’re in a place with flat revenue and dramatically increasing expenditures.”

The Alameda County Office of Education recently rejected OUSD’s three-year budget plan, saying it did not adequately address needed budget reductions. The school board has created a special committee to recommend the $30 million in budget cuts to avoid future deficits.

In a letter to community supporters of public education, Oakland Education Association President Keith Brown was positive about the state grant and told the community that the bill had broad support in the legislature and was unstoppable. “We will have opportunities later to weigh in on the requirements,” if the agencies push the district to consolidate schools or sell surplus property, he said.

One parent who has been following the progress of the state bill closely is Nilofer Ahsan, a member of Equity Allies for OUSD, an all-volunteer organization of Oakland parents and community members.

“There is a multi-million-dollar question facing all of Oakland,” she said. “It is true the district is in fiscal crisis and needs to fix those issues. But the question is: How are we going to be sure the changes are going to be good for students and families in the long run?”

“What will FCMAT and the County Office consider to be an adequate plan?” Ahsan asked. “The fear is that these (requirements) will be tied to deep austerity measures: School closures and losing school staff.”
“There’s no denying tough decisions will need to be made. As a community, we’re going to feel every single cut.”

Realistically, not all of the cuts can come from central office staff, she said “The cuts will be felt at the schools.”

Parent activist Anne Swinburn has also been closely following the state bill.

OUSD is in financial distress “for a bunch of reasons,” including many that are at least partly the responsibility of the state and the Legislature: state receivership and the expansion of charter schools to almost one-third of schools and students in Oakland.

“The district clearly needs financial relief. It’s important that we remember the situation we are in is because of actions that happened at the state level, not just locally.”

“We really need for the state loan (a $40 million debt still outstanding) to be cancelled, and we need the Legislature to change the charter laws, so Oakland can decide locally what schools are opened and where they are located.”

“This bill gives the county superintendent and FCMAT the power to require OUSD to close schools, which we already know they want OUSD to do,” she said.

School board members can follow two different paths—they can try to find cuts that do not involve closing neighborhood schools, or they can decide to let the state and FCMAT have their way, Swinburn said.

People should understand that closing schools does not save money, she said. “The big cost of operating a school is teacher salaries,” which are not reduced by closing a school and moving students to other locations.

However, closing schools could lead to a loss of students who leave the district for charters or private schools and cause “incredible hardship in Oakland,” she said, noting that the national research does not indicate that districts save money when they close schools.

“Kids in Oakland schools are already facing high levels of trauma and school instability in their lives,” she said. “This is not the kind of instability we owe to Oakland kids.”

Oakland Post

Posts by Oakland Post

City Government

Vallejo Community Members Appeal Major Use Permit for ELITE Charter School Expansion

Vallejo community members, former Solano County judge Paul Beeman and his wife Donna Beeman, filed an appeal against the approval of the Major Use Permit for the expansion of ELITE Public Schools into downtown less than two weeks after the Planning Commission approved the permit with a 6-1 vote.

Published

6 days ago

April 22, 2024

Oakland Post

Vallejo community members have appealed the Major Use Permit for the ELITE Public Schools Charter high school expansion in the downtown area. Photo by Kinyon and Kim Architects, Inc.

By Magaly Muñoz

ELITE Charter School has been attempting to move into the downtown Vallejo area at 241-255 Georgia Street for two years, aiming to increase its capacity for high school students. However, a small group of residents and business owners, most notably the Beeman’s, have opposed the move.

The former county judge and his wife’s appeal alleges inaccuracies in the city’s staff report and presentation, and concerns about the project’s exemption from the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA).

The Beeman’s stress that their opposition is not based on the charter or the people associated with it but solely on land use issues and potential impact on their business, which is located directly next to the proposed school location.

The couple have been vocal in their opposition to the expansion charter school with records of this going back to spring of last year, stating that the arrival of the 400 students in downtown will create a nuisance to those in the area.

During the Planning Commission meeting, Mr. Beeman asked Commissioner Cohen-Thompson to recuse herself from voting citing a possible conflict of interest because she had voted to approve the school’s expansion as trustee of the Solano County Board of Education. However, Cohen-Thompson and City Attorney Laura Zagaroli maintained that her positions did not create a conflict.

“I feel 100% that the attorney’s opinion is wrong,” Beeman told the Post.

He believes that Cohen-Thompson has a vested interest in upholding her earlier vote as a trustee and is advocating for people to ratify her opinion.

Cohen-Thompson declined to comment on the Post’s story and Zagaroli did not respond for comment.

The Beeman’s further argue that the school’s presence in the commercial district could deter future businesses, including those who sell alcohol due to proximity to schools.

According to Alcohol Beverage Control (ABC), the department can deny any retail license located within 600 feet of a school. Only one alcohol selling business is located within that range, which is Bambino’s Italian restaurant at 300 feet from the proposed location.

The project’s proponents argue that the school would not affect current or future liquor-selling establishments as long as they follow the ABC agency’s guidelines.

The Beeman’s also referenced Vallejo’s General Plan 2040, stating that the proposed expansion does not align with the plan’s revitalization efforts or arts and entertainment use. They argue that such a development should focus on vacant and underutilized areas, in accordance with the plan.

The proposed location, 241 Georgia Street aligns with this plan and is a two minute walk from the Vallejo Transit Center.

The General Plan emphasizes activating the downtown with, “Workers, residents, and students activate the downtown area seven days a week, providing a critical mass to support a ‘cafe culture’ and technology access, sparking innovation and entrepreneurship.”

City staff recommended exempting the project from CEQA, citing negligible impacts. However, Beeman raised concerns about increased foot traffic potentially exacerbating existing issues like theft and the lack of police presence downtown. He shared that he’s had a few encounters with kids running around his office building and disturbing his work.

Tara Beasley-Stansberry, a Planning Commissioner and owner of Noonie’s Place, told the Post that the arrival of students in downtown can mean not only opportunities for surrounding businesses, but can allow for students to find their first jobs and continue to give back to the community in revitalization efforts.

Beasley-Stansberry had advocated for the students at the March Commission meeting, sharing disappointment in the way that community members spoke negatively of the teens.

“To characterize these children as criminals before they’ve even graduated from high school, that’s when I had to really take a look and I was kind of lost as to where we were as a city and as a community to where I couldn’t understand how we were viewing these children,” Beasley-Stansberry told the Post.

She added that the commissioners who voted yes on the project location have to do what is right for the community and that the city’s purpose is not all about generating businesses.

ELITE CEO Dr. Ramona Bishop, told the Post that they have worked with the city and responded to all questions and concerns from the appropriate departments. She claimed ELITE has one of the fastest growing schools in the county with mostly Vallejo residents.

“We have motivated college-bound high school students who deserve this downtown location designed just for them,” Bishop said. “We look forward to occupying our new [location] in the fall of 2024 and ask the Vallejo City Council to uphold their Planning Commission vote without delay.”

The Vallejo City Council will make the final decision about the project location and Major Use Permit on April 23.

Oakland Post

Posts by Oakland Post

Activism

Oakland Schools Honor Fred Korematsu Day of Civil Liberties

Every Jan. 30, OUSD commemorates the legacy of Fred Korematsu, an Oakland native, a Castlemont High School graduate, and a national symbol of resistance, resilience, and justice. His defiant stand against racial injustice and his unwavering commitment to civil rights continue to inspire the local community and the nation. Tuesday was “Fred Korematsu Day of Civil Liberties and the Constitution” in the state of California and a growing number of states across the country.

Published

1 week ago

April 19, 2024

Oakland Post

Fred Korematsu. Courtesy of OUSD.

By Post Staff

Every Jan. 30, OUSD commemorates the legacy of Fred Korematsu, an Oakland native, a Castlemont High School graduate, and a national symbol of resistance, resilience, and justice.

His defiant stand against racial injustice and his unwavering commitment to civil rights continue to inspire the local community and the nation. Tuesday was “Fred Korematsu Day of Civil Liberties and the Constitution” in the state of California and a growing number of states across the country.
One OUSD school is named in his honor: Fred T. Korematsu Discovery Academy (KDA) elementary in East Oakland.

Several years ago, founding KDA Principal Charles Wilson, in a video interview with anti-hate organization “Not In Our Town,” said, “We chose the name Fred Korematsu because we really felt like the attributes that he showed in his work are things that the children need to learn … that common people can stand up and make differences in a large number of people’s lives.”

Fred Korematsu was born in Oakland on Jan. 30, 1919. His parents ran a floral nursery business, and his upbringing in Oakland shaped his worldview. His belief in the importance of standing up for your rights and the rights of others, regardless of race or background, was the foundation for his activism against racial prejudice and for the rights of Japanese Americans during World War II.

At the start of the war, Korematsu was turned away from enlisting in the National Guard and the Coast Guard because of his race. He trained as a welder, working at the docks in Oakland, but was fired after the bombing of Pearl Harbor in 1941. Fear and prejudice led to federal Executive Order 9066, which forced more than 120,000 Japanese Americans out of their homes and neighborhoods and into remote internment camps.

The 23-year-old Korematsu resisted the order. He underwent cosmetic surgery and assumed a false identity, choosing freedom over unjust imprisonment. His later arrest and conviction sparked a legal battle that would challenge the foundation of civil liberties in America.

Korematsu’s fight culminated in the Supreme Court’s initial ruling against him in 1944. He spent years in a Utah internment camp with his family, followed by time living in Salt Lake City where he was dogged by racism.

In 1976, President Gerald Ford overturned Executive Order 9066. Seven years later, the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco vacated Korematsu’s conviction. He said in court, “I would like to see the government admit that they were wrong and do something about it so this will never happen again to any American citizen of any race, creed, or color.”

Korematsu’s dedication and determination established him as a national icon of civil rights and social justice. He advocated for justice with Rosa Parks. In 1998, President Bill Clinton gave him the Presidential Medal of Freedom saying, “In the long history of our country’s constant search for justice, some names of ordinary citizens stand for millions of souls … To that distinguished list, today we add the name of Fred Korematsu.”

After Sept. 11, 2001, Korematsu spoke out against hatred and discrimination, saying what happened to Japanese Americans should not happen to people of Middle Eastern descent.
Korematsu’s roots in Oakland and his education in OUSD are a source of great pride for the city, according to the school district. His most famous quote, which is on the Korematsu elementary school mural, is as relevant now as ever, “If you have the feeling that something is wrong, don’t be afraid to speak up.”

Oakland Post

Posts by Oakland Post

Community

Teacher Mentoring Program Receives James Irvine Leadership Award

Leaders at Oakland-based Reach University, Dr. Elizabeth Baham and Héctor Camacho Jr, have been honored with the James Irvine Leadership Award for their work on addressing California’s teacher shortage through job-embedded curriculum and credential programs. With the award, each organization receives a grant of $350,000 and additional resources.

Published

1 week ago

April 19, 2024

Oakland Post

Dean Hector Camacho, Candidate Tysha Hayes, and the Reach University Admissions & Partnerships Teams at Jefferson Union High School District. Photo courtesy of Reach University.

By Magaly Muñoz

Dr. Baham and Mr. Camacho, who have been at Reach for nine years and two years respectively, have been instrumental in attracting and recruiting future educators who otherwise would not have a clear and affordable path into teaching or leadership positions.

Established in 2006, Reach University has served as the nation’s first and only accredited nonprofit university, dedicated to advancing undergraduate and graduate degrees and credentials.

“To be recognized for this work so publicly, has given me more strength to keep [fighting] because it’s a lot of work. I’m super honored and appreciative of [the James Irvine Foundation] for giving me this new burst of energy because it’s a tough field,” Camacho said.

Baham echoed Camacho’s sentiments and is grateful that the work they are doing is being recognized by a larger audience.

“It’s an acknowledgement of the work that I’ve put in and it’s an acknowledgement that teachers matter, that education matters. I think that at the end of the day, people see both Hector and I representing Reach University and they walk away with a sense of teaching matters,” Baham said.

The university primarily partners with K-12 school districts to provide potential teacher candidates who specialize in subjects such as liberal arts, math, science of reading, and computer science.

Camacho, Dean of Admissions and SVP of Workforce Development, praised the university’s methodology in allowing candidates already employed in a school either part or full time, as a teacher-aides or paraprofessionals, to earn college credit while mastering the art of teaching.

Camacho highlighted the challenges that many face when seeking higher education, such as taking a break from school to work and afford their degree or going directly into college and amassing large amounts of debt to solely focus on their studies.

“Let’s honor and recognize the work that they’re doing in the schools right now. Give them some college credit and then give them the other coursework they need to finish it because we know you shouldn’t have to choose anymore,” Camacho said.

Students at Reach University are paid to earn a degree, and undergraduates take on zero student debt. After grants and institutional scholarships, the out-of-pocket contribution for all full-time undergraduate candidates is $900 per year, or $75 per month, with no student debt, according to Reach officials.

Half of the program candidates are made up of people of color, matching the demographics of the schools they are working in. The large majority are also first-generation college students and some from low-income backgrounds.

Baham, Provost & Chief Academic Officer, stated the importance of having educators of color in classrooms because it not only allows for students of color to see themselves in authority positions, but also integrates what the world looks like for those who are not surrounded by diversity in their everyday lives.

She added that diversity at all levels of academia results in success and encouragement for everyone to strive for more.

“It’s important for [students] to see us occupying spaces where they will want to see themselves,” Baham said.

Reach students are taught in group setting classrooms twice a week and through one-on-one mentoring to better assist with individual needs. This approach allows students to network with other classmates to problem-solve similar obstacles and receive personalized coaching to refine their teaching skills.

With job-embedded curriculum being the set form of learning for Reach, many of the students have a clearer transition from degree to career pipeline. 84% of California alumni are still in the classroom five years after completing the graduate program and nearly 91% are still working in a school.

Tysha Hayes, a Reach student, works as a bus driver for Jefferson Union High School District and part-time in the classroom as a part of her degree program. She entered the university in fall 2023 and is hoping to graduate by 2027.

Hayes shared that the non-traditional learning aspect of Reach is what drew her to enroll, as she herself has had an unconventional journey from being a bus driver for 27 years to pursuing a career in education.

The job allows Hayes to be involved in her students’ lives in a more personal way. She explained that her face is the first and last one they see on their way back and forth to school, often prompting them to share their classroom frustrations and struggles with her.

“The bus has been my classroom with the students, so I get the best of both worlds. I get to see them in different elements throughout the whole day,” Hayes said.

Post-graduation, Hayes intends to work in health and wellness so that she can help guide and assist students who are feeling overwhelmed or unmotivated in their education to work through their struggles and strive for more.

Hayes says although she got a late start in life, the prospect of building interpersonal relationships with her students in and outside the classroom excites her to keep working towards her degree.