City Government

School Board Votes to Close Roots, Parents Call for Boycott

Published

5 years ago

February 1, 2019

The Oakland Board of Education voted this week despite the opposition of hundreds of Roots students and families and their supporters. Parent leaders pledged to continue the fight, saying they would boycott the school on Friday.

The board voted 6-1 on Tuesday in favor of closing the school, ignoring the impassioned pleas of the students. Only District 5 Boardmember Roseann Torres voted against closing the school, along with the student board members (whose votes are symbolic).

Torres said that because the Black and Latino unity was so impressive, she was voting no.

Voting in favor of closing the school were James Harris, Shanthi Gonzales, Aimee Eng, Jumoke Hinton Hodge, Jody London and Gary Yee.

Education activist Kitty Kelly Epstein, who attended the meeting, said on Facebook:

“By its own projections the Oakland school board will save only $370,000 by closing Roots International Academy. A whole school; several hundred grieving children; the loss of safety, community and family for some of the least enfranchised youngsters in Oakland will save less than the cost of one well-paid administrator including benefits.

“The principal is leaving anyway. Let the staff run the school…with a lead teacher. There’s a lot of talk about ‘innovation.’ From all the evidence at the board meeting, that’s the beautiful innovation that’s already happening with the Roots community.”

Discounting the public, the school board and administration made this unpopular decision under pressure from powerful agencies: the Alameda County Office of Education, the State Department of Education, the state funded Fiscal Crisis Management and Assistance Team (FCMAT), Oakland’s state trustee, as well as billionaire-backed pro charter organizations GO Public Schools, Educate78, and the California Charter School Association.

Roots parents published a flyer calling on parents to keep their students home on Friday:

“In response to the OUSD school board voting to close Roots, parents strike back! Our school will still be open next year – they are just moving our children!! We demand a seat for our students at Our School! Keep Roots Students on OUR public school campus!”

“NFL Takes A Knee – Roots Parents Take A Stand.”

Parent leader Adelaida B Rios said the fight did not end with the school board vote.

“The kids are walking in here so sad. But we tell them the fight is not over yet,” she said. “The process was wrong from the beginning. They didn’t give the parents the respect of giving straight answers,” she said.“They still don’t have a plan. I still don’t know where my son is going to go (next year). They make promises and then abandon us.”

Ken Epstein

Posts by Ken Epstein

Up Next

Allen Temple Baptist Church Welcomes Their First Woman Acting Pastor, Rev. Dr. Jacqueline Thompson

Don't Miss

Special Ed Support Staff Plan to Support a Teacher Strike

Ken Epstein

Click to comment

Activism

Oakland Post: Week of April 24 – 30, 2024

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

Published

2 days ago

April 26, 2024

Oakland Post

To enlarge your view of this issue, use the slider, magnifying glass icon or full page icon in the lower right corner of the browser window.

Oakland Post

Posts by Oakland Post

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

5 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.

Oakland Post

Posts by Oakland Post

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

5 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.