Bay Area

Community Rallies Against School Closures, Mergers and Charter School Co-Locations

Published

4 years ago

April 9, 2020

Parents, teachers, students and school employee unions are calling on the school board to “stop permanent school closures, mergers and charter school co-locations in Oakland,” which are going forward in the midst of the national and global economic shutdown triggered by the coronavirus pandemic.

Speaking at an online press conference on March 31, 2020, speakers urged the Board of Education to put a “pause” on these closures and other austerity measures, which are mandated by the district’s state and county overseers.

“While (we’re) sheltering in place, this call to stop the closures has become more urgent,” said Saru Jayaraman, a parent of children who attend Kaiser Elementary School, scheduled to close at the end of the school year.

With the district totally closed at present, officials are in effect saying, “We don’t know where your kids are going to go next year, and we don’t care,” said Jayaraman.

“I cannot emphasize enough the trauma to children and to parents, who are struggling to survive right now” she said.

Brookfield Elementary teacher Corrin Haskell said the district has approved co-locating a dual-immersion French language charter at his East Oakland school.

Besides giving Brookfield classrooms to Francophone Charter School in the fall, he said he and others worry that the district may close Brookfield and give the entire campus to the charter the following year.

Civil rights attorney Dan Siegel, a former school board member and attorney for the school district, said that besides facing the trauma of COVID-19, school children are being placed in a situation where they may never see their teachers again, where they may never see their classmates again.

“This is inhumane and unnecessary,” he said.

In addition, he said, the Supreme Court has held that parents “have an absolute right to direct their children’s education.”

“When you cannot attend school board meetings, when you cannot go to schools to check them out, when you cannot meet with fellow parents, teachers and administrators, a parent cannot play a meaningful role in directing his or her child’s education.”

Kaiser Elementary teacher Amelia Bailey said that in the middle of the traumatic pandemic shutdown, “I find it impossible for teachers to be able to participate in meaningful planning for a (new) school to be successfully ready to open (and) be actually ready to attract families in the fall of 2020.

Kaiser parent Stracey Gordon said, “The state and the city are putting a hold on evictions because of this global crisis,” she said. “Why can’t the Oakland Unified School District put a hold on evicting our children from their schools?”

Melvin Phillips, president of the school chapter of SEIU Local 1021, said, “Our schools are being starved of resources by charter programs and tax cuts (for) the rich.”

“All of us deserve to live in safe, healthy prosperous communities more than ever. And it starts with schools,” he said.

Said Oakland Education Association (OEA) President Keith Brown, “This pandemic has shown everyone the importance of public schools (as a) vital hub in our community, that provides education … food … community (and) services for our students.

“With the district pursuing charter school co-locations and school closures, that’s against the model of full-service community schools, which our students need.”

Ken Epstein

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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

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

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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.

Oakland Post

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Bay Area

State Controller Malia Cohen Keynote Speaker at S.F. Wealth Conference

California State Controller Malia Cohen delivered the keynote speech to over 50 business women at the Black Wealth Brunch held on March 28 at the War Memorial and Performing Arts Center at 301 Van Ness Ave. in San Francisco. The Enterprising Women Networking SF Chapter of the American Business Women’s Association (ABWA) hosted the Green Room event to launch its platform designed to close the racial wealth gap in Black and Brown communities.

Published

1 week ago

April 20, 2024

Oakland Post

American Business Women’s Association Vice President Velma Landers, left, with California State Controller Malia Cohen (center), and ABWA President LaRonda Smith at the Enterprising Women Networking SF Chapter of the ABWA at the Black Wealth Brunch.

By Carla Thomas

The Enterprising Women Networking SF Chapter of the American Business Women’s Association (ABWA) hosted the Green Room event to launch its platform designed to close the racial wealth gap in Black and Brown communities.

“Our goal is to educate Black and Brown families in the masses about financial wellness, wealth building, and how to protect and preserve wealth,” said ABWA San Francisco Chapter President LaRonda Smith.

ABWA’s mission is to bring together businesswomen of diverse occupations and provide opportunities for them to help themselves and others grow personally and professionally through leadership, education, networking support, and national recognition.

“This day is about recognizing influential women, hearing from an accomplished woman as our keynote speaker and allowing women to come together as powerful people,” said ABWA SF Chapter Vice President Velma Landers.

More than 60 attendees dined on the culinary delights of Chef Sharon Lee of The Spot catering, which included a full soul food brunch of skewered shrimp, chicken, blackened salmon, and mac and cheese.

Cohen discussed the many economic disparities women and people of color face. From pay equity to financial literacy, Cohen shared not only statistics, but was excited about a new solution in motion which entailed partnering with Californians for Financial Education.

“I want everyone to reach their full potential,” she said. “Just a few weeks ago in Sacramento, I partnered with an organization, Californians for Financial Education.

“We gathered 990 signatures and submitted it to the [California] Secretary of State to get an initiative on the ballot that guarantees personal finance courses for every public school kid in the state of California.

“Every California student deserves an equal opportunity to learn about filing taxes, interest rates, budgets, and understanding the impact of credit scores. The way we begin to do that is to teach it,” Cohen said.

By equipping students with information, Cohen hopes to close the financial wealth gap, and give everyone an opportunity to reach their full financial potential. “They have to first be equipped with the information and education is the key. Then all we need are opportunities to step into spaces and places of power.”

Cohen went on to share that in her own upbringing, she was not guided on financial principles that could jump start her finances. “Communities of color don’t have the same information and I don’t know about you, but I did not grow up listening to my parents discussing their assets, their investments, and diversifying their portfolio. This is the kind of nomenclature and language we are trying to introduce to our future generations so we can pivot from a life of poverty so we can pivot away and never return to poverty.”

Cohen urged audience members to pass the initiative on the November 2024 ballot.

“When we come together as women, uplift women, and support women, we all win. By networking and learning together, we can continue to build generational wealth,” said Landers. “Passing a powerful initiative will ensure the next generation of California students will be empowered to make more informed financial decisions, decisions that will last them a lifetime.”