Featured

District Removes Popular Principal and Will “Co-locate” Charter School at Westlake

Published

8 years ago

March 4, 2016

Westlake Middle School students, parents and teachers are angry and confused after learning in the past week that the district has decided to “co-locate” a charter school onto their campus and remove their beloved principal, who they say has played a major role for the past 15 years in making Westlake a stable, thriving full-service community school.

According to teachers at the school, staff has just been told by district administrators that the Downtown Charter Academy will be moving students to Westlake next year and have told Principal Misha Karigaca that Supt. Antwan Wilson wants a “fresh start” at the school based on School Performance Framework data from last school year.

The teachers’ union, the Oakland Education Association (OEA), told the Post that the upheaval at Westlake, located 2629 Harrison St., is only one of the schools where Supt. Wilson plans to co-locate a charter school next year.

However, the district says no decisions have been made yet and will not be made by the school board until March 23.

Misha Karigaca

Principal Karigaca, or “Mr. K” as he is called, has the complete backing of the school’s staff, according to Westlake teachers, who did not want their names revealed for fear of retaliation.

“We expected and wanted Misha as our continued leader,” said a teacher, who has worked at the school for almost 10 years.

Under Karigaca’s leadership, Westlake’s program was able to expand, despite continuous budget cuts, to include mental health services and a free after school program, considered one of the best, offering gardening, hip hop and lacrosse.

The school piloted a science academy this year and offers student internships that are connected to agencies based on the young people’s career interests.

Westlake is also slated to be turned into an Arts Magnet School in fall 2017.

Karigaca, who is African American, is one of the last of the homegrown principals who still works for the Oakland Unified School District. His mother was a teacher, and he grew up attending Oakland schools and served as a teacher in Oakland before becoming a principal.

During the most recent labor negotiations between the teachers’ union and the district, he served as a member of the district’s bargaining team, which staff says is a sign that his leadership has been respected and trusted.

Westlake staff say they believe their principal is being punished for not keeping a lid on parent and teacher protests last June, when the district unsuccessfully tried to force the school to “co-locate” a charter high school at the site.

The superintendent is making an example of Karigaca to intimidate employees not to stand up for their school, said the same teacher. “The message is being sent that if you don’t do what I tell you to do, I’m going to chop your head off.”

OEA President Trish Gorham, president of the teachers’ union, says the district has not released a list of charters that will be placed at OUSD schools but that Lafayette Elementary School in West Oakland will be one of the affected sites.

“It’s happening all over,” said Gorham. “This is the total destabilization of established schools. The end result is to degrade the services to Oakland students and families and to disrupt school programs that took years to build.”

According to district spokesman Isaac Kos-Read, the co-locating of charter schools on public school campuses is required by state law

“It’s important to understand that the district is fulfilling its legal obligations under Prop. 39 to offer up underutilized public school space to local public charter schools,” he said. “The spirit of the law (Prop. 39) is one that must be honored.”

“There are successful co-locations across the district, such as King Estates and Castlemont,” Kos-Read said. “Benefits can include increased resources for the site, shared learning opportunities, and collaboration.”

Westlake teachers see the superintendent’s actions as further proof that the superintendent and his team do not care about the teachers or their school.

“They just told us what they are going to do,” said the Westlake teacher. “The input of the teachers, students and families obviously is not important to them.

“The superintendent wants to privatize, whereas our community is trying to rebuild a vibrant public school system,” he said. “Privatizing public education is what he does. That’s what being a reformer means to him.”

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Arts and Culture

Berkeley’s Black Repertory Theater to Hold Fundraiser for Youth Programs

The Bay Area Jazz Society will hold a fundraiser and CD listening party to raise funds for youth programs at Berkeley’s Black Repertory Theater (BBRT), the only Black-owned-and-operated theater in the East Bay.

Published

9 hours ago

September 27, 2023

Oakland Post

Larriah Jackson from ‘The Voice” will be one of the guest artists at the fundraiser for the Berkeley Black Repertory Group. Courtesy photo.

By Clifford Williams
Special to The Post

The event will take place at the BBRT on Sunday, Oct. 8 from 5 p.m. until 9 p.m. at 3201 Adeline St., Berkeley, CA. Tickets are $25. The master of ceremonies will be KPFA’s Afrikahn Jamal Davis.

Many artists featured in “The Sounds of Oakland: Music from the Streets” compilation CD will perform with special guests including Larriah Jackson from “The Voice” Niecy ‘Living Single’ Robinson, one of the Bay Area’s most popular vocalists and Derick Hughes, who sang with Roberta Flack for many years, taking the place of Donnie Hathaway.

Other artists attending include Donnie Williams from “American Idol,” (the same year Jennifer Hudson and Latoya London appeared), and Williams’ sister, Terrill Williams. There will be live performances with food and drink for everyone, and the CD will be playing in the lobby when the performers take a break.

BBRT has had limited programming during and throughout the pandemic and is now struggling to regain continual of operations. Bay Area Jazz Society Executive Director Paul Tillman Smith, has an extensive background in theatre, starting with a stint as musical director for the Oakland Ensemble Theater’s Melvin Van Peebles play, “Ain’t Supposed to Die a Natural Death,” featuring television star Ted Lange of the “Love Boat,” as director.

Tillman Smith is also the co-producer, along with Norman Connors, Levi Seacer Jr., and Nelson Braxton for the new Bay Area CD ‘The Sounds of Oakland: Music from the Streets.” Other artists listed on the CD may be in attendance, including Lenny Williams, Derick Hughes, and Lady Bianca to meet and greet guests.

The Berkeley chapter of the NAACP will also support the fundraiser.

The first 20 individuals attending the fundraiser will receive a free copy of the CD. Thirty percent of the CD sales will go into a fund to help aging artists who don’t have a pension and, in many cases, no social security.

For more information regarding the fundraiser and how to obtain tickets, contact Paul Tilman Smith at 510. 689.3332, or Bayjazz@gmail.com.

Black History

Remembering the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom

The “March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom,” brought an unprecedented throng to the National Mall on Aug. 28, 1963. From every corner of the U.S., marchers came to demand fair wages, economic justice, an end to segregation, voting rights and long overdue civil rights. Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. delivered his incomparable “I Have a Dream” speech on that day.

Published

10 hours ago

September 27, 2023

Oakland Post

March on Washington, August 1963

By Gay Elizabeth Plair Cobb

Gay Plair Cobb

Editor’s note: The “March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom,” brought an unprecedented throng to the National Mall on Aug. 28, 1963. From every corner of the U.S., marchers came to demand fair wages, economic justice, an end to segregation, voting rights and long overdue civil rights. Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. delivered his incomparable “I Have a Dream” speech on that day. Below, Gay Plair Cobb shares her remembrance.

“Sleepy eyed, joining the early morning-chartered bus ride from New York City to Washington, DC … exhilarated, but not knowing what to expect in the late August heat

…. the yearning for justice, solidarity with others on the journey, the possibility of new legislation, and also the possibility of violence … We just did not know.

In the end, there were an amazing 250,000 of us, awed and inspired by Mahalia Jackson, John Lewis, Dorothy Height, James Farmer and, of course, the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. The Dream that became our North Star is still our North Star 60 years later and into eternity. Grateful to have been a foot soldier then. Still grateful now.”

Poster for March on Washington.

Art

Oakland Celebrates Hiero Day 2023, Commemorating the 50th Anniversary of Hip-Hop

Thousands of music fans showed up at Oscar Grant Plaza Monday, Sept. 4 to celebrate the 11th annual Hiero Day block party and commemorate the 50th anniversary of hip-hop, featuring the Souls of Mischief, Oakland native Kev Choice, Mister F.A.B. and a special guest appearance by Common.

Published

10 hours ago

September 27, 2023

Oakland Post

Common was honored on Hiero Day at by Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao and Deputy Mayor Kimberly Mayfield. Photo courtesy of Ariel Nava.

By Post Staff

Thousands of music fans showed up at Oscar Grant Plaza Monday, Sept. 4 to celebrate the 11^th annual Hiero Day block party and commemorate the 50^th anniversary of hip-hop, featuring the Souls of Mischief, Oakland native Kev Choice, Mister F.A.B. and a special guest appearance by Common.

Hosted by the City of Oakland and Mayor Sheng Thao, the free event showcased over 30 live performances on three stages, including legendary, underground and undiscovered performers of hip-hop, R&B and other genres.

Souls of Mischief is part of the rap collective Hieroglyphics, which founded Hiero Day and this year celebrated its 30^th anniversary.

“HIERO DAY (is) a driving force in the music festival culture in Oakland,” according to event organizers. “The event is widely regarded as a day to celebrate independent hip-hop music and serves as a Labor Day destination being one of the largest hip-hop music gatherings in the Bay Area.”

The event was held at Jack London Square last year, but this year, it moved to the plaza in front of Oakland City Hall, reflecting its new connection with the Mayor’s Office and the City of Oakland.

“I’m so grateful to be here in Oakland,” said Common said after receiving a “heavyweight champion” belt and proclamation from Mayor Thao. “Y’all inspired us … The music, the culture — Hieroglyphics influenced me.”

Said Mayor Thao: “Oakland is the heart of the Bay Area’s music, art and culture scene, and I am so grateful for all the work our Hiero Day organizers did to celebrate it.”

The City of Oakland this year is hosting three events to commemorate the 50^th anniversary of hip-hop, including the collaboration with event organizers of Hiero Day. A special event was held on Sept. 10 to honor “50 years of women rooted in hip-hop,” including Pam the Funkstress, the Conscious Daughters, Traci Bartlow, and Mystic and Black.