Education

Oakland Needs School Board Candidates Who Have “Courage,” Say Community Leaders

Published

8 years ago

August 24, 2018

Five school community leaders, who have been actively involved in school issues for years, joined representatives of the Oakland Post this week to interview candidates who are running for the Oakland Board of Education.

In interviews with the Post, the school community leaders spoke about the kind of leadership that is needed on the school board and some of the main challenges the Oakland Unified School District is facing.

Monica Scott Green, a parent and program director of Bay Area Parent Leadership Action Network (PLAN), is an Oakland native. She was raised in Denver but has been living in Oakland for the past 30 years.

Green said she originally became active because she was concerned about the quality of education that students are receiving and the need for more engagement of families in the schools.

She said Oakland needs school board leaders “who will advocate for the resources that the children need to thrive.”

Because Oakland depends on funding from the state and federal governments and is largely controlled by the state bureaucracy, Oakland schools need leaders who will “work with coalitions (locally) and throughout the state so communities can have local control,” said Green.

“We need to be able to grow our own local teaching force so that we can have teachers who really reflect the cultures and the languages of our children,” she said.

Because of the impact of charter schools and state regulations, Oakland currently has “all these mini-districts that are unaccountable to the parents and families in the schools, including the parents in the charter schools,” she said.

Renee Swayne, a retired Oakland educator and member of Oakland-based Educators for Democratic Schools (EDS), said the school board members must provide “solid leadership with an awareness of charter schools and their impact on the schools, and an overall understanding and care for students and families.”

“We understand that Oakland schools have to do a better job, (but) charter schools are killing Oakland schools right now,” she said.

“Fiscal solvency is the biggest issue because it impacts everything, coming up with solutions that will keep us out of receivership (state takeover),” said Swayne.

Dr. Kimberly Mayfield, dean of the School of Education at Holy Names University, said the school board needs leaders who “recognize they are political beings, who face political as well as academic challenges.”
“They need to recognize they are collaborative change agents and see that parents and communities are partners,” said Mayfield.

Of course, school board members need to work for quality education, but they have to understand the complexity of what that means, she said.

“It means having a diverse teaching staff that is representative of the school community,” she said. “It also means having a stable teaching force and school board members who actually like children and teachers and are willing to represent and respect them.”

Oakland native Mike Hutchinson is a member of Oakland Public Education Network (OPEN), affiliated with the Journey 4 Justice National Alliance.

“We want to see school board members who are rooted in the community, who are willing to harness the energy we have in Oakland and build on it, rather than to have an adversarial relationship with the community,” he said.

“Our community has a right to control the public education system, and when we do that, we have good outcomes,” he said.

“We need board members who have a vision to really reinvigorate public education in Oakland. That doesn’t include privatization,” he said.

With the rapid growth of charter schools, public education in Oakland is facing an “existential threat,” said Hutchinson. “We’re at a tipping point as a district,” he said. “We have the highest rate of charter schools in California, and (Oakland students) are ground zero for the education experiments.”

Dr. Kitty Kelly Epstein, an education professor at Holy Names University and KPFA talk show host on the program “Education Today,” said:

“We need school board members with courage. I’m looking for candidates who are willing to lead and advocate on behalf of the people of Oakland. We need leaders who are going to acknowledge all the ways the school district has been messed over by the state and the federal government, including the state takeover, when we were forced to take a $100 million loan , but had no control over how the money was spent. Much of it was wasted by state-selected administrators, and now we’re expected to pay the bill.

“It is the state that makes it impossible to have a diverse teaching force, creating a lot of petty requirements that don’t have anything to do with whether people are good teachers or not.

“We have a good superintendent, we have committed teachers, and we have a community that wants good schools. We need to be out from under the burden the state has put on the district for political reasons, starting many years ago.”

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Education

‘Raising a Child Shouldn’t Break the Bank’: California Is Helping Families Save on Childcare Costs

California has implemented new fee schedules and expanded programs to reduce the financial burden of childcare for families across the state. Under recent reforms, many households qualifying for subsidized care have seen their annual fees eliminated entirely. The state has also introduced universal transitional kindergarten and increased access to before- and after-school enrichment. Despite these investments in facilities and provider benefits, affordability remains a persistent challenge for many residents as the state works to bridge existing gaps in care. Read more.

Published

3 days ago

October 25, 2026

Post News Group

By Bo Tefu,, California Black Media

California families are paying less for subsidized childcare under new fee schedules introduced since 2019, according to information from the Public Policy Institute of California (PPIC).

The state has expanded subsidized childcare, introduced free transitional kindergarten for 4-year-olds, and increased access to before- and after-school programs as part of broader efforts to reduce the financial burden of raising children. However, childcare affordability remains a challenge for many families.

According to a PPIC chart cited by the administration, a family of three earning $60,000 annually would have paid approximately $7,000 a year in fees for full-time subsidized childcare under the 2019-20 schedule. Under the 2025-26 schedule, the annual fee is zero. The figures are adjusted for inflation.

“Raising a child shouldn’t break the bank,” Newsom said. He added that the state has lowered costs, expanded access to affordable care, and increased educational opportunities to help parents and children thrive.

Since 2019, California has added approximately 149,000 subsidized childcare slots and awarded 3,800 grants to providers to improve facilities and expand capacity. The state has also expanded before-and after-school care and summer programs for students in transitional kindergarten through sixth grade, offering activities such as homework assistance, arts, music, and science enrichment.

Universal transitional kindergarten is another major component of the state’s strategy. The free program is available to all 4-year-olds in California, providing early education while helping families avoid some childcare expenses. California enrolled 213,313 children in transitional kindergarten during the 2025-26 school year. The Newsom administration says the state has invested $12.5 billion since 2019 to implement the program statewide.

Other initiatives include expanding paid family leave from six weeks to eight weeks and increasing wage replacement for eligible workers.

Those earning less than $65,000 annually can receive up to 90% of their regular wages while on leave.

California has also provided free meals to public school students and established the CalKIDS savings program, which provides eligible children with accounts to help cover future college and career training expenses.

The state has further supported childcare providers through collective bargaining, committing more than $800 million to health, retirement, and training benefits for members of Child Care Providers United.

While these initiatives have expanded support for families, the PPIC figures specifically illustrate changes in subsidized childcare fees, not the full cost of care for every household. Ensuring that affordable, accessible childcare is available to families across income levels remains an ongoing challenge for California.

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Education

U.S. Rep. Simon Secures More Than $1 Million for Public Safety at Mills College at Northeastern University Oakland, Surrounding Neighborhood

This week, Congresswoman Lateefah Simon (CA-12) announced $1,031,000 in Community Project Funding (CPF) for Mills College at Northeastern University Oakland (MCNUO). This federal funding will be used to purchase new emergency blue-light phone towers and security cameras that will

Published

3 days ago

October 25, 2026

Post News Group

Flanked by students, holding the check to the college are (l.-r.) U.S. Rep Lateefah Simon, Renee Jadushlever and Dan Sachs of MCNUO and Oakland Mayor Barbara Lee. Courtesy photo.

By Special to The Post

Simon announced the funding alongside Oakland Mayor Barbara Lee, Dean of Northeastern University Oakland Dan Sachs, Associated Vice President for Global Site Security Regina Coppa, and other Northeastern University leadership. This federal investment is part of Simon’s commitment to bringing federal resources back to the East Bay and supporting students, educators, and educational institutions who are creating the next generation of leaders in the East Bay.

This Community Project Funding (CPF) is a part of the $11.2 million that Simon secured for 15 projects across the East Bay in Fiscal Year 2026. Each fiscal year, members of Congress can submit Community Project Funding requests for consideration with the House Committee on Appropriations.

“Mills College at Northeastern University is one of the jewels of Oakland. I came to this campus as a student and young, single mother and walked these paths with my child. I know this campus is home to far more than a university.

“It is home to the little ones at the preschool, the girls at Julia Morgan, the neighbors who swim in the pool and walk the trail, and the faculty and workers who keep it all running,” Simon said. “This funding invests in every one of them and in the simple things that make a place safe: light, open paths, updated equipment like call booths.

“NE’s leadership is committed to a campus that takes responsibility for its neighbors as much as its own. Safety is a public good, and that is exactly the kind of investment Oakland deserves. Thank you to Mayor Barbara Lee for her partnership on this funding.”

“This campus changed my life when I came here as a single mother on public assistance, and this million-dollar investment continues that legacy of support by keeping our students, families, and neighbors safe,” said Mayor Barbara Lee. “Before leaving Congress, I requested federal funding for this project, and I am deeply grateful to Congresswoman Lateefah Simon for carrying it forward so we can build the safe, thriving community Oakland deserves.”

“We’re grateful to Congresswoman Lateefah Simon for her leadership in securing this funding for our Oakland campus,” said Renee Jadushlever, vice president for Campus Administration and Strategic Initiatives at Northeastern University. “It’s a place where students learn, do research, build community, and gain real-world experience with our industry partners across the region. This investment will help maintain the safety of our campus community while we continue to welcome our neighbors and deepen our connections across Oakland.”

U.S. Rep. Lateefah Simon’s media relations office is the source of this story.

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Community

WCCUSD Joins Statewide Organic School Food Purchasing Cooperative

Other districts involved include: Alameda USD, Albany USD, Berkeley USD, Capistrano USD, Cupertino Union SD, Hayward USD, Laguna Beach USD, Lagunitas Elementary SD, Mt. Diablo USD, North Monterey County USD, Pajaro Valley USD, San Leandro USD, San Ramon Valley USD, Santa Clara USD, Sausalito Marin City SD, Tahoe-Truckee USD and West Contra Costa USD.

Published

2 weeks ago

October 13, 2026

Post News Group

West Contra Costa Unified School District food services team members pose for a photo at Back-to-School Night. Photo courtesy of WCCUSD.

By Richmond Standard Staff

Seventeen California public school districts, including West Contra Costa Unified (WCCUSD), have joined a purchasing cooperative to pool their buying power and expand access to organic food in school meals.

The nonprofit Conscious Kitchen recently announced the launch of the Conscious Organic School Food Purchasing Cooperative. Its founding districts serve more than 300,000 students combined.

The cooperative partnered with food distributors UNFI and Sysco to expand the organic products available to participating districts. Combining schools’ purchasing demand helps distributors plan with suppliers while creating more dependable markets for organic farmers and food makers, according to Conscious Kitchen.

Other eligible California school districts can access the cooperative’s products and pricing through its existing contracts without conducting their own bids. Mt. Diablo Unified School District serves as the lead district for the cooperative’s grocery bid.

Barbara Jellison, WCCUSD’s executive director of food services, said the cooperative builds on years of work bringing fresh, organic food into school kitchens.

“The next challenge has always been how to make that possible for more districts,” Jellison said. “The Co-op gives schools a way to take what we have learned and move it to a completely different scale.”