Activism

Oakland School District Accused of Firing Teacher Activists

The teachers’ union pledged to continue the fight against school closures and to take legal action to defend teachers who have been fired or threatened for their activism: “We stand in absolute solidarity with the demands of the Parker community and all school communities targeted for closure,” said the union statement.

Published

2 years ago

October 15, 2022

Ken Epstein

The Oakland teachers’ union has accused the Oakland Unified School District of retaliating against teacher activists, including firing two substitute teachers, who have protested school closings.

District had promised not to retaliate against employees protesting school closures

By Ken Epstein

The Oakland teachers’ union has accused the Oakland Unified School District of retaliating against teacher activists, including firing two substitute teachers, who have protested school closings. The union is planning litigation against the district.

“The Oakland Education Association (OEA) demands an immediate halt to retaliatory actions undertaken by the Oakland Unified School District against activists working to keep Parker School and other neighborhood schools open,” according to a statement sent to the Oakland Post by teachers’ union President Keith Brown.

“Specifically, OUSD must immediately rescind the termination of substitute teachers June Nelson and Craig Gordon, rescind the reprimand of teacher Denise Huffstutler, and renew the contract-for-services of Paloma Collier,” the O.E.A. statement said.

While the district does not discuss individual personnel matters, the Post asked for a response from OUSD on the issue of retaliation against employees for opposing school closings.

“OUSD does not comment on personnel matters,” replied OUSD spokesperson John Sasaki.

The district appears to be taking actions against teacher activists despite a letter sent to several school employees on Feb. 11 by OUSD Chief Governance Officer Joshua Daniels pledging not to “not retaliate against any OUSD employee involved in protesting school closures … or supporting those who are involved in such protests.”

Nelson, one of the affected teachers, taught special education at Lockwood Elementary last year and was hired as a substitute teacher in Oakland for the current school year. On her second day of teaching, she received an email saying, “We onboarded you mistakenly. You are not eligible for future employment with OUSD.”

Nelson had coordinated the educational program at Parker Community School last summer, which was run by parents, OUSD educators and others occupying Parker to provide services in the East Oakland neighborhood, according to a press statement from teacher activists.

Gordon, an OUSD teacher for 24 years and a substitute teacher for eight years, discovered at the beginning of the school year that he was unable to access the online substitute system to apply for work.

“I emailed the head of Human Resources and asked if something had changed with my employment,” he said in an interview with Oakland Voices. “I was told a letter had been sent notifying me that my employment was hereby terminated and that I was also precluded from ever being employed in OUSD again and, perhaps ironically, thanking me for my service.”

He said he believes he was fired due to his public activities and outspokenness. He recently had supported those who had protested the closure of Parker School.

Substitutes are considered “at will employees,” who can be fired without reason.

Educator Pamela Collier, an opponent of school closings, had been a garden educator for five years. She learned in July that her contract would not be honored for the 2022-23 school year as she was about to start her sixth year in the garden at Markham Elementary in East Oakland.

Teacher activist Denise Huffstutler was an instructional coach at Parker with over 20 years in education. During the summer, she received a letter of reprimand for failing to return her keys at the end of the year “even though she had reported her keys as missing,” according to a press statement.

“Huffstutler is still part of an ongoing case to clear her record and could face possible termination despite her tenure status,” the press statement said.

“The decision to abruptly close schools like Parker which serve majority Black and Brown students has thrown Oakland Unified into unnecessary disarray, caused tremendous trauma for students, families, and staff, and resulted in an ever-expanding universe of litigation … we are planning litigation to challenge these illegal actions.”

Ken Epstein

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Activism

Oakland Post: Week of April 17 – 23, 2024

The printed Weekly Edition of the Oakland Post: Week of April 17 – 23, 2024

Published

6 days ago

April 19, 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.

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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

7 days 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.”

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Activism

WOMEN IMPACTING THE CHURCH AND COMMUNITY

Published

1 week ago

April 17, 2024

Oakland Post

Juanita Matthews

Sister Juanita Matthews

55 Years with Oakland Public School District

The Teacher, Mother, Community Outreach Champion, And Child of God

Juanita Matthews, better known as “Sister Teacher,” is a walking Bible scholar. She moved to California from the great state of Arkansas in 1971. Sister Teacher has a passion for teaching. She has been a member of Bible Fellowship Missionary Baptist Church since 1971. She followed her passion for teaching, and in 1977 became the lead teacher for Adult Class #6. Her motto still today is “Once My Student, Always My Student”.

Beyond her remarkable love for the Lord, Sister Teacher has showcased her love for teaching by working for the Oakland Unified School District for 55 years, all but four of those years spent at Emerson Elementary and Child Development School. She truly cares about her students, making sure they have the tools/supplies needed to learn either at OUSD or Bible Fellowship Missionary Baptist Church.

She’s also had a “Clothes Closet Ministry” for 51 years, making sure her students have sufficient clothing for school. The Clothes Closet Ministry extends past her students, she has been clothing the community for over 50 years as well. She loves the Lord and is a servant on a mission. She is a loving mother to two beautiful children, Sandra and Andre. This is the impact this woman of God has on her church and the community.