Activism

Protests Save 7 Oakland Schools; Board Moves Ahead to Close or Merge 11 Others

Councilmember Rebecca Kaplan said the state needs to take responsibility. “Many years ago, the State of California took over control of the Oakland public schools, which they claimed was for the purpose of fixing the finances,” she said. “Sadly, the state officials controlling OUSD ran up debt, leaving the schools worse off financially. Now that California has a record-breaking budget surplus, it is all the more unjust that our youth and families should be made to suffer by cutting their schools to pay off debt that was run up by State officials.”

Published

4 years ago

February 12, 2022

Oakland Post

Protests to save neighborhood schools have taken place (from top left, clockwise): Parker Elementary, Prescott Elementary, teacher and community march in downtown Oakland and Brookfield Elementary. Photos from Facebook posts.

Oakland City Council members call for action by state leaders

By Ken Epstein

The Oakland Board of Education has backed off on closing some schools and pushed the bulk of school closings to the end of next school year in a seeming attempt to blunt the mounting protests of school closures.

Over the last week, those protests have mushroomed into school walkouts and strikes at affected schools, a hunger strike at Westlake Middle, opposition from City Council members and growing angry demands for action by Gov. Gavin Newsom and other state officials.

Passed by a 4-2 board vote Tuesday night, the final amended list of school closures and mergers includes two schools that will close this year: Parker Elementary School in East Oakland and Community Day School, which serves students who have some of the greatest educational needs. The students will be transferred to a county program 18 miles away in Hayward.

In addition to the complete closures, La Escuelita will lose its grades 6,7 and 8, and New Highland Academy will be merged with Rise Community.

Five schools will be close at the end of 2023: Korematsu Discovery Academy and Horace Mann Elementary, as well as three schools that were postponed from this year – Brookfield Elementary, Grass Valley Elementary and Carl Munck Elementary.

Hillcrest Elementary will lose grades 6, 7 and 8 at the end of next year.

Board members opposing the decision were VanCedric Williams and Mike Hutchinson. Voting in favor of the motion were Gary Yee, Shanthi Gonzales, Aimee Eng and Sam Davis. Clifford Thompson abstained.

Some of the seven schools removed from the original school closure list of schools had strong public demonstrations of school and community support. At present, the district no longer plans to close Prescott Elementary School in West Oakland.

The district also dropped plans to move and merge Westlake Middle School with West Oakland Middle School. Ralph Bunche Academy and Dewey Academy will no longer be moved to the Westlake campus.

In addition, Manzanita Community School will no longer be merged with Fruitvale Elementary School.

The Oakland Post requested a statement on the closings from OUSD but by press time had not received one.

Under state control since 2003, Oakland communities continually fought against school closings and consolidations, though nothing as massive as the current level of protests.

With the state-funded Fiscal Crisis Management and Assistance Team (FCMAT) always threatening in the background, the district has already closed about 20 schools in 19 years and is under pressure to close, sell and lease as many as 40 more.

Backing the closures, Mayor Libby Schools, who is closely aligned with charter school privatizers and real estate developers, said in a KQED television interview on February 4 that the district could stand to close as many as half of the city’s public schools, adding, “This is an opportunity to do better for our students, for our educators, our families.”

Among the protests taking place at schools in the past two weeks were a mass rally and march downtown of teachers and community groups, a parent strike at La Escuelita, a protest at Brookfield, a hunger strike and student walkouts at Westlake Middle, a mass rally against school closings at Prescott, a strike at Grass Valley and a strike and a town hall meeting at Parker.

The teachers’ union is considering a rolling strike, meaning that schools would take turns striking for a week at a time. On Monday, a union meeting overwhelmingly endorsed a strike motion.

Said Keith Brown, president of the teacher’s union, in a media statement:

“Students, families, educators, community members, the Oakland City Council and the Alameda County Board of Education all opposed (the board’s action). Teachers, parents, labor, and the community are united to stop the implementation of school closures.”

City Council members have been speaking out against the closures.

District 3 Councilmember Carroll Fife, who helped organize community support for Prescott School, urged the community to turn pain and grief into action.

“My heart breaks for the families, teachers and communities who will be immediately impacted, but for those who’ve put their bodies on the line and who’ve been organizing for the reality we want to see, this is fuel for the movement. This is our call to action,” she said.

Councilmember Rebecca Kaplan said the state needs to take responsibility.

“Many years ago, the State of California took over control of the Oakland public schools, which they claimed was for the purpose of fixing the finances,” she said. “Sadly, the state officials controlling OUSD ran up debt, leaving the schools worse off financially. Now that California has a record-breaking budget surplus, it is all the more unjust that our youth and families should be made to suffer by cutting their schools to pay off debt that was run up by State officials.”

Councilmember Sheng Thao said she was working with state leaders to find more money for Oakland schools. “Our families deserve a process that is transparent and equitable and that didn’t happen here. It’s not fair. It’s not just. And it should not stand,” she said,

Said Councilmember Nikki ‘Fortunato Bas, “Budgetary challenges should be addressed by our unprecedented state surplus and support our students’ stability — during one of the already most destabilizing periods in their lives.”

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Activism

Agricultural Engineer Effie Gant Plans Bay Area Farmers Market Initiative

Published

1 day ago

July 18, 2026

bpusa-syndication

Agricultural Engineer Effie Gant displays watermelons from her Sacramento farm at the Temescal Festival in Oakland. Photo by Carla Thomas.

In her 80s and still actively working as an agricultural engineer, Effie Gant continues to break barriers in urban farming and community leadership.

The certified USDA grower and respected urban farmer, based in South Sacramento, was recently spotted vending at the Freedom Farmers’ Market by the Temescal Street Fair on Saturday, July 11, where she proudly displayed dozens of sweet, juicy watermelons.

Festivalgoers gathered not only to purchase her produce but also to enjoy activities like the popular watermelon-eating contest. Yet beyond the festive atmosphere, Gant has a larger vision.

Gant is now setting her sights on the Bay Area, where she plans to launch a farmers’ market to increase access to fresh, locally grown food.

Known for her leadership in sustainable agriculture and food justice, she brings decades of hands-on experience and community advocacy to regions where food access remains inconsistent.

She has built a strong reputation through her work with Meadowview Urban Farm and the Yisrael Family Urban Farm, cultivating crops such as watermelons, honeydew melons, and collard greens. Her approach emphasizes sustainability, education, and empowering residents to grow their own food, even in small urban spaces.

As a USDA-certified grower, Gant blends technical expertise with grassroots engagement to combat food insecurity.

Beyond farming, Gant serves as CEO and President of Highways to Hedges, a nonprofit focused on environmental justice and community development. She is also president of the Hampton Station Neighborhood Association and board chairman for HHCORE, where she advocates for safety, equity, and economic opportunity.

Her proposed farmers market will connect small-scale farmers with urban communities while elevating Black farmers and other underrepresented growers.

“I want to teach the next generation about farming and how lucrative it can be,” Gant said. “You don’t need hundreds of acres. You can start with one acre or even your backyard.”Gant also noted her involvement in a collective of farmers who supply produce through government-supported programs.

“We operate as a team, and we all benefit,” she said.

Through workshops, speaking engagements, and hands-on training, Gant and her organization continue to educate communities about agriculture and food justice. Her market initiative will emphasize affordability, cultural relevance, and nutrition education.

Her broader work includes creating edible forests in partnership with Soil Born Farms, planting fruit trees directly in neighborhoods to expand food access. As a mentor with the Center of Expertise on Food Justice and Health Equity, Gant remains a leading voice in building sustainable and resilient food systems.

Gant says she welcomes the community to join her in creating a new farmer’s market.

“Farming is essential to life,” she said. “I want to train as many people as I can to use food and farming as a tool for empowerment, health, and long-term change.”

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Oakland Post: Week of July 15 – 21, 2026

The printed Weekly Edition of the Oakland Post: Week of July 15 – 21, 2026

Published

1 day ago

July 18, 2026

Oakland Post

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From Disparity Study to Solutions: Oakland Coalition and Mayor Barbara Lee Renew Commitment to Reform City Contracting

She committed to ensuring the coalition has direct access to City leadership by designating Assistant Deputy City Administrator Chuck Baker the primary liaison. Working alongside Deputy City Administrator Sofia Navarro, DWES Director Emylene Aspilla, Race and Equity Director Darlene Flynn, and other City departments, the coalition will continue advancing these priorities while maintaining regular communication with City leadership.

Published

4 days ago

July 15, 2026

Oakland Post

Present at the recent meeting on implementing recommendations on Oakland’s Disparity Study on city work contracts were (first row, l. to r.): Chuck Baker, Oakland Mayor Barbara Lee and Darlene Flynn. Second row, l. to r.) Samuel Adams, Erica Astrella, Chadwick Spell, Cathy Adams, Stanley Cooper, Maria Wagner, Len Turner, Derek Barnes, Paul Cobb. Photo courtesy of Oakland Mayor’s Office.

Special to The Post

On June 30, a coalition of minority business leaders, contractors and others met with Oakland Mayor Barbara Lee to discuss the City’s commitment to implement recommendations outlined in Oakland’s Disparity Study and eliminate barriers that have historically prevented Black and minority-owned businesses from fully participating in public contracting opportunities.

Representatives of the Oakland African American Chamber of Commerce (OAACC), National Association of Minority Contractors Northern California (NAMC NorCal), Construction Resource Center (CRC), and the East Bay Rental Housing Association (EBRHA) said the meeting represented an important milestone in a process that has been underway for several months.

On April 21, the Oakland City Council’s Life Enrichment Committee received a progress report from the Department of Workplace and Employment Standards (DWES), where Director Emylene Aspilla presented the coalition’s working document and outlined a collaborative implementation plan between the coalition and the City. That report established 30-, 60-, and 90-day objectives focused on five key priorities:

Reforming Local and Small Local Business Enterprise (L/SLBE) waiver practices
Strengthening prompt payment compliance
Improving procurement forecasting and transparency
Expanding contractor capacity building and business development
Increasing oversight, accountability, and public reporting

A series of working sessions was scheduled between coalition representatives, DWES, and the City Administrator’s Office to begin implementing those priorities but were temporarily delayed by the resignation of former City Administrator Jestin Johnson.

Rather than allowing that momentum to stall, OAACC President and CEO Cathy Adams requested a meeting with Lee to gain clarity on the City’s direction and reaffirm its commitment to implementing the recommendations contained within the Disparity Study.

Coalition leaders described the meeting as productive, candid, collaborative, and encouraging.

During the meeting, Lee spoke not only from her role as mayor but also from her experience as an 8(a) contractor and business owner, sharing that she understands firsthand what it takes to build and grow a successful company, employ a substantial workforce, compete for public work, and navigate the complexities of municipal contracting.

Mayor Lee also expressed her commitment to personally participate in future working meetings with the coalition.

“This meeting represents a renewed commitment to partnership,” said Adams. “Mayor Lee listened, engaged, and demonstrated that she wants to move beyond conversation and into implementation.”

CRC’s Len Turner said the roadmap is already in place. ““The City already has the evidence. What’s been missing is execution. …Now it’s time to deliver results.”

Mario Wagner, president of NAMC NorCal agreed that the next phase must focus on implementation, funding, and accountability.

“The coalition is ready to get to work. …The next step is ensuring these initiatives receive meaningful funding in the upcoming fiscal budget cycle. Just as important, the City must establish transparent reporting mechanisms that keep the public informed through regular progress reports, measurable benchmarks, and accountability.”

Coalition leaders also acknowledged that while City leadership has indicated it is reviewing Local and Small Local Business Enterprise waiver practices, the community continues to seek a formal response regarding existing long-term waivers, including waivers extending 10 and 25 years. The coalition believes those waivers should be comprehensively reviewed and, where appropriate, rolled back as part of the City’s broader contracting reforms.

The coalition is also calling on the City to include meaningful funding in the upcoming fiscal budget cycle to support implementation of the Disparity Study recommendations and establish better methods and mechanisms to keep the public informed through regular progress reports, measurable benchmarks, and transparent accountability.

The coalition’s immediate next step is to schedule a working meeting with Baker, Aspilla, Lee, and the appropriate City staff to review what has already been accomplished under the implementation framework.