Meeting Time: April 07, 2020 at 4:00pm PDT
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Agenda Item

S.-3 20-0605 Approval by the Board of Education of a Charter School Facilities Agreement between District and Aspire Public Schools, Inc., a California non-profit public benefit corporation ("Aspire") operating Aspire Berkeley Maynard Academy (the nonprofit corporation and the Berkley Maynard Academy, for use of the facilities (formerly Golden Gate Elementary School) located at 6200 San Pablo Avenue, Oakland, CA 94608-2228, for a term of fifteen (15) consecutive fiscal years, commencing on July 1, 2020 and ending on June 30, 2035, subject to earlier termination as set forth in this Agreement ("Initial Term"), for annual rent as set forth in Section 3 of Agreement.

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    AnneMarie Ferruzzi over 4 years ago

    I support the facilities lease renewal for Berkley Maynard Academy. I have been with the school for 8 years, did schooling in Oakland, and now work in schools in Oakland. Not renewing this lease would be damaging to Oakland students. The location is a model school and provides families who work in and contribute to Oakland, a place where students can thrive.

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    Cameron Byrd over 4 years ago

    I support the facilities lease renewal for Aspire Berkley Maynard Academy. The academy is successfully serving Black & Brown students in our community, providing families with choice, equity and access to high-quality education. This school community has deep ties to the Black community in Oakland and continues to serve students with generational ties to the school. The location provides families who work and contribute to Oakland, a place where students can thrive and be supported in their educational journey. The students of Aspire Berkley Maynard Academy deserve a facility that is reflective of their potential and ability to succeed in our world. Aspire Berkley Maynard Academy is a model school that has received national recognition for the amazing work that they do for Black and Brown students. I urge the Board to approve this agreement.

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    Nicole McCormack over 4 years ago

    I strongly support the facilities lease renewal for Aspire Berkley Maynard Academy (BMA). BMA provides families with choice, equity and access to high quality education and this location has deep ties to the Black community in Oakland and continues to serve students with generational ties to the school. BMA has received national recognition for the amazing work that they do for Black and Brown students and we should continue to allow the site and its scholars thrive in this location.

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    Stacy Thomas over 4 years ago

    I support the Charter School Facilities Agreement for Berkley Maynard Academy. Since the school took over the use of the Golden Gate building in 2005, it has been a place that supports the learning of Black and Latinx students.

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    Pamela Saberton over 4 years ago

    Berkeley Maynard Academy continues to provide an excellent educational experience to black and brown scholars. In a building that is almost 100 years old, we offer the space for scholars to continue to thrive within the Oakland community. The demographic may have changed around our school but generations of families still believe in the work we do to prepare their scholars to get to and through college and career and make the choice to send their scholars to BMA. The money that has been granted will go toward improving an Oakland owned building where hundreds of scholars come to learn everyday. Please support this attempt to uplift our community in Oakland while maintaining the history of serving students of color at a high performing school.

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    Judith Sanchez over 4 years ago

    BMA has been a great part of my family. My son has been going there since Kinder and is now moving to high school. Thanks to the teachers and everyone that has a part in helping the school run smoothly, my son was accepted to the high school of his choice. Everyone works hard and they work together to give our children the tools they need to become successful. I also have two daughters that will continue to be part of the BMA family. Teachers are always available and very easy to communicate with. One of my best friends recommended this school to me and It was the best choice I have made for my children’s education. My children and myself love the school and the staff there.

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    Mari Bennett over 4 years ago

    I fully support the Charter School Facilities Agreement for Aspire Berkeley Maynard Academy. Free, high-quality, public access charter school options are critical to addressing educational inequity, particularly for black and brown scholars in communities including Oakland. The charter for BMA was unanimously approved in Dec 2019 by the OUSD Board of Directors for good reason, and the site should remain open so it can continue to serve the local families and community.

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    Alisa Szatrowski over 4 years ago

    BMA is a model school for students of color and deserves quality facilities. Oakland families should have access to this quality education.

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    Amy Youngman over 4 years ago

    I support the Charter School Facilities Agreement for Aspire Berkeley Maynard Academy. The charter for BMA was unanimously approved in Dec 2019 by the OUSD Board of Directors. At that time, OUSD staff noted that BMA outperformed at least half of its comparison schools in both
    ELA and Math in both elementary and middle school for nearly all years of the previous charter term. Staff highlighted strong performance among several key student groups: African American students, Latinx students, economically disadvantaged students, and students with disabilities (in past two years). Staff also praised strong family partnerships and engagement.

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    Elizabeth Blevins over 4 years ago

    I support the Charter School Facilities Agreement because high quality schools in Oakland deserve reliable facilities in order to operate. The board approved BMA's charter unanimously in December 2019 which illustrates this point. It is imperative that BMA have a long term reliable facility in order to provide meaningful instruction and quality social emotional learning.

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    Brenda Mori over 4 years ago

    I fully support of the facilities agreement between OUSD and Aspire Berkley Maynard Academy. I have been a teacher and a member of the BMA community for 7 years. I am proud to be a part of a community that works together with parents, staff, and students to make sure our students get equitable access to the best quality of education possible. The building is a unique space that BMA has used for 15 years. I love to hear stories of parents and grandparents that attended school in this building in years past and now proudly choose to send their students to BMA for the community as well as its national recognition for the amazing work that they do for Black and Brown students. I am proud of this school and fully support its ability to thrive in this space.

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    Victoria Cuan over 4 years ago

    I am writing to support BMA. BMA provides families who work and contribute to Oakland, BMA students deserve a facility that is reflective of their potential and ability to succeed in their educational journey

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    Ryan Phillips over 4 years ago

    As an Oakland community member and parent, I believe all students, especially students Brown and Black students from low-income families deserve quality facilities. It is an equity issue that cannot be ignored. This is why I am supporting the facilities lease agreement and the work BMA is doing to serve kids. Simply put, these students deserve a quality facility to realize their potential and succeed in life. Please do the right thing and put the needs of students before your politics. Thank you for your consideration.

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    David Smith over 4 years ago

    Please vote this item down or at a minimum delay until the state and thereby the district has a better understanding of the impact this national emergency has on our budget, it is not the time to commit to any long term agreement.

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    Nik White over 4 years ago

    Berkley Maynard Academy is an almost 100 year old pillar of academic excellence in North Oakland. Starting off as Golden Gate Elementary and most recently as Berkley Maynard Academy. A school that is named after such esteemed Oaklanders deserves to reflect that in its physical appearance. Robert Maynard, Thomas Berkley, and all the students that attend BMA deserve nothing less!

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    Ana Rivera over 4 years ago

    I support BMA school. Is a great school with good opportunities for all their students. Great community and good communication with parents and teachers we love our school BMA
    Our students deserves a good and safe facility to learn and explore their great potential.

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    Erin Wesseldine over 4 years ago

    I am writing in support of the facilities agreement between OUSD and Aspire Berkley Maynard Academy. BMA has utilized this facility since 2005. During it’s nearly 15 years of operation, BMA has been focused on providing our families with choice, equity, and access to high quality education and has been recognized locally and nationally for the services they provide. Our students deserve continued access to a facility that is reflective of their ability to achieve success.

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    Mike Hudson over 4 years ago

    I am writing to pledge my support to BMA for the facilities agreement. BMA is a top notch educational institution that maximizes opportunities for students to learn, especially for Black and Brown students. Students need a nice facility to be able to continue their academic, social, and emotional growth. BMA is deserving of this space.

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    ami hanaoka over 4 years ago

    I support the Charter School Facilities Agreement for Aspire Berkley Maynard Academy. As a former teacher at the school, I know that BMA is a thriving community where students, families, and staff truly work together to support one another. This also shows up in the work that BMA does to engage with and participate in the neighborhood. Additionally, BMA has received recognition and accolades for their work with students - As an example, BMA was given the Top Schools Award from Innovate Public Schools for its work specifically with African American and Latinx scholars. As a result, BMA had their charter renewed unanimously by the OUSD Board in Dec 2019. In my current role, I support teaching candidates working towards their preliminary teaching credentials. Over the past 10 years, we have placed teaching candidates at BMA because of its exemplary community and teachers. I fully support this agreement.

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    Xochitl Henninger over 4 years ago

    I support the Charter School Facilities Agreement for Aspire Berkeley Maynard Academy. Our child is a kindergarten who was previously at an independent private school. We choose BMA over other private and public schools because of the success and reputation that BMA has in serving Black & Brown students. BMA provides a rich learning environment that focuses on higher education and leadership. BMA provides our son with access to a high-quality education that he was not being provided in a predominately white environment. And while one would hope that the ability to access high-quality education should not be exclusive of race, it is. BMA provides the foundation for our children to be successful in accomplishing their academic goals. BMA students deserve a facility that is reflective of their potential and ability to succeed in our world, while maintaining ties to its community in Oakland.