I am a current Sequoia Elementary School parent, and I support the adjustment of enrollment priorities at our school as a first step in what I hope will be a long-term plan for the district to address overall inequity in our public school education program. We have a de facto segregated school system in Oakland, which reflects our historically segregated, redlined neighborhoods. I want to see Sequoia Elementary School, and OUSD, step up to rectify the unconscionable unfairness this segregated system continues to promote. Our school community has engaged in multiple discussions to prepare this proposal. I have not heard from a single Sequoia parent who opposes it. Our parent community is eager to take this crucial first step to realign enrollment priorities for our school.
I'm a parent at Sequoia. It has been an honor and inspiration to be a part of the conversations in our community about this proposal, and to see the breadth of support it has among parent, teachers, and staff. Please vote YES to take a small step toward making Sequoia more accessible for more students in our district. While OUSD continues to imagine and work towards ensuring all schools have the resources they need and reflect the diversity of our city and our district, pilots like the Sequoia Equitable Enrollment Initiative can help make a small difference and test the waters for change at a broader level. Our community supports this initiative and is ready to do the work to support the students and families who join our school. Thank you.
As a parent and employee of Sequoia, I urge you to vote yes on the proposed adjustment to the enrollment policy. While no change at just one school can change the inequities between schools in the entire district, this proposal is a step in creating more equity and access to Sequoia for all Oaklanders. All OUSD schools need to be better resources and of high quality and while the board and district take on that challenge, make Sequoia accessible for more Oaklanders.
I whole-heartedly support this Equitable Enrollment Initiative at Sequoia Elementary. We started at Sequoia in 2009. The diversity of our community has drastically declined in the past 11 years. In an ideal Oakland, every school would reflect the city's diverse population and every neighborhood would have a great school. This initiative is a tiny nudge towards a scale up to a district-wide plan for equity.
I am a teacher and parent at Sequoia Elementary and I support adjusting enrollment priorities at Sequoia. I appreciated the discussion on enrollment at the last meeting and want to ensure the board knows about the in-depth discussions our school community had about the benefits and limitations of the enrollment pilots. We share many of the same concerns about impact on neighboring schools as well as the desire for ALL families to have high quality schools in their neighborhood. It has been very important to teachers at Sequoia that the community knows our support is both … and… We both want enrollment adjusted and we want to advocate for all schools in OUSD to be quality schools with the resources they need to best support their students. While we wait for the board and OUSD to facilitate this, we want lower income families whose neighborhood schools are not meeting their needs to have priority in attending Sequoia. Our community is ready to welcome back the diversity we once had.
I’m proud to again publicly endorse Sequoia’s participation in the EEI on behalf of the Sequoia Parent Teacher Organization. We understand that our participation, on its own, will hardly solve the challenges OUSD and its schools face around ensuring all Oakland students have equitable access to quality education, but welcome nonetheless the opportunity for change and to practice the values of equity, diversity, and inclusion that should guide all of the actions we take as a school community. Our PTO voted overwhelmingly to endorse Sequoia's participation in the pilot. Despite concerns that were raised during this process - many of which were echoed in the board's discussion last month - we feel that inaction is not an option. We look forward to ways that Sequoia can both support a broadly-implemented equitable enrollment policy at the district-wide level, and continue to cultivate a school and caregiver culture that is welcoming, inclusive, equitable, and supportive of all students.
As a Sequoia Elementary Parent I fully support Sequoia's participation in the OUSD Equitable Enrollment Initiative. We must take action to remedy historical inequities. We cannot let the perfect be the enemy of the good. No solution will solve every problem but we cannot let that lure us into inaction. We must take action.
As Co-Chair of the Sequoia Parent Teacher Organization (SPTO) and parent of a Sequoia second grader, I support Sequoia’s participation in the OUSD Equitable Enrollment Initiative to adjust enrollment priorities. This pilot program is an important step toward creating a more diverse, equitable, and inclusive Sequoia and OUSD. Our community is committed to creating a welcoming and inclusive school climate and culture for all of our students and families.
I fully support the initiative for adjusting enrollment priorities to Sequoia. I think our school community will benefit from having a more diverse student population (racially and sociology-economically). And the most vulnerable members of our community need easier access to good schools. And while yes, the ultimate goal should be to find a way for all Oakland schools to have the resources they need to be good schools, that isn’t the reality right now. Please don’t sacrifice the opportunity to improve the lives of some kids because you are waiting for something else to come along. Change can only happen when you make it happen.
I'm a parent of 2 Sequoia students, and am also a member of the Sequoia PTO board. I live two blocks from the school. The proposal that comes to the school board was thoughtfully prepared and diligently communicated to the parent and teacher community at every step. There was overwhelming support expressed at each meeting where the topic was presented. There is a growing concern about equity from both the parents and teacher groups at Sequoia. While no integration plan is going to meet the needs of all parties, I trust that this proposal is the will of the greatest number of current staff, faculty and parents at Sequoia. We (Sequoia parents) have been raising and teaching our kids to be anti-racist, and cannot expect that lesson to fully be learned unless we take steps to fight the segregation in our own classrooms. I support this measure, and also urge the district to take further measures that support more equitable distribution of resources and opportunity in our city's schools.
I am a current Sequoia Elementary School parent, and I support the adjustment of enrollment priorities at our school as a first step in what I hope will be a long-term plan for the district to address overall inequity in our public school education program. We have a de facto segregated school system in Oakland, which reflects our historically segregated, redlined neighborhoods. I want to see Sequoia Elementary School, and OUSD, step up to rectify the unconscionable unfairness this segregated system continues to promote. Our school community has engaged in multiple discussions to prepare this proposal. I have not heard from a single Sequoia parent who opposes it. Our parent community is eager to take this crucial first step to realign enrollment priorities for our school.
I'm a parent at Sequoia. It has been an honor and inspiration to be a part of the conversations in our community about this proposal, and to see the breadth of support it has among parent, teachers, and staff. Please vote YES to take a small step toward making Sequoia more accessible for more students in our district. While OUSD continues to imagine and work towards ensuring all schools have the resources they need and reflect the diversity of our city and our district, pilots like the Sequoia Equitable Enrollment Initiative can help make a small difference and test the waters for change at a broader level. Our community supports this initiative and is ready to do the work to support the students and families who join our school. Thank you.
I support the equitable enrollment initiative. It brings Oakland a step closer to having schools that work for all students.
As a parent and employee of Sequoia, I urge you to vote yes on the proposed adjustment to the enrollment policy. While no change at just one school can change the inequities between schools in the entire district, this proposal is a step in creating more equity and access to Sequoia for all Oaklanders. All OUSD schools need to be better resources and of high quality and while the board and district take on that challenge, make Sequoia accessible for more Oaklanders.
I whole-heartedly support this Equitable Enrollment Initiative at Sequoia Elementary. We started at Sequoia in 2009. The diversity of our community has drastically declined in the past 11 years. In an ideal Oakland, every school would reflect the city's diverse population and every neighborhood would have a great school. This initiative is a tiny nudge towards a scale up to a district-wide plan for equity.
I am a teacher and parent at Sequoia Elementary and I support adjusting enrollment priorities at Sequoia. I appreciated the discussion on enrollment at the last meeting and want to ensure the board knows about the in-depth discussions our school community had about the benefits and limitations of the enrollment pilots. We share many of the same concerns about impact on neighboring schools as well as the desire for ALL families to have high quality schools in their neighborhood. It has been very important to teachers at Sequoia that the community knows our support is both … and… We both want enrollment adjusted and we want to advocate for all schools in OUSD to be quality schools with the resources they need to best support their students. While we wait for the board and OUSD to facilitate this, we want lower income families whose neighborhood schools are not meeting their needs to have priority in attending Sequoia. Our community is ready to welcome back the diversity we once had.
I’m proud to again publicly endorse Sequoia’s participation in the EEI on behalf of the Sequoia Parent Teacher Organization. We understand that our participation, on its own, will hardly solve the challenges OUSD and its schools face around ensuring all Oakland students have equitable access to quality education, but welcome nonetheless the opportunity for change and to practice the values of equity, diversity, and inclusion that should guide all of the actions we take as a school community. Our PTO voted overwhelmingly to endorse Sequoia's participation in the pilot. Despite concerns that were raised during this process - many of which were echoed in the board's discussion last month - we feel that inaction is not an option. We look forward to ways that Sequoia can both support a broadly-implemented equitable enrollment policy at the district-wide level, and continue to cultivate a school and caregiver culture that is welcoming, inclusive, equitable, and supportive of all students.
As a long-time Oakland teacher, and long-time Sequoia teacher, I want my great school to better reflect the diversity of our town.
As a Sequoia Elementary Parent I fully support Sequoia's participation in the OUSD Equitable Enrollment Initiative. We must take action to remedy historical inequities. We cannot let the perfect be the enemy of the good. No solution will solve every problem but we cannot let that lure us into inaction. We must take action.
As Co-Chair of the Sequoia Parent Teacher Organization (SPTO) and parent of a Sequoia second grader, I support Sequoia’s participation in the OUSD Equitable Enrollment Initiative to adjust enrollment priorities. This pilot program is an important step toward creating a more diverse, equitable, and inclusive Sequoia and OUSD. Our community is committed to creating a welcoming and inclusive school climate and culture for all of our students and families.
I fully support the initiative for adjusting enrollment priorities to Sequoia. I think our school community will benefit from having a more diverse student population (racially and sociology-economically). And the most vulnerable members of our community need easier access to good schools. And while yes, the ultimate goal should be to find a way for all Oakland schools to have the resources they need to be good schools, that isn’t the reality right now. Please don’t sacrifice the opportunity to improve the lives of some kids because you are waiting for something else to come along. Change can only happen when you make it happen.
I echo Mary’s comments and support this resolution.
I'm a parent of 2 Sequoia students, and am also a member of the Sequoia PTO board. I live two blocks from the school. The proposal that comes to the school board was thoughtfully prepared and diligently communicated to the parent and teacher community at every step. There was overwhelming support expressed at each meeting where the topic was presented. There is a growing concern about equity from both the parents and teacher groups at Sequoia. While no integration plan is going to meet the needs of all parties, I trust that this proposal is the will of the greatest number of current staff, faculty and parents at Sequoia. We (Sequoia parents) have been raising and teaching our kids to be anti-racist, and cannot expect that lesson to fully be learned unless we take steps to fight the segregation in our own classrooms. I support this measure, and also urge the district to take further measures that support more equitable distribution of resources and opportunity in our city's schools.
I support an exploration of how to make Sequoia more diverse and OUSD better serve all of Oakland.