I support postponing the BluePrint Cohort 3 decision to consider closing and/or consolidating schools until Fall of 2022. Covid has disrupted everyone lives for the past year and half. Right now all families DESERVE and NEED the stability of the Board/ensuring that no such changes will come to their school experience this year.
I don't understand how closing and merging schools helps address historical neglect in black communities. Those same students and local staff are dealing with stressor that we don't account for outside of the classroom and instead of pouring more funding and support we close or merge schools and add to the problem instead of seek ways to alleviate them. Shame on us for not finding better solutions. I agree and support the voices of black parents, students and staff in uplifting what they have already raised.
Those who are linking classroom consolidations and school closures are misinformed. We are not having an increase in classroom consolidations because we have kicked the can down the road on school closures, we are having consolidations in schools that are oversubscribed as well as undersubscribed. We have consolidations every year at a variety of schools based on differing class sizes at different grade levels, and this year that is exacerbated by covid. School closures are a racist and faux financially-sound tactic which hurts Black and Brown children and very rarely has the desired fiscal savings. You have made the decision to invest in some schools and not others, you have a pattern and practice of closing Black schools instead of investing of them and continuing this racist policy is outrageous and wrong. Do the right thing, stop Racist school closures. And use Covid dollars to avoid consolidating classrooms now when we are supposed to be having a restorative restart.
OUSD should be a community, not a business. Closing and merging schools does nothing but harm our children and add strain to other schools in the community.
Repairing the harm caused by decades of disinvestment to Black students, families, schools, and staff requires OUSD to rethink their Blueprint for Quality Schools. Further disruptions will exacerbate existing disparities not only within the education system but also in other aspects of our communities lives. I am in support of this resolution to postpone the Blueprint Cohort 3 Decision to Fall 2022.
OUSD is once again compromising the safety and stability of its students to patch over the District's short-sighted plans for this already challenging school year. OUSD has failed to build a working relationship with teachers and OEA, has not put much-needed focus on teacher retention/recruitment, nor did you communicate a clear back-to-school plan to ensure that families did not seek alternative schools.
Families have lost faith in the District, and are exhausted from being used as bargaining tools by both sides. Please consider a less destabilizing approach for providing classroom teachers across the District, and create a log-term plan for success. Every child in OUSD deserves a stable learning environment. It is your job to provide it, and to provide a truly 'restorative start'.
Closing school causes harm and does not "fix" anything. Neighborhood schools provide stability and essential learning and when schools close, children and youth are deprived opportunities for growth and development Interrupting the schooling experience of our youth leads to a rise in disengagement and in dropout rates.
Repairing the harm caused by decades of disinvestment to Black students, families, schools, and staff requires OUSD to rethink their Blueprint for Quality Schools. Further disruptions will exacerbate existing disparities not only within the education system but also in other aspects of our community's lives. I am in support of this resolution to postpone the Blueprint Cohort 3 Decision to Fall 2022.
We see a huge amount of parents and teachers in a lot of hurt right now at the thought of consolidating classes. The gut reaction is this is terrible and how can OUSD do this. However when you dig into the details- you find that one of the reasons we are in this situation is because we keep kicking the can down the road on making hard decisions to close schools ir make similar type decisions.
The decisions should be made when all of the facts, financial and otherwise are put together and understood. I trust in the broader OUSD board and staff to make the best most logical decision in order to stay out of crisis.
Resolutions like this are emotional responses that when added up lead to the type of consolidations which are happening now.
Please continue to use logic, data and facts to make decisions that are best for all students in OUSD and do not vote for this resolution that would tie OUSDs hands in making those smart choices.
I am a mother of 2 living in East Oakland. I strongly opposed to a Covid-19 Vaccination mandate for OUSD students. While the long term effects of the vaccine are still largely unknown, studies are now showing the risk of cardiac adverse events such as myocarditis, pericarditis and blood clots is substantially higher for kids than the chance of hospitalization due to Covid-19. https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/sep/10/boys-more-at-risk-from-pfizer-jab-side-effect-than-covid-suggests-study
If the vaccine mandate is passed, I will leave Oakland or homeschool my children.
I'm in support of postponing. Please find a way that doesn't Harm Black and Brown Students. Our Communities have hurt enough.
6th-8th Choir Teacher Westlake Middle School
Repairing the harm caused by decades of disinvestment to Black students, families, schools, and staff requires OUSD to rethink their Blueprint for Quality Schools. Further disruptions will exacerbate existing disparities not only within the education system but also in other aspects of our communities lives. I am in support of this resolution to postpone the Blueprint Cohort 3 Decision to Fall 2022. Even better, I am in support of Director Hutchison's resolution to STOP consolidating schools.
Many children, families, and staff are suffering as a result of mid-year consolidations. Although the main reasons are COVID and teacher shortages, another reason is that OUSD maintains too many classrooms for the number of students enrolled. In order to serve our children better, we should have fewer, better-funded schools. No one wants to close or merge schools, but we can't keep avoiding hard decisions that need to be made.
I support Director Hutchinson’s amendment to STOP all school closures, not just postpone them. If you are acknowledging the pain and destabilization they cause (let alone the fact they do NOT save the district money) why is okay to be the cause of that pain after the pandemic? You all should be working to create a sustainable financial plan that is not on the back of our students, especially our Black and Brown students. -D1 teacher/D2 resident
Repairing the harm caused by decades of disinvestment to Black students, families, schools, and staff requires OUSD to rethink their Blueprint for Quality Schools. Further disruptions will exacerbate existing disparities not only within the education system but also in other aspects of our communities lives. I am in support of this resolution to postpone the Blueprint Cohort 3 Decision to Fall 2022.”
Repairing the harm caused by decades of disinvestment to Black students, families, schools, and staff requires OUSD to rethink their Blueprint for Quality Schools. Further disruptions will exacerbate existing disparities not only within the education system but also in other aspects of our communities lives. I am in support of this resolution to postpone the Blueprint Cohort 3 Decision to Fall 2022.
I am in support of this resolution to postpone the Blueprint Cohort 3 Decision to Fall 2022 because we need to invest in our students, particularly our Black students, as opposed to shutting down and closing schools. Closing schools is disruptive, harmful, and painful for students, families, and staff. Closing a school means that you are ripping away many childrens' sense of community, belonging, and care from them. This is unnacpetable, and not what is best for our students.
I support postponing the BluePrint Cohort 3 decision to consider closing and/or consolidating schools until Fall of 2022. Covid has disrupted everyone lives for the past year and half. Right now all families DESERVE and NEED the stability of the Board/ensuring that no such changes will come to their school experience this year.
I don't understand how closing and merging schools helps address historical neglect in black communities. Those same students and local staff are dealing with stressor that we don't account for outside of the classroom and instead of pouring more funding and support we close or merge schools and add to the problem instead of seek ways to alleviate them. Shame on us for not finding better solutions. I agree and support the voices of black parents, students and staff in uplifting what they have already raised.
Those who are linking classroom consolidations and school closures are misinformed. We are not having an increase in classroom consolidations because we have kicked the can down the road on school closures, we are having consolidations in schools that are oversubscribed as well as undersubscribed. We have consolidations every year at a variety of schools based on differing class sizes at different grade levels, and this year that is exacerbated by covid. School closures are a racist and faux financially-sound tactic which hurts Black and Brown children and very rarely has the desired fiscal savings. You have made the decision to invest in some schools and not others, you have a pattern and practice of closing Black schools instead of investing of them and continuing this racist policy is outrageous and wrong. Do the right thing, stop Racist school closures. And use Covid dollars to avoid consolidating classrooms now when we are supposed to be having a restorative restart.
OUSD should be a community, not a business. Closing and merging schools does nothing but harm our children and add strain to other schools in the community.
Repairing the harm caused by decades of disinvestment to Black students, families, schools, and staff requires OUSD to rethink their Blueprint for Quality Schools. Further disruptions will exacerbate existing disparities not only within the education system but also in other aspects of our communities lives. I am in support of this resolution to postpone the Blueprint Cohort 3 Decision to Fall 2022.
OUSD is once again compromising the safety and stability of its students to patch over the District's short-sighted plans for this already challenging school year. OUSD has failed to build a working relationship with teachers and OEA, has not put much-needed focus on teacher retention/recruitment, nor did you communicate a clear back-to-school plan to ensure that families did not seek alternative schools.
Families have lost faith in the District, and are exhausted from being used as bargaining tools by both sides. Please consider a less destabilizing approach for providing classroom teachers across the District, and create a log-term plan for success. Every child in OUSD deserves a stable learning environment. It is your job to provide it, and to provide a truly 'restorative start'.
Closing school causes harm and does not "fix" anything. Neighborhood schools provide stability and essential learning and when schools close, children and youth are deprived opportunities for growth and development Interrupting the schooling experience of our youth leads to a rise in disengagement and in dropout rates.
Repairing the harm caused by decades of disinvestment to Black students, families, schools, and staff requires OUSD to rethink their Blueprint for Quality Schools. Further disruptions will exacerbate existing disparities not only within the education system but also in other aspects of our community's lives. I am in support of this resolution to postpone the Blueprint Cohort 3 Decision to Fall 2022.
We see a huge amount of parents and teachers in a lot of hurt right now at the thought of consolidating classes. The gut reaction is this is terrible and how can OUSD do this. However when you dig into the details- you find that one of the reasons we are in this situation is because we keep kicking the can down the road on making hard decisions to close schools ir make similar type decisions.
The decisions should be made when all of the facts, financial and otherwise are put together and understood. I trust in the broader OUSD board and staff to make the best most logical decision in order to stay out of crisis.
Resolutions like this are emotional responses that when added up lead to the type of consolidations which are happening now.
Please continue to use logic, data and facts to make decisions that are best for all students in OUSD and do not vote for this resolution that would tie OUSDs hands in making those smart choices.
I am in support of Director Hutchison's resolution to STOP consolidating schools.
I am a mother of 2 living in East Oakland. I strongly opposed to a Covid-19 Vaccination mandate for OUSD students. While the long term effects of the vaccine are still largely unknown, studies are now showing the risk of cardiac adverse events such as myocarditis, pericarditis and blood clots is substantially higher for kids than the chance of hospitalization due to Covid-19. https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/sep/10/boys-more-at-risk-from-pfizer-jab-side-effect-than-covid-suggests-study
If the vaccine mandate is passed, I will leave Oakland or homeschool my children.
I'm in support of postponing. Please find a way that doesn't Harm Black and Brown Students. Our Communities have hurt enough.
6th-8th Choir Teacher Westlake Middle School
I am in support with Director Hutchinson of this resolution to postpone/close the Blueprint Cohort 3 decision in Fall 2022
Reparations For Black Students Now!!!
Repairing the harm caused by decades of disinvestment to Black students, families, schools, and staff requires OUSD to rethink their Blueprint for Quality Schools. Further disruptions will exacerbate existing disparities not only within the education system but also in other aspects of our communities lives. I am in support of this resolution to postpone the Blueprint Cohort 3 Decision to Fall 2022. Even better, I am in support of Director Hutchison's resolution to STOP consolidating schools.
Many children, families, and staff are suffering as a result of mid-year consolidations. Although the main reasons are COVID and teacher shortages, another reason is that OUSD maintains too many classrooms for the number of students enrolled. In order to serve our children better, we should have fewer, better-funded schools. No one wants to close or merge schools, but we can't keep avoiding hard decisions that need to be made.
I support Director Hutchinson’s amendment to STOP all school closures, not just postpone them. If you are acknowledging the pain and destabilization they cause (let alone the fact they do NOT save the district money) why is okay to be the cause of that pain after the pandemic? You all should be working to create a sustainable financial plan that is not on the back of our students, especially our Black and Brown students. -D1 teacher/D2 resident
There should be NO school closures at all. However, this resolution is a step in the right direction.
Repairing the harm caused by decades of disinvestment to Black students, families, schools, and staff requires OUSD to rethink their Blueprint for Quality Schools. Further disruptions will exacerbate existing disparities not only within the education system but also in other aspects of our communities lives. I am in support of this resolution to postpone the Blueprint Cohort 3 Decision to Fall 2022.”
Repairing the harm caused by decades of disinvestment to Black students, families, schools, and staff requires OUSD to rethink their Blueprint for Quality Schools. Further disruptions will exacerbate existing disparities not only within the education system but also in other aspects of our communities lives. I am in support of this resolution to postpone the Blueprint Cohort 3 Decision to Fall 2022.
I am in support of this resolution to postpone the Blueprint Cohort 3 Decision to Fall 2022 because we need to invest in our students, particularly our Black students, as opposed to shutting down and closing schools. Closing schools is disruptive, harmful, and painful for students, families, and staff. Closing a school means that you are ripping away many childrens' sense of community, belonging, and care from them. This is unnacpetable, and not what is best for our students.