S.-2 21-1488A Approval by the Board of Education of Professional Services Agreement 2021-2025 - No Cost by and between the District and OK Program of Oakland, Oakland, CA, for the latter to provide a mentoring and leadership development program that focuses on African American males, 12 to 18 years old, as described in Exhibit A, incorporated herein by reference as though fully set forth, via the Community Schools and Student Services Department, for the period of September 1, 2021 through August 31, 2022, at no cost to the District.
I strongly support the OK Program providing mentorship to youths in Oakland. There has never been a better time for role models to interact with and mentor children as we come out of a pandemic where so much of their normal lives were upended by social distancing.
Mentorship leads to more successful students and future leaders, and provides support where needed which inevitably keeps children away from drugs and crime. Oakland and its surrounding communities will be much better off and safer with local kids benefitting from the OK program.
I am in supports of the OK Program as it has shaped me into a stronger black male. Due to the many father figures in the program who serve as an OPD officer or has had served. Also men who are successful in life. Which I find highly important to the young black males who grow up in urban communities without fathers in their life. Not only do they serve as father figures but also as a form of guidance to these young men. For myself the program and the men who are involved, have helped me find a successful path in life as I was on a road to failure. The program also has many other connections and resources outside of the program itself. I strongly believe that this is a vital program that deserves to stay in schools for the young black males as they already have low supports. The results that this program has output are alarmingly huge and in an honest opinion this program is really effective.
I am strongly opposed to the OK program. The Board made a commitment in 2020 to police-free schools when it approved the George Floyd Resolution. I support mentoring programs, but I do not support mentoring by police. There are numerous community based mentoring programs who engage students from a non-punitive, community-informed approach. The Board should use this opportunity to uphold the George Floyd Resolution and make our schools a police-free space by investing in community-based, restorative programs. Black Sanctuary means our Black children can go to school in safe, supportive environments where they are not encountering uniformed officers on campus. Please uphold the vote you made in 2020 to create police-free schools and continue to boldly envision how Oakland schools can re-imagine community safety and engagement for Black students and all students.
I am writing in support of the OK Program. I have partnered with the OK Program for several years and have tutored many of the young men in the program. During that time, I have been continually impressed by the OK Program, the services it provides to participants and their families, the monitorship and leadership training received by the young men, the depth and quality of the relationships between the program staff and students, and the overall design and management of the program. Removing the OK Program from OUSD would leave some of Oakland's most vulnerable students without access to critical services and connections and, in my opinion, would be a big mistake.
I strongly support the OK program. I have been a volunteer tutor at Frick and I was astonished by the incredible efforts made by the OK Program officers and the wonderful and strong relationships they have with the young black students in the program. This is one of the very best programs I have ever seen anywhere in terms of design, structure, implementation, and outcomes. To be completely frank, I cannot believe that anyone who has any depth of understanding of the program would be opposed to it continuing. I must assume that it is simply being caught up in the political moment - but if a reset of the relationship between black communities and the OPD is a goal, the OK Program is precisely the kind of program we need. How can it be bad to have police officers in a mentoring and supportive role (no enforcement whatsoever) interacting with young black males and their families? Please do the right thing and support the OK program.
Through my time as a tutor at Frick United, I had the chance to witness first-hand the meaningful interactions and positive influence the OK Program had with many black male students. The officers that facilitated the program are more than mentors to many of these kids. They are family, role models, father figures, coaches, and community leaders.
This is a program that provides invaluable resources, relationships, and mentorship to an underserved community. Please support the continuation of this program for the communities that it serves.
I want to write to you in support of the OK Program and the work that it has done for the Frick community. For many years our African American boys have been supported by this program on site, and in the community.
-During COVID the OK Program arranged exclusive access to Charlene's Pantry to provide food for program families in need.
-The OK Program has furnished program families in need with furniture.
-The OK Program has supported families with rental assistance.
-The OK Program has provided a safe space for students during out of school time with the Saturday sessions.
-The OK Program has solidified a partnership with 100 Black Men of the Bay Area that gives program students access to college scholarships.
-The OK Program has gifted a car to a senior student of note to support their college careers.
To be clear, these officers operate in a mentoring role exclusively. They are not here in an enforcement role.
I strongly support the OK Program providing mentorship to youths in Oakland. There has never been a better time for role models to interact with and mentor children as we come out of a pandemic where so much of their normal lives were upended by social distancing.
Mentorship leads to more successful students and future leaders, and provides support where needed which inevitably keeps children away from drugs and crime. Oakland and its surrounding communities will be much better off and safer with local kids benefitting from the OK program.
Thank you for time and attention to this matter.
Warm regards,
Lloyd Neale Clunie, Jr.
I am in supports of the OK Program as it has shaped me into a stronger black male. Due to the many father figures in the program who serve as an OPD officer or has had served. Also men who are successful in life. Which I find highly important to the young black males who grow up in urban communities without fathers in their life. Not only do they serve as father figures but also as a form of guidance to these young men. For myself the program and the men who are involved, have helped me find a successful path in life as I was on a road to failure. The program also has many other connections and resources outside of the program itself. I strongly believe that this is a vital program that deserves to stay in schools for the young black males as they already have low supports. The results that this program has output are alarmingly huge and in an honest opinion this program is really effective.
I am strongly opposed to the OK program. The Board made a commitment in 2020 to police-free schools when it approved the George Floyd Resolution. I support mentoring programs, but I do not support mentoring by police. There are numerous community based mentoring programs who engage students from a non-punitive, community-informed approach. The Board should use this opportunity to uphold the George Floyd Resolution and make our schools a police-free space by investing in community-based, restorative programs. Black Sanctuary means our Black children can go to school in safe, supportive environments where they are not encountering uniformed officers on campus. Please uphold the vote you made in 2020 to create police-free schools and continue to boldly envision how Oakland schools can re-imagine community safety and engagement for Black students and all students.
I am writing in support of the OK Program. I have partnered with the OK Program for several years and have tutored many of the young men in the program. During that time, I have been continually impressed by the OK Program, the services it provides to participants and their families, the monitorship and leadership training received by the young men, the depth and quality of the relationships between the program staff and students, and the overall design and management of the program. Removing the OK Program from OUSD would leave some of Oakland's most vulnerable students without access to critical services and connections and, in my opinion, would be a big mistake.
I strongly support the OK program. I have been a volunteer tutor at Frick and I was astonished by the incredible efforts made by the OK Program officers and the wonderful and strong relationships they have with the young black students in the program. This is one of the very best programs I have ever seen anywhere in terms of design, structure, implementation, and outcomes. To be completely frank, I cannot believe that anyone who has any depth of understanding of the program would be opposed to it continuing. I must assume that it is simply being caught up in the political moment - but if a reset of the relationship between black communities and the OPD is a goal, the OK Program is precisely the kind of program we need. How can it be bad to have police officers in a mentoring and supportive role (no enforcement whatsoever) interacting with young black males and their families? Please do the right thing and support the OK program.
Through my time as a tutor at Frick United, I had the chance to witness first-hand the meaningful interactions and positive influence the OK Program had with many black male students. The officers that facilitated the program are more than mentors to many of these kids. They are family, role models, father figures, coaches, and community leaders.
This is a program that provides invaluable resources, relationships, and mentorship to an underserved community. Please support the continuation of this program for the communities that it serves.
I want to write to you in support of the OK Program and the work that it has done for the Frick community. For many years our African American boys have been supported by this program on site, and in the community.
-During COVID the OK Program arranged exclusive access to Charlene's Pantry to provide food for program families in need.
-The OK Program has furnished program families in need with furniture.
-The OK Program has supported families with rental assistance.
-The OK Program has provided a safe space for students during out of school time with the Saturday sessions.
-The OK Program has solidified a partnership with 100 Black Men of the Bay Area that gives program students access to college scholarships.
-The OK Program has gifted a car to a senior student of note to support their college careers.
To be clear, these officers operate in a mentoring role exclusively. They are not here in an enforcement role.