T.-3 21-3077 Adoption by the Board of Education of Resolution No. 2122-0026 - Quality Instruction and Student Supports, Adequate Staffing, Competitive Compensation, and Long-Term Fiscal Stability.
I STRONGLY OPPOSE THE CLOSING OF SCHOOLS WHICH MULTIPLE STUDIES HAVE SHOWN HURTS COMMUNITIES AND DOES NOT SAVE MONEY. SHAME ON THE OUSD BOARD FOR TRYING AGAIN TO PROFIT OFF OF OUR MOST OPPRESSED COMMUNITY MEMBERS. SHAME ON THEM.
I think the smaller schools are better because they function faster than bigger schools cost more smaller schools don't cost as much as big schools student learn more in smaller schools bigger schools are more messy its not our fult the school is combining schools because they don't have money so why do we get affected.
I strongly oppose this board resolution. This will significantly impact the success that small schools like MetWest have had on students. Our distrit needs to be investing MORE resources in schools, not making budget cuts under the 'pretense' of providing future resources. These cuts will affect entire school communities. This is extremely destructive. If the small schools are truly a problem, it is Bill Gates that created this mess, so he should fix it. Why are we letting billionaires ruin our school communities but then those school communities are the ones that face the consequences when programs can no longer run. This is wrong. This will push hard working teachers out of the district and create irreparable harm. I would like to know if those who support the measure have children at the schools that will be affected. I'm sure they don't.
As an OUSD teacher and former resident of Oakland, I strongly oppose school closure. We are in the midst of a pandemic and there are other issues regarding COVID safety, etc that are way more urgent to discuss than school closures. Why don't you focus on what is right in front of you than trying to deal with stuff that is not even important to our students right now?! It is also very destructive to close schools in neighborhoods as this means students will have to travel much longer to get to another school site. For some students, it takes more than 1(!!) hour just to get to school. I do not understand why we would request such thing of children?!
I understand, and generally respect, the argument that the legacy of the small schools movement has left us in a difficult fiscal situation in Oakland. But I remain hopeful that there is a way to consider consolidating schools while involving the communities (sometimes many generations deep) who attend and love these schools. What is the harm reduction version of minimizing the number of schools in our district? What other districts have adapted from the small school era failure with collective wisdom and process? A deadly pandemic is not the right time to engage community on this, and engaging community should be as prioritized as any fiscal consideration.
Unfortunately, most of the people who oppose this & are being rallied to comment don't have all the data on why it is imperative OAK closes some of it's physical schools in order to consolidate resources. OUSD operates almost twice as many physical schools as districts w/ comparable size of enrollment. What this actually means is that schools don't get the resources they need because there's not enough resource or budget to give each physical school what they want. What happens then? Schools w/parents who can donate & make up for the shortfall end up with schools that are well resourced while others struggle. The State is not going to keep giving OUSD more & more $ if it's not being responsible & not making hard decisions. If people stopped listenting to those w/one agenda only, they would see that closing some physical schools is the right thing to do, consolidating resources & budgets will actually bring the student body at each school MORE & better paid resources=BETTER education.
As an Oakland resident and OUSD teacher I strongly oppose closing schools especially during this ongoing pandemic and find it cruel to even consider closing historically Black and Brown schools at any time without any community input or equitable opportunities to mitigate and heal the issues these schools has been facing largely on their own for far too long. OUSD’s own studies have shown closing schools has thusfar already cost upward of $700,000 instead of saved money when that was touted as being the whole point of taking such drastic (and harmfully unnecessary action). Take money from the top, not the bottom. Consider how traumatized students and families will be on top of all the other economic, physical and emotional health, social, racial, and gender-based inequities people deal with these days. You will be voted out sooner or later if closing schools continues. We saw this in the last election and it can easily happen again. Think of the kids and put them first, and no one else
Please reconsider your plan to close elementary schools including Prescott. It is very destructive to neighborhoods and families to lose their local school. This is another slap in the face to a historically black community and will not save the district funds as it will only turn into a charter school. You have done this so many times before and have not achieved the savings you seek. Find other ways. Don’t hurt families! Please!
I am horrified and disheartened that the district is considering closing schools. Not only does this hurt communities in general, but it cuts even deeper in the midst of a stressful, traumatic pandemic. Community schools are some of the last public places our students have that are truly theirs and there to serve them. Community schools are places of empowerment, closeness, and pride. To take that away is unjust. There have to be other options for funding issues than ripping away schools from our children and their families. Each school is a home, in a neighborhood that carries history and identity. I hope you will put a moratorium on closing schools out of the moral imperative to do so. None of us can stand by as you continue to hurt our students by taking away their safe spaces in a world that is already so harsh to so many of them. Please vote no. Signed, an Oakland resident and teacher
I am appalled the district is considering closing schools in the midst of a global pandemic. The district claims schools are the safest place for students to be, so why close them?? Maybe schools aren’t as safe as they claim, and instead of closing them the district needs to fund resources to support schools. the district has closed schools before, and it has not fixed the district’s financial problems. Vote “no” on this resolution that will harm students, families, teachers, and our community.
This is bad policy in "normal" times, and I can't even fathom why you would bring this resolution in the middle of the Omicron surge and as our communities continue to struggle during the pandemic. We all know what you are doing-- this is disaster capitalism at is finest. We will not stand by as you continue to close our schools, especially schools that serve Black students and families. Closing schools has never fixed the OUSD budget, maybe the problem isn't too many schools but a lack of courageous and effective leadership?
Stop closing our schools. It is racist and it doesn’t save money. Black students and families are disproportionately affected. Families leave our district and enrollment goes down. Closing schools hasn’t fixed our budget problems in the past and they won’t do it now. Vote “no” on this resolution.
Why are we talking about closures and consolidations again? Especially during a global pandemic and a huge surge that is devastating our community? This is so inappropriate. I am a teacher in West Oakland and I unilaterally oppose any school closures or consolidations. Before closing schools, why doesn’t OUSD try to fully resource them, instead of blaming the schools for failing to function under constant threat and punishment from the district? Historically, closing schools has never saved the district money, But in fact has costed more money and has led to disenrollment. This is a racist attempt to close majority Black schools. This is not an attempt for fiscal vitality. What we need is a moratorium on school closures for at least the next 10 years.
This resolution is unconscionable at any time but especially at this juncture when school communities are reeling from this surge in the pandemic. So much research has shown that closing schools does not save the district any money and causes tremendous heartache and trauma for our most vulnerable students. Support students by FUNDING schools, not closing them!!!
You have passed multiple community centered policies over the last several years, including the Reparations for Black Students resolution and the Improving Community Engagement for Proposed School Changes resolution, which are the guiding policies, and are themselves based in other guiding policies of this district. “NOTWITHSTANDING” these adopted board legislative policy enactments, this Board now seeks to throw out those policies, disregard the promises made to Black students and families, indeed to all families, students and staff at our schools, in order to have another opportunity to close Black and Brown schools without any input or consideration from the impacted communities. You must keep your promises and reject this resolution!
RESTABLISHING RELATIONSHIPS ARE IMPARITIVE FOR SPECIAL NEEDS STUDENTS.
CLOSING SCHOOLS DURING THE PANDEMIC TRAUMATIZED MY SON WHO ALREADY ISOLATES. HE'S A MASTERMIND IN ACADEMICS. THE SOCIALIZATION IS A KEY COMPONENT. WITH THE BLACK STUDENT REPARATION RESOLUTION WHERE I'M A CORE LEADER, I'M AWARE OF YOUR BYLAWS AND IT SOUNDS LIKE YOU'RE IN BREACH MORE THAN YOU HAVE EVER DEMONSTRATED SINCE AGREEING TO 15 OF OUR TERMS.
Closing any legacy-Black schools will counter the plans of the Black reparations proposal to repair harm to Black students. The "notwithstanding" language in the resolution has no teeth to pause closures of schools with large numbers of Black students.
Please do not close any school in the middle of a pandemic. This will hurt families. Please do not close any school.
I STRONGLY OPPOSE THE CLOSING OF SCHOOLS WHICH MULTIPLE STUDIES HAVE SHOWN HURTS COMMUNITIES AND DOES NOT SAVE MONEY. SHAME ON THE OUSD BOARD FOR TRYING AGAIN TO PROFIT OFF OF OUR MOST OPPRESSED COMMUNITY MEMBERS. SHAME ON THEM.
Stop closing schools. Without a surging pandemic, school closures disrupt communities. To close schools in the middle of s global pandemic is awful.
I think the smaller schools are better because they function faster than bigger schools cost more smaller schools don't cost as much as big schools student learn more in smaller schools bigger schools are more messy its not our fult the school is combining schools because they don't have money so why do we get affected.
Lmao ok
I strongly oppose this board resolution. This will significantly impact the success that small schools like MetWest have had on students. Our distrit needs to be investing MORE resources in schools, not making budget cuts under the 'pretense' of providing future resources. These cuts will affect entire school communities. This is extremely destructive. If the small schools are truly a problem, it is Bill Gates that created this mess, so he should fix it. Why are we letting billionaires ruin our school communities but then those school communities are the ones that face the consequences when programs can no longer run. This is wrong. This will push hard working teachers out of the district and create irreparable harm. I would like to know if those who support the measure have children at the schools that will be affected. I'm sure they don't.
As an OUSD teacher and former resident of Oakland, I strongly oppose school closure. We are in the midst of a pandemic and there are other issues regarding COVID safety, etc that are way more urgent to discuss than school closures. Why don't you focus on what is right in front of you than trying to deal with stuff that is not even important to our students right now?! It is also very destructive to close schools in neighborhoods as this means students will have to travel much longer to get to another school site. For some students, it takes more than 1(!!) hour just to get to school. I do not understand why we would request such thing of children?!
I understand, and generally respect, the argument that the legacy of the small schools movement has left us in a difficult fiscal situation in Oakland. But I remain hopeful that there is a way to consider consolidating schools while involving the communities (sometimes many generations deep) who attend and love these schools. What is the harm reduction version of minimizing the number of schools in our district? What other districts have adapted from the small school era failure with collective wisdom and process? A deadly pandemic is not the right time to engage community on this, and engaging community should be as prioritized as any fiscal consideration.
Unfortunately, most of the people who oppose this & are being rallied to comment don't have all the data on why it is imperative OAK closes some of it's physical schools in order to consolidate resources. OUSD operates almost twice as many physical schools as districts w/ comparable size of enrollment. What this actually means is that schools don't get the resources they need because there's not enough resource or budget to give each physical school what they want. What happens then? Schools w/parents who can donate & make up for the shortfall end up with schools that are well resourced while others struggle. The State is not going to keep giving OUSD more & more $ if it's not being responsible & not making hard decisions. If people stopped listenting to those w/one agenda only, they would see that closing some physical schools is the right thing to do, consolidating resources & budgets will actually bring the student body at each school MORE & better paid resources=BETTER education.
As an Oakland resident and OUSD teacher I strongly oppose closing schools especially during this ongoing pandemic and find it cruel to even consider closing historically Black and Brown schools at any time without any community input or equitable opportunities to mitigate and heal the issues these schools has been facing largely on their own for far too long. OUSD’s own studies have shown closing schools has thusfar already cost upward of $700,000 instead of saved money when that was touted as being the whole point of taking such drastic (and harmfully unnecessary action). Take money from the top, not the bottom. Consider how traumatized students and families will be on top of all the other economic, physical and emotional health, social, racial, and gender-based inequities people deal with these days. You will be voted out sooner or later if closing schools continues. We saw this in the last election and it can easily happen again. Think of the kids and put them first, and no one else
Please reconsider your plan to close elementary schools including Prescott. It is very destructive to neighborhoods and families to lose their local school. This is another slap in the face to a historically black community and will not save the district funds as it will only turn into a charter school. You have done this so many times before and have not achieved the savings you seek. Find other ways. Don’t hurt families! Please!
I am horrified and disheartened that the district is considering closing schools. Not only does this hurt communities in general, but it cuts even deeper in the midst of a stressful, traumatic pandemic. Community schools are some of the last public places our students have that are truly theirs and there to serve them. Community schools are places of empowerment, closeness, and pride. To take that away is unjust. There have to be other options for funding issues than ripping away schools from our children and their families. Each school is a home, in a neighborhood that carries history and identity. I hope you will put a moratorium on closing schools out of the moral imperative to do so. None of us can stand by as you continue to hurt our students by taking away their safe spaces in a world that is already so harsh to so many of them. Please vote no. Signed, an Oakland resident and teacher
I am appalled the district is considering closing schools in the midst of a global pandemic. The district claims schools are the safest place for students to be, so why close them?? Maybe schools aren’t as safe as they claim, and instead of closing them the district needs to fund resources to support schools. the district has closed schools before, and it has not fixed the district’s financial problems. Vote “no” on this resolution that will harm students, families, teachers, and our community.
This is bad policy in "normal" times, and I can't even fathom why you would bring this resolution in the middle of the Omicron surge and as our communities continue to struggle during the pandemic. We all know what you are doing-- this is disaster capitalism at is finest. We will not stand by as you continue to close our schools, especially schools that serve Black students and families. Closing schools has never fixed the OUSD budget, maybe the problem isn't too many schools but a lack of courageous and effective leadership?
Stop closing our schools. It is racist and it doesn’t save money. Black students and families are disproportionately affected. Families leave our district and enrollment goes down. Closing schools hasn’t fixed our budget problems in the past and they won’t do it now. Vote “no” on this resolution.
Why are we talking about closures and consolidations again? Especially during a global pandemic and a huge surge that is devastating our community? This is so inappropriate. I am a teacher in West Oakland and I unilaterally oppose any school closures or consolidations. Before closing schools, why doesn’t OUSD try to fully resource them, instead of blaming the schools for failing to function under constant threat and punishment from the district? Historically, closing schools has never saved the district money, But in fact has costed more money and has led to disenrollment. This is a racist attempt to close majority Black schools. This is not an attempt for fiscal vitality. What we need is a moratorium on school closures for at least the next 10 years.
This resolution is unconscionable at any time but especially at this juncture when school communities are reeling from this surge in the pandemic. So much research has shown that closing schools does not save the district any money and causes tremendous heartache and trauma for our most vulnerable students. Support students by FUNDING schools, not closing them!!!
You have passed multiple community centered policies over the last several years, including the Reparations for Black Students resolution and the Improving Community Engagement for Proposed School Changes resolution, which are the guiding policies, and are themselves based in other guiding policies of this district. “NOTWITHSTANDING” these adopted board legislative policy enactments, this Board now seeks to throw out those policies, disregard the promises made to Black students and families, indeed to all families, students and staff at our schools, in order to have another opportunity to close Black and Brown schools without any input or consideration from the impacted communities. You must keep your promises and reject this resolution!
RESTABLISHING RELATIONSHIPS ARE IMPARITIVE FOR SPECIAL NEEDS STUDENTS.
CLOSING SCHOOLS DURING THE PANDEMIC TRAUMATIZED MY SON WHO ALREADY ISOLATES. HE'S A MASTERMIND IN ACADEMICS. THE SOCIALIZATION IS A KEY COMPONENT. WITH THE BLACK STUDENT REPARATION RESOLUTION WHERE I'M A CORE LEADER, I'M AWARE OF YOUR BYLAWS AND IT SOUNDS LIKE YOU'RE IN BREACH MORE THAN YOU HAVE EVER DEMONSTRATED SINCE AGREEING TO 15 OF OUR TERMS.
Closing any legacy-Black schools will counter the plans of the Black reparations proposal to repair harm to Black students. The "notwithstanding" language in the resolution has no teeth to pause closures of schools with large numbers of Black students.