M.-1 22-0172 Presentation by the Superintendent of Schools to the Board of Education of a Progress Report: Plan, Indicators and Fund, as of January 20, 2022, of the Black Student and Families Thriving Task Force and a discussion, thereof, by and between the members of the Board and the Superintendent or designee(s).
I ask the district to take a pause for one more year. Considering the pandemic and the social emotional impacts on the children, families, teachers, community I think it’s somewhat unfair and inequitable to decide on this now. It’s not fair to kick us when we’re down. We are reeling from the effects of the pandemic and fighting for our safety and health right now. If anything the district should be trying to focus on hiring highly qualify teachers, recruit highly qualify teachers and train teachers that will be necessary for people to want to keep their children in Oakland.
We must not attempt to balance the budget on the backs of our Black and brown students. The OUSD community has had no time to discuss the potential school closures and yet a School Board vote is planned for Tuesday 8 February! The neighborhood schools provide safety for our most vulnerable children and enable the children to thrive despite the challenges resulting from hundreds of years of racist discrimination. We need the community schools in order to support our Black and brown students and give them the opportunity to thrive. These children have all the talent in the world and the OUSD community must not pull the rug out from under them.
I am appalled to see the list of schools slated for closure and the fact that once again, black students and black families in Oakland will be harmed the most by OUSD's failed policies. As has been proved over and over, closing schools does NOT save money. Closing schools does NOT improve academic outcomes. Closing schools is racist and fuels privatization and gentrification. As a member of the 2019 OUSD Ad Hoc Committee on school closures, I hope that each of you will read the minority report that myself and the other OEA appointees tot the committee published upon our resignation. It still holds true today. https://docs.google.com/document/d/1SmBdAE5mUa07ix6zMISCmZrPhvYDLIdh9uflCt5ucGk/edit?fbclid=IwAR09um_-NR6BpYknOaf63aVN3wEUPLXVCUe0NOxgxLcqXtvgnq8p9Rsk_Ho
I am a teacher and parent of students at Manzanita SEED. I am wholeheartedly opposed to school closures. OUSD has admitted that school closures do not save money, and we all know that closing neighborhood schools, rather than funding and supporting them does not help "students thrive." I am one of many supporters of the Reparations for Black Students Campaign. OUSD has a history of targeting majority Black schools for closure. Over the last two decades OUSD has closed 16 schools, yet these closures did little to improve the achievement gap of marginalized students. OUSD has seen a massive enrollment decline in Black Students and has done nothing to rectify anti-Black racist policies and structures. This district's failure to adequately resource schools will not be resolved by school closures. Protect majority black schools, conduct the racial equity impact analysis this district conveniently exempted itself from. Stop trying to balance the budget on the backs of Black students!
I am a teacher at New Highland and a resident of District 1. I strongly oppose school closures. When we close neighborhood schools, we send a message to families and students that we are not willing to invest in the public education of our students, specifically students of color, as most of the schools on the potential list serve majority Black and Brown students. Neighborhood schools are important to community and to encourage the continued growth and achievement of students in OUSD. We should keep education accessible and safe and keep students at the forefront of our decisions. When we close schools, we do the opposite of "students first."
I am one of many supporters of the Reparations for Black Students Campaign. OUSD has a history of targeting majority Black schools for closure. Over the last two decades OUSD has closed 16 schools, yet these closures did little to improve the achievement gap of marginalized students. OUSD has seen a massive enrollment decline in Black Students and has done nothing to rectify anti-Black racist policies and structures. This district's failure to adequately resource schools will not be resolved by school closures. Protect majority black schools , conduct the racial equity impact analysis this district conveniently exempted itself from. Stop trying to balance the budget on the backs of Black students!
I am one of many supporters of the Reparations for Black Students Campaign. OUSD has a history of targeting majority Black schools for closure. Over the last two decades OUSD has closed 16 schools, yet these closures did little to improve the achievement gap of marginalized students. OUSD has seen a massive enrollment decline in Black Students and has done nothing to rectify anti-Black racist policies and structures. This district's failure to adequately resource schools will not be resolved by school closures. Protect majority black schools, conduct the racial equity impact analysis this district conveniently exempted itself from. Stop trying to balance the budget on the backs of Black and Latino and other immigrant students!
I am one of many supporters of the Reparations for Black Students Campaign. OUSD has a history of targeting majority Black schools for closure. Over the last two decades OUSD has closed 16 schools, yet these closures did little to improve the achievement gap of marginalized students. OUSD has seen a massive enrollment decline in Black Students and has done nothing to rectify anti-Black racist policies and structures. This district's failure to adequately resource schools will not be resolved by school closures. Protect majority black schools , conduct the racial equity impact analysis this district conveniently exempted itself from. Stop trying to balance the budget on the backs of Black students!
I am one of many supporters of the Reparations for Black Students Campaign. OUSD has a history of targeting majority Black schools for closure. Over the last two decades OUSD has closed 16 schools, yet these closures did little to improve the achievement gap of marginalized students. OUSD has seen a massive enrollment decline in Black Students and has done nothing to rectify anti-Black racist policies and structures. This district's failure to adequately resource schools will not be resolved by school closures. Protect majority black schools , conduct the racial equity impact analysis this district conveniently exempted itself from. Stop trying to balance the budget on the backs of Black students!
I am one of many supporters of the Reparations for Black Students Campaign. OUSD has a history of targeting majority Black schools for closure. Over the last two decades OUSD has closed 16 schools, yet these closures did little to improve the achievement gap of marginalized students. OUSD has seen a massive enrollment decline in Black Students and has done nothing to rectify anti-Black racist policies and structures. This district's failure to adequately resource schools will not be resolved by school closures. Protect majority black schools , conduct the racial equity impact analysis this district conveniently exempted itself from. Stop trying to balance the budget on the backs of Black students!
I am one of many supporters of the Reparations for Black Students Campaign. OUSD has a history of targeting majority Black schools for closure. Over the last two decades OUSD has closed 16 schools, yet these closures did little to improve the achievement gap of marginalized students. OUSD has seen a massive enrollment decline in Black Students and has done nothing to rectify anti-Black racist policies and structures. This district's failure to adequately resource schools will not be resolved by school closures. Protect majority black schools , conduct the racial equity impact analysis this district conveniently exempted itself from. Stop trying to balance the budget on the backs of Black students!
I am a parent of 2 kids in OUSD. Stop trying to balance the budget on the backs of Black students! I am one of many supporters of the Reparations for Black Students Campaign. OUSD has a history of targeting majority Black schools for closure. Over the last two decades OUSD has closed 16 schools, yet these closures did little to improve the achievement gap of marginalized students. OUSD has seen a massive enrollment decline in Black Students and has done nothing to rectify anti-Black racist policies and structures. This district's failure to adequately resource schools will not be resolved by school closures. Protect majority black schools , conduct the racial equity impact analysis this district conveniently exempted itself from.
I am a teacher in Oakland and one of many supporters of the Reparations for Black Students Campaign. OUSD has a history of targeting majority Black schools for closure. Over the last two decades OUSD has closed 16 schools, yet these closures did little to improve the achievement gap of marginalized students. OUSD has seen a massive enrollment decline in Black Students and has done nothing to rectify anti-Black racist policies and structures. This district's failure to adequately resource schools will not be resolved by school closures. Protect majority black schools , conduct the racial equity impact analysis this district conveniently exempted itself from. Stop trying to balance the budget on the backs of Black students!
It's unconscionable that the majority of the Board voted for a list of potential school closures "notwithstanding" the Reparations for Black Students resolution (and the Community Engagement resolution). Your list overwhelmingly targets Black and brown families, and your process is shutting the community out.
I am a teacher in Oakland and a supporter of the Reparations for Black Students Campaign. OUSD has a history of targeting majority Black schools for closure. Over the last two decades OUSD has closed 16 schools, yet these closures did little to improve the achievement gap of marginalized students. OUSD has seen a massive enrollment decline in Black Students and has done nothing to rectify anti-Black racist policies and structures. This district's failure to adequately resource schools will not be resolved by school closures. Protect majority black schools , conduct the racial equity impact analysis this district conveniently exempted itself from. Stop trying to balance the budget on the backs of Black students! This has been an issue that comes up repeatedly at OUSD School Board meetings, and it is disheartening and shameful to see our Superintendent and Board Members repeatedly ignore requests for support in spite of claims to be working to close the achievement gap for all students.
My name is Mayra Alvarado. I'm a teacher at Manzanita SEED and a resident of district 4. I am one of many supporters of the Reparations for Black Students Campaign. OUSD has a history of targeting majority Black schools for closure. Over the last two decades, OUSD has closed 16 schools, yet these closures did little to improve the achievement gap of marginalized students. OUSD has seen a massive enrollment decline in Black Students and has done nothing to rectify anti-Black racist policies and structures. This district's failure to adequately resource schools will not be resolved by school closures. Protect majority Black schools, conduct the racial equity impact analysis this district conveniently exempted itself from. Stop trying to balance the budget on the backs of Black students!
I ask the district to take a pause for one more year. Considering the pandemic and the social emotional impacts on the children, families, teachers, community I think it’s somewhat unfair and inequitable to decide on this now. It’s not fair to kick us when we’re down. We are reeling from the effects of the pandemic and fighting for our safety and health right now. If anything the district should be trying to focus on hiring highly qualify teachers, recruit highly qualify teachers and train teachers that will be necessary for people to want to keep their children in Oakland.
We must not attempt to balance the budget on the backs of our Black and brown students. The OUSD community has had no time to discuss the potential school closures and yet a School Board vote is planned for Tuesday 8 February! The neighborhood schools provide safety for our most vulnerable children and enable the children to thrive despite the challenges resulting from hundreds of years of racist discrimination. We need the community schools in order to support our Black and brown students and give them the opportunity to thrive. These children have all the talent in the world and the OUSD community must not pull the rug out from under them.
I am appalled to see the list of schools slated for closure and the fact that once again, black students and black families in Oakland will be harmed the most by OUSD's failed policies. As has been proved over and over, closing schools does NOT save money. Closing schools does NOT improve academic outcomes. Closing schools is racist and fuels privatization and gentrification. As a member of the 2019 OUSD Ad Hoc Committee on school closures, I hope that each of you will read the minority report that myself and the other OEA appointees tot the committee published upon our resignation. It still holds true today. https://docs.google.com/document/d/1SmBdAE5mUa07ix6zMISCmZrPhvYDLIdh9uflCt5ucGk/edit?fbclid=IwAR09um_-NR6BpYknOaf63aVN3wEUPLXVCUe0NOxgxLcqXtvgnq8p9Rsk_Ho
I am a teacher and parent of students at Manzanita SEED. I am wholeheartedly opposed to school closures. OUSD has admitted that school closures do not save money, and we all know that closing neighborhood schools, rather than funding and supporting them does not help "students thrive." I am one of many supporters of the Reparations for Black Students Campaign. OUSD has a history of targeting majority Black schools for closure. Over the last two decades OUSD has closed 16 schools, yet these closures did little to improve the achievement gap of marginalized students. OUSD has seen a massive enrollment decline in Black Students and has done nothing to rectify anti-Black racist policies and structures. This district's failure to adequately resource schools will not be resolved by school closures. Protect majority black schools, conduct the racial equity impact analysis this district conveniently exempted itself from. Stop trying to balance the budget on the backs of Black students!
I am a teacher at New Highland and a resident of District 1. I strongly oppose school closures. When we close neighborhood schools, we send a message to families and students that we are not willing to invest in the public education of our students, specifically students of color, as most of the schools on the potential list serve majority Black and Brown students. Neighborhood schools are important to community and to encourage the continued growth and achievement of students in OUSD. We should keep education accessible and safe and keep students at the forefront of our decisions. When we close schools, we do the opposite of "students first."
I am one of many supporters of the Reparations for Black Students Campaign. OUSD has a history of targeting majority Black schools for closure. Over the last two decades OUSD has closed 16 schools, yet these closures did little to improve the achievement gap of marginalized students. OUSD has seen a massive enrollment decline in Black Students and has done nothing to rectify anti-Black racist policies and structures. This district's failure to adequately resource schools will not be resolved by school closures. Protect majority black schools , conduct the racial equity impact analysis this district conveniently exempted itself from. Stop trying to balance the budget on the backs of Black students!
I am one of many supporters of the Reparations for Black Students Campaign. OUSD has a history of targeting majority Black schools for closure. Over the last two decades OUSD has closed 16 schools, yet these closures did little to improve the achievement gap of marginalized students. OUSD has seen a massive enrollment decline in Black Students and has done nothing to rectify anti-Black racist policies and structures. This district's failure to adequately resource schools will not be resolved by school closures. Protect majority black schools, conduct the racial equity impact analysis this district conveniently exempted itself from. Stop trying to balance the budget on the backs of Black and Latino and other immigrant students!
I am one of many supporters of the Reparations for Black Students Campaign. OUSD has a history of targeting majority Black schools for closure. Over the last two decades OUSD has closed 16 schools, yet these closures did little to improve the achievement gap of marginalized students. OUSD has seen a massive enrollment decline in Black Students and has done nothing to rectify anti-Black racist policies and structures. This district's failure to adequately resource schools will not be resolved by school closures. Protect majority black schools , conduct the racial equity impact analysis this district conveniently exempted itself from. Stop trying to balance the budget on the backs of Black students!
Here’s a message being passed around:
I am one of many supporters of the Reparations for Black Students Campaign. OUSD has a history of targeting majority Black schools for closure. Over the last two decades OUSD has closed 16 schools, yet these closures did little to improve the achievement gap of marginalized students. OUSD has seen a massive enrollment decline in Black Students and has done nothing to rectify anti-Black racist policies and structures. This district's failure to adequately resource schools will not be resolved by school closures. Protect majority black schools , conduct the racial equity impact analysis this district conveniently exempted itself from. Stop trying to balance the budget on the backs of Black students!
I am one of many supporters of the Reparations for Black Students Campaign. OUSD has a history of targeting majority Black schools for closure. Over the last two decades OUSD has closed 16 schools, yet these closures did little to improve the achievement gap of marginalized students. OUSD has seen a massive enrollment decline in Black Students and has done nothing to rectify anti-Black racist policies and structures. This district's failure to adequately resource schools will not be resolved by school closures. Protect majority black schools , conduct the racial equity impact analysis this district conveniently exempted itself from. Stop trying to balance the budget on the backs of Black students!
I am one of many supporters of the Reparations for Black Students Campaign. OUSD has a history of targeting majority Black schools for closure. Over the last two decades OUSD has closed 16 schools, yet these closures did little to improve the achievement gap of marginalized students. OUSD has seen a massive enrollment decline in Black Students and has done nothing to rectify anti-Black racist policies and structures. This district's failure to adequately resource schools will not be resolved by school closures. Protect majority black schools , conduct the racial equity impact analysis this district conveniently exempted itself from. Stop trying to balance the budget on the backs of Black students!
I am a parent of 2 kids in OUSD. Stop trying to balance the budget on the backs of Black students! I am one of many supporters of the Reparations for Black Students Campaign. OUSD has a history of targeting majority Black schools for closure. Over the last two decades OUSD has closed 16 schools, yet these closures did little to improve the achievement gap of marginalized students. OUSD has seen a massive enrollment decline in Black Students and has done nothing to rectify anti-Black racist policies and structures. This district's failure to adequately resource schools will not be resolved by school closures. Protect majority black schools , conduct the racial equity impact analysis this district conveniently exempted itself from.
I am a teacher in Oakland and one of many supporters of the Reparations for Black Students Campaign. OUSD has a history of targeting majority Black schools for closure. Over the last two decades OUSD has closed 16 schools, yet these closures did little to improve the achievement gap of marginalized students. OUSD has seen a massive enrollment decline in Black Students and has done nothing to rectify anti-Black racist policies and structures. This district's failure to adequately resource schools will not be resolved by school closures. Protect majority black schools , conduct the racial equity impact analysis this district conveniently exempted itself from. Stop trying to balance the budget on the backs of Black students!
It's unconscionable that the majority of the Board voted for a list of potential school closures "notwithstanding" the Reparations for Black Students resolution (and the Community Engagement resolution). Your list overwhelmingly targets Black and brown families, and your process is shutting the community out.
I am a teacher in Oakland and a supporter of the Reparations for Black Students Campaign. OUSD has a history of targeting majority Black schools for closure. Over the last two decades OUSD has closed 16 schools, yet these closures did little to improve the achievement gap of marginalized students. OUSD has seen a massive enrollment decline in Black Students and has done nothing to rectify anti-Black racist policies and structures. This district's failure to adequately resource schools will not be resolved by school closures. Protect majority black schools , conduct the racial equity impact analysis this district conveniently exempted itself from. Stop trying to balance the budget on the backs of Black students! This has been an issue that comes up repeatedly at OUSD School Board meetings, and it is disheartening and shameful to see our Superintendent and Board Members repeatedly ignore requests for support in spite of claims to be working to close the achievement gap for all students.
My name is Mayra Alvarado. I'm a teacher at Manzanita SEED and a resident of district 4. I am one of many supporters of the Reparations for Black Students Campaign. OUSD has a history of targeting majority Black schools for closure. Over the last two decades, OUSD has closed 16 schools, yet these closures did little to improve the achievement gap of marginalized students. OUSD has seen a massive enrollment decline in Black Students and has done nothing to rectify anti-Black racist policies and structures. This district's failure to adequately resource schools will not be resolved by school closures. Protect majority Black schools, conduct the racial equity impact analysis this district conveniently exempted itself from. Stop trying to balance the budget on the backs of Black students!